Jazz pianist Dave Frishberg wrote one of my favorite baseball songs. Frishberg first wrote a melody, but was having a hard time coming up with lyrics. While looking though a baseball encyclopedia, he happened on the name of Van Lingle Mungo, a major league player. He found his lyrics by incorporating the names of other baseball players. The song was released in 1969. Can you guess how many of these baseball players were members of a fraternity?
HEENEY MAJESKI
JOHNNY GEE
EDDIE JOOST
JOHNNY PESKY
THORNTON LEE
DANNY GARDELLA
VAN LINGLE MUNGO
WHITEY KUROWSKI
MAX LANIER
EDDIE WAITKUS
JOHNNY VANDER MEER
BOB ESTALELLA
VAN LINGLE MUNGO
AUGIE BERGAMO
SIGMUND JAKUCKI
BIG JOHNNY MIZE
and
BARNEY MCCOSKY
HAL TROSKY
AUGIE GALAN
and
PINKY MAY
STAN HACK
and
FRENCHY BORDAGARAY
PHIL CAVARRETTA
GEORGE MCQUINN
HOWARD POLLET
and
EARLY WYNN
ROY CAMPANELLA
VAN LINGLE MUNGO
AUGIE BERGAMO
SIGMUND JAKUCKI
BIG JOHNNY MIZE
and
BARNEY MCCOSKY
HAL TROSKY
JOHN ANTONELLI
FERRIS FAIN
FRANKIE CROSETTI
JOHNNY SAIN
HARRY BRECHEEN
and
LOU BOUDREAU
FRANKIE GUSTINE
and
CLAUDE PASSEAU
EDDIE BASINSKI
ERNIE LOMBARDI
HUEY MULCAHY
VAN LINGLE
VAN LINGLE MUNGO
Two is the number I come up with. Johnny Gee, Phi Kappa Sigma, University of Michigan, and Lou Boudreau, Phi Sigma Kappa, University of Illinois. In 1937, Gee won the Big Ten Medal of Honor as the graduating Michigan student who had best demonstrated proficiency in both scholarship and athletics. Gee won six varsity letters in basketball and baseball, and was a member of the Sphinx society.
Lou Boudreau
To hear Frishberg singing his song, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOvvJTv_E_w
Johnny Gee
© Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory.com, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
