Take Me Up to the Ball Game


Take Me Up to the Ball Game is the sixth and final television special from Nelvana Limited, preceded by Easter Fever, and premiered in September of 1980. It was also the last Nelvana television special to be distributed by Viacom Enterprises outside Canada. The title is a play on the song title "Take Me Out to the Ball Game".

Plot

A children's baseball team encounters a talent scout from outer space named Irwin, who offers them the chance to play against a team from another planet. They later discover that they are playing in a championship game, and that the opposing team has never been defeated because making up one's own rules — which Earthlings call "cheating" — is a common practice in interplanetary baseball.
During the first few innings, the Earth team is not doing well against their opponents, and some of the players suggest that they should cheat as well; the team's leader, however, insists that it would be wrong because "cheaters never prosper".
The Earth players start anticipating their opponents' tricks and countering them without breaking the rules; the spectators are thrilled by this unexpected turn of events, and the home team actually enjoys having a genuine challenge to face despite the fact that the Earthlings are now winning. Irwin, who had bet heavily against the Earth team, tries to put the odds back in his favor by entering the game himself, but it is no use; the Earthlings win the game.

Voice cast

There are three songs in this special, all sung by Rick Danko of The Band:
  1. "Hey Kids", in which Irwin is talking the Earth team into playing against the alien team.
  2. "We'll Find a Way", during which the Earth team is being badly beaten by their opponents.
  3. "Cheaters Never Prosper", during which the Earth team is making a comeback.

    Availability

This special was paired with Easter Fever on the VHS videocassette Nelvanamation Volume 2 ; this tape is currently out of print.
Paul Edison and his cousins Ray and Roy are seen watching Take Me Up To The Ballgame in the "Twinners" episode of The Edison Twins.