Back in 1908, vaudeville performer Jack Norworth who had never attended a professional baseball game was riding a Manhattan elevated train when he spotted a sign that read “Baseball Today—Polo Grounds.” It inspired him to jot down a few lyrics, which he asked his friend, composer Albert von Tilzer, to put to music. Von Tilzer had never been to a professional game either, but the two created what became the anthem of America’s pastime, and one of our country’s most popular tunes. Norworth, who also wrote “Shine On, Harvest Moon,” didn’t attend a major league game until more than 30 years after scoring his musical home run, when he watched the Brooklyn Dodgers play the Chicago Cubs in 1940. On the song’s 50th anniversary, Major League Baseball presented him with a gold lifetime game pass.