Announcer Says Ozzy’s ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ Was An ‘Act’

Ozzy Osbourne’s 2003 rendition of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” at Chicago’s Wrigley Field is most remembered for being one of the more creative takes on the traditional song.

But newly revealed information is leading some to believe Ozzy was merely putting on a show as he meandered through the song at his own pace that day.

Did Ozzy Mess Up ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ on Purpose?

At the height of the popularity of The Osbournes reality show on MTV, Ozzy and Sharon were. invited to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” as the Chicago Cubs took on the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 17, 2003.

Seeing Ozzy entertaining fans in the middle of a Major League Baseball game was newsworthy, but that’s not what dominated the headlines that day. Instead, it was how the Prince of Darkness stumbled through the song, rocking back and forth as Sharon did her best to keep up.

Ozzy died July 22 at the age of 76. His death was a big enough story that even those outside of the usual music and celebrity news outlets were looking for angles to cover.

Chicago sports/talk radio station 670 The Score spoke with Chicago White Sox announcer Steve Stone, who was in the broadcast booth as a Cubs announcer when Ozzy and Sharon visited in 2003. Stone was asked by the hosts if he remembered that day and what was going through his head while the Osbournes were singing.

“I remember it clearly for a couple of different reasons. Number one, the whole thing when he messed up, you know, ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame,’ that was an act,” Stone told the hosts. “He’s a professional singer, as we know.”

Steve Stone’s Proof That Ozzy Intentionally Flubbed ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’

If you go back and watch the video of Ozzy and Sharon performing while wearing their Cubs jerseys, you’ll notice a piece of paper taped to the top of a nearby monitor. Sharon glances at the paper several times during the song, while it’s difficult to see where Ozzy is looking due to his trademark tinted glasses.

Stone said that the paper contained all of the lyrics to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

READ MORE: Absolute Best Quotes From Every Season of ‘The Osbournes’

“If he wanted to sing those words, he could have,” the announcer and former ball player said during the interview. “But he chose not to because he wanted to make it his show. And Ozzy was nothing if not a showman.”

The other aspect of Ozzy and Sharon’s visit that Stone will most remember is how the couple treated everyone working in the broadcast booth that day. He said the Osbournes walked around and thanked everyone they saw for letting them sing during the seventh inning stretch.

“Ozzy and Sharon were two of the nicest people that ever came to the booth. It was unbelievable,” Stone said. “I would never have thought of that because he had this crazy reputation, and it was a little bit different.”

Ozzy Among Long List Of Rockers Invited To Sing During Cubs Games

Having a rock star in the broadcast booth at Wrigley Field was nothing new at the time of Ozzy and Sharon’s visit in 2003. The Cubs have a longstanding tradition of inviting musicians, celebrities, athletes and dignitaries to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the middle of the seventh inning

Cubs fan and Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder has been a frequent “guest conductor” at Wrigley, including when the Cubs landed in the World Series in 2016.

Here are a few other notable rock artists who have sang Take Me Out to the Ballgame for Chicago Cubs fans:

Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day)

Pete Wentz and Joe Trohman (Fall Out Boy)

Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine)

Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins)

No matter how much time any of these professional musicians have spent on stage, none of them will ever be able to captivate a crowd like Cookie Monster did in 2019.

The Cubs have welcomed guest conductors for “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” since 1998, following the death of long-time announcer Harry Caray, who would regularly sing the song for thousands of fans during every game at Wrigley Field.