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The list of names is a mixture of well-known players and more obscure ones, all of whom played in the majors during the 1940s (and many of whom also played in parts of the 30s and/or 50s). Boudreau, Campanella, Lombardi, Mize, and Wynn are all in the Hall Of Fame, and several others also had very
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From there, Frishberg found more names in the encyclopedia that he found interesting. He proceeded to write song lyrics for the melody that included only the names of major league players and the words "and" and "big", attempting to order the names in a rhyming fashion. The song is performed in
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long and successful careers. Among the more obscure players are
Bergamo (who played in only two seasons, the fewest of any of the players mentioned), and Gee (who appeared in parts of six seasons, but played in only 44 games, the fewest of any of the players mentioned.)
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considers "Van Lingle Mungo" as "one of the best jazz works of the 70s and certainly the best ever done combining jazz and baseball." The song has been entered in the
National Baseball Library, a section of the
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Frishberg developed the melody first, but couldn't settle on lyrics, rejecting several sets of lyrics he drafted. Frishberg browsed through a copy of a baseball encyclopedia, which lists the names of players in
366:. With the death of John Antonelli (usually listed as "Johnny") on February 28, 2020, Eddie Basinski became the last surviving player mentioned in the song. Basinski died on January 8, 2022.
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album, Frishberg changed it back to
Passarella. On an early recording that coincided with the release of the
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Original sheet music, Van Lingle Mungo, by Dave
Frishberg, copyrigght KOHAW Music Inc.
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album, Frishberg replaces the mellifluous Lou
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The players mentioned in most versions of the song, in addition to Mungo, are:
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473:"PIANIST / SINGER / SONGWRITER Frishberg Builds The Songs From Scratch"
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Mungo and his wife reported that they both enjoyed the song.
644:"Baseball Hall of Fame has many recordings Series%3A ASK US"
502:"VAN LINGLE MUNGO, 73, DIES, KNOWN FOR MONIKER, FASTBALL"
646:. St. Petersburg Times. August 18, 1992. Archived from
448:"FISCHLER: Saluting 'Best, Worst and Most Unusual'"
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504:. Sun Sentinel. February 14, 1985. Archived from
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343:In the original recording there is one name,
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417:"Beer And Song Rewards For Van Lingle Mungo"
131:. In the encyclopedia, he found the name of
423:. United Press International. May 18, 1977
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381:National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
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87:" is a song composed and performed by
531:"Van Lingle Mungo by David Frishberg"
387:. "Van Lingle Mungo" was included in
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562:"Van Lingle Mungo / Dave Frishberg"
676:MajorSwingMusic (April 17, 2009).
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450:. DailyFreeman.com. July 4, 2010
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717:Songs about baseball players
18:1969 song by Dave Frishberg
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707:Baseball songs and chants
390:Baseball's Greatest Hits
661:(subscription required)
519:(subscription required)
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374:Jazz critic and author
533:. Baseball-almanac.com
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385:Cooperstown, New York
129:Major League Baseball
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687:– via YouTube.
712:American jazz songs
650:on January 31, 2013
508:on January 31, 2013
479:on February 1, 2013
349:Retromania: At The
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678:"Van Lingle Mungo"
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683:November 28,
681:. Retrieved
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364:Johnny Kucks
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172:Lou Boudreau
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654:January 11,
537:January 11,
512:January 11,
483:January 11,
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427:January 11,
351:Jazz Bakery
313:Johnny Sain
283:Johnny Mize
237:Eddie Joost
232:Sig Jakucki
207:Augie Galan
202:Ferris Fain
111:Development
97:CTI Records
702:1969 songs
696:Categories
400:References
376:Ira Gitler
333:Early Wynn
318:Hal Trosky
247:Max Lanier
217:Johnny Gee
141:bossa nova
370:Reception
268:Pinky May
261:"Heeney"
227:Stan Hack
615:and the
599:Archived
91:pianist
48:Released
629:YouTube
594:YouTube
143:style.
122:in 1940
57:Label
685:2016
656:2012
573:2021
539:2012
514:2012
485:2012
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429:2012
362:and
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51:1969
30:Song
383:in
62:CTI
32:by
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