Baseball games are all about tradition and for fans around the country, that means kicking off the game with the national anthem and executing an energetic "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the 7th inning stretch when things are looking bleak. This season, fans of the New York Mets have adopted the tradition of singing Billy Joel's "Piano Man" in the midst of the eighth inning during home games on Citi Field turf. For game 3 of the World Series against the Kansas City Royals, fans indulged in the unofficial anthem, serenading the singer-songwriter who sung the national anthem and was present in the crowd, leading him to eventually join in on the sing a long.
The Mets and Billy Joel go way back to a time when the Long-Island musician performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" during Game 2 of 1986's World Series against the Red Sox, Rolling Stone notes. The "She's Always a Woman to Me" singer also lent his vocals to close out Shea Stadium with two gigs. Hoping that some of the 1986 luck would rekindle, Joel was asked to provide a performance for the National Anthem for Citi Field's first World Series game in history.
"Billy Joel's music is part of the soundtrack of every New Yorker's life. He's an iconic New Yorker. We wanted him to be part of our playlist during the games." David Newman, the Mets' senior vice president of marketing and communications told Newsday of the "Piano Man" sing-a-long tradition carrying over into the postseason. "The song has been part of what has been a magical season for us."
The iconic "New York State of Mind" singer recently got married to wife Alexis Joel at his Long Island home during a 4th of July bash and shortly after, Joel welcomed his second child, Della Rose, into the world.
