RUTH, ROGER, SAMMY AND MARK

Written by: Bob Wynne in September of 1998

THIS IS A STORY OF A RECORD BEING BROKEN
SO PULL UP A CHAIR,PUT OUT THAT CIGARETTE THAT YOUR SMOKIN
IT ALL STARTED OUT WITH A MAN NAMED RUTH
ITS WRITTEN IN THE RECORD BOOK ITS GOT TO BE THE TRUTH
WAY WAY BACK IN NINTEEN TWENTY SEVEN
RUTH POINTED OUT A SPOT
THEY STILL SPEAK OF IT IN HEAVEN
HE HIT SIXTY HOMERS MORE THAN ANYONE DID
MY GRANDPA SAID HE SAW HIM
WHEN HE WAS JUST A KID

THE RECORD HELD UP TILL NINTEEN SIXTY ONE
NO ONE COULD MATCH IT
NOT THE FATHER OR THE SON
THIRTY FOUR YEARS LATER ROGER MARIS TOOK A SHOT
WITH MICKEY MANTLE CHASING, IT WAS TIED UP IN A KNOT

IN THE LAST GAME OF THE SEASON
ROGER COMES TO THE PLATE
NOT A MOMENT TO SOON NOT A MOMENT TO LATE
HE SMACKS ONE IN THE BLEACHERS AND THE PLACE GOES MAD
SIXTY ONE IN THE BOOK MORE THAN ANYONE HAD

AND FOR THIRTY SEVEN YEARS PEOPLE GAVE IT THEY'RE ALL
BUT NO ONE COULD TOUCH IT
TILL MARK AND SAMMY WOULD CALL

FIRST IT WAS MCGWIRE WHO HIT SIXTY ONE
AND THE VERY NEXT NIGHT HE STILL WASN'T DONE
HE PUT THE FIRST PITCH OVER THE LEFT FIELD WALL
SIXTY TWO IN THE BOOKS ROGERS RECORD WOULD FALL

NOW SOSA WAS PLAYING IN RIGHT FIELD
AS MCGWIRE RAN UP IN THE STANDS
TO THANK EVERYBODY IN THE PARK
AND SHAKE EVERYBODYS HANDS

AND WHEN HE CAME BACK DOWN ON TO THE FIELD
SOSA AND MCGWYER WERE ONE
THEY HUGGED EACH OTHER IN A TOUCHING MOMENT
THEN MCGWYER PICKED UP HIS SON

HE KISSED HIM AND PUT HIM DOWN ON THE TURF
THEN THANKED THE MAN UPSTAIRS
AND HE KNEW THE RACE HAD JUST BEGUN
CAUSE SAMMY COULD HIT THEM IN PAIRS
SOSA WHO WAS RIGHT ON HIS HEELS
WAS STUCK AT FIFTY EIGHT
AND EVERYONE IN THE PARK THAT NIGHT
KNEW SOSA COULD HARDLY WAIT

YEAH SAMMY WAS HAVING A HEll OF A YEAR
HE WAS NIPPING AT MARKS HEELS
AND AFTER WITNESSING THE PARTY THAT NIGHT
SAMMY HAD TO KNOW HOW IT FEELS

A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER HE HIT FIFTY NINE
A HECK OF A SHOT IT WAS RIGHT DOWN THE LINE
THEN IT WAS SIXTY , SIXTY ONE AND WE KNEW
IT WOULDN'T BE LONG AND WE'D SEE SIXTY TWO

NOW SOSA AND MCGWIRE BOTH BROKE THE RECORD
THAT HAD STOOD FOR THIRTY SEVEN YEARS
AND WE WATCHED AMAZED FROM OUR LIVING ROOMS
WE COULD HARDLY HOLD BACK THE TEARS

AMAZING TWO GUYS COULD DO IT
NO I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT THEY'VE DONE
THEY SHATTERED A RECORD THAT UNTIL THIS YEAR
COULDN'T BE BROKEN BY ONE