Video: Eddie Vedder Continues 7th Inning Stretch "Tradition" At Wrigley

By Lisa White in Arts & Entertainment on May 13, 2015 10:00PM

Longtime Chicago Cubs fan and lead singer of Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder, was back at the Friendly Confines yesterday to continue an informal tradition the musician and baseball fan likes to indulge in almost annually— leading the crowd in song during the 7th inning stretch. Watch below as Vedder sings "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the Cubs game against the Mets last night.

The dapper dressed singer threw a Cubs hat to the crowd after leading them in a rousing rendition of the classic baseball tune. Longtime Cubs announcer Harry Caray was responsible for singing the tune, but after his passing special guests and celebrities have taken over the tradition. Vedder was one of the early participants and is one of the more frequent leaders in song over the years.

Last night Vedder also payed tribute to the late Ernie Banks by sporting a #14 button on his blazer. Vedder was a huge Banks fan and even shared a cool story with Billboard about giving Banks his childhood glove:

"Ernie saw it and then he put it on, and he said, [adopts an Ernie Banks voice] 'I really like this glove… It's a good mitt. There's love in this glove. I really would like to have this glove. This would be a connection between you and me to have this mitt,'" Vedder explains. "I said, 'Well Ernie it's my first mitt as a kid.' And his friend was looking at me going, 'Oh no you're never going to see that again," he laughs. "I said, 'You can absolutely have my mitt.' Because if you go back and realize some day Ernie Banks might ask for your mitt, you f*cking give it to him -- Mr. Cub, the hero that you watched as a kid."