Every baseball fan knows that when the middle of the seventh inning arrives, it is time for the seventh inning stretch. This also means that “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” is played or sung in some capacity over the PA system.

Each organization has their own way of sharing this song with their fans. Some have the announcer sing it, some play the music from a recording, and others pick a lucky fan to lead the crowd each night. For the Fightins, the seventh inning stretch means that someone gets to ride around the field on a special three-wheeled bicycle. Nowadays, the lucky singer is always an intern or a front office member. For years before, the song was performed by Neale Bechtel, the Singing Usher.

Oh, and one time I got roped into singing and riding.

That’s right, I got the privilege of sitting in that special bike as it was pedaled around the field by the one and only Crazy Hot Dog Vendor. Here’s how it happened.

As I have talked about before, one of my responsibilities during my two seasons as an intern was making sure Neale was in his spot ready to sing when it was time for the seventh inning stretch. It was one thing I looked forward to every night because he was such a great guy and brightened everyone’s day.

Anyway, I remember it was one of the few nights Neale wasn’t working so I figured I didn’t have to worry about the seventh inning stretch.

Boy was I wrong.

I don’t remember exactly what was said, but I do remember getting a call over my radio saying they needed me underneath the pool in right field. On my way there, I was thinking that maybe they just wanted to confirm that Neale wasn’t there that night to sing.

I should point out that by this time my sister and I had already performed the national anthem at least once before this so they knew I could sing. Also, I was wearing a radio and they could have just called me to confirm Neale’s absence.

Neither of these thoughts crossed my mind as I headed out to the pool.

Once I made it to right field and got under the pool deck, I was greeted by my supervisor and the Crazy Hot Dog Vendor. They were waiting by the three-wheeled bicycle with looks on their faces that should have been a warning to me. It turned out they couldn’t figure out who should sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and since they knew I wouldn’t be busy at the time, they decided I could do it. I found this out with one out to go in the top of the seventh, so there wasn’t much time to make a decision.

I climbed up on the bench, picked up the microphone, and waited for the last out while my mind whirled trying to come up with what to say before I started the song. Neale always had a fun intro during which he would invite the fans to join him in singing, so I had to come up with something.

I remember starting with “Good Evening Baseballtown,” and have no idea what else I said before starting to sing.

One thing I remember clearly is working hard to make sure I didn’t sing too fast or too slow. The song had to last from the 1st base dugout around behind home to the 3rd base dugout where we exited the field. It sounds easy, but that seems like a much larger distance when you are down on the field. Let’s just say that “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” is not a long song. Thankfully the Crazy Hot Dog Vendor pedaled fairly quickly around the field.

Confessional: Have you ever been put on the spot at work or with a group? What was the end result?

After coming off the field, my night went back to normal. I checked on the ushers, chatted with security, and helped clean up at the end of the night. While it was a bit nerve-wracking in the moment, it was another fun experience I got to have in Baseballtown.

Oh, and don’t worry, the Crazy Hot Dog Vendor made sure I stayed humble by assuring me that I did a nice job, but I wasn’t the Singing Usher. (It was all in fun, he meant nothing mean by it.)