from the Montana Sportsfan Newsletter,
August 2005
Song Helps Helena Legion Team Through Bad Year
It has not been a normal year for the Helena Senators American Legion Baseball team. A lack of returning players has shown up, particularly on the pitching mound, and they are sub-.500 for the year, and didn’t qualify for the State Tournament in Bozeman.
Off the field, things have been much better, and some of the credit goes to a 45 year old song, from a group better know for a Christmas carol. The song is “It’s a Beautiful Day For a Ball Game,” from the Harry Simeon Chorale.
You hear “The Little Drummer Boy” every winter. The ball game song was their attempt to make a summer-time song. It was written in 1960. Nat “King” Cole and Tennessee Ernie Ford recorded it. The sheet music for it is in a collection at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Major League Baseball put it in the World Series highlight film of 1965. The song has been used by the Mets, Cubs, and Dodgers over the years to open their games. The University of Minnesota uses it at their games, during rain delays. What Jay Scott did was put it into the game promos, which played day and night on KBLL Radio in Helena.
What did the song do? The line “It’s a Beautiful Day for a Ball Game, for a Ball Game Today,” was noticed by listeners, both on rainy days during the wettest June in 100 years, and on dry days as well. That’s the whole idea-getting the promo noticed. It worked to perfection. Attendance almost doubled this year at Senators games, and the number of listeners has soared as well.
Meanwhile, Scott has been nominated for “American Legion Broadcaster of the Year. “ He has won a wall-full of awards over the years, and it would be “a beautiful day” if he gets this one. It’s easy to broadcast a team when they win. Scott has been excellent this year with a losing team.
