The seventh-inning stretch

Gary Sinese sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" today. He wasn't bad, there have certainly been worse singers, as well as people with no business being up there in the first place, and at least he's a local and known to be One of Us, but it got me thinking about the whole procedure. I admire Sinese, but the rotating celebrity thing is getting old. Actually, it got old a long time ago.

The people I like the most up there are the former ballplayers, and there's no shortage of former Cubs. With few exceptions (like Milton Bradley), once a Cub, always a Cub as far as I'm concerned. Sure, they bring out Ernie and Billy and Fergie and the Rebel, and of course Zonk, since he's there every day. But it shouldn't be hard to drum up 76 more former Cubs a year.

I'd rather see Herman Segelke go up there than some random person with no connection to the team. Hector Cruz is still in town, I hear he's a mailman on the north side and the people on his route say he's a nice guy. Why can't he sing? Players, managers, coaches, announcers, Tom Ricketts once a year, people like Yosh Kawano or Bob Rosenberg or Marla Collins, I'd even be down with top-seniority ushers or concession people or groundskeepers once in awhile. The Cubs' first pick in the draft every year would be nice, or their minor-league player of the year.

Other than that, guests from outside the Cubs family should be rare. Bob Uecker if the Brewers are in town, sure. He's awesome, and he's a classy guy. Same goes for Vin Scully. Tommy Lasorda, he's not one of us, but he gets it.

And every now and then, they should play a tape of Harry Caray for old time's sake.

But Hollywood types who couldn't name five Cubs with a scorecard in their hands, drunken Ozzy, outofbreathMikeDitka, the Nobody-Cares-Except-Alumni High School state champs from a sport you've forgotten by the time they get to "buy me some peanuts", that really has to go.