Local Cubs Fan Auditions To Sing At 7th Inning Stretch
Posted
Erin Windle-
Tim Goon, Warsaw, is auditioning Friday, at Wrigley Field, for the chance to sing "Take Me Out to The Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch at the Sept. 22 Chicago Cubs game.
Three thousand people spread across the country have made it to the first audition and one loyal Cubs fan will ultimately be chosen to perform in the tradition."I got my response for the first audition and I'm going for it," Goon said. "I'm going for the top."
About a month and a half ago, Goon was watching a Cubs game on TV and during a commercial break an advertisement came on explaining the "Ultimate 7th-Inning Stretch Contest." Goon immediately went to the Web site, www.cubs.com, and applied, sending a personal essay of 100 words or less on why he should be the one chosen to sing at the ball game. Come to find out, Goon was picked as a contestant.
"It's awesome ... I still can't believe it," Goon said.
Fifty semi-finalists will move on to the second audition Aug. 27. From there, the competition moves to the Cubs Web site for online voting, where fans will determine the final 10 contestants.
"It's very important people know of the online voting," Goon said. He will need support from the community to move on to the final round and is determined to make it. "I want to be up there with Harry Caray."
On Sept. 22, before the Cubs vs. Pirates game at Wrigley Field, the winner of the contest will be announced in a pre-game ceremony. The winner will then sing the famous song during the seventh-inning stretch.
Toby Buck, CEO of Paragon Medical, Inc., Warsaw, where Goon works, has said he would buy 100 tickets to give out to employees to go to the game and watch Goon perform, that is if Goon wins. And Goon said Buck is "pretty good on his word."
"What an honor and what a privilege it would be," he said. "To sing at one of the oldest ballparks of the century ... even if the Cubs lose that day, it will be such a great time and something I will never forget."
