Twenty-five years ago Home Run Pictures was asked to create a classic sing-along "bouncing ball" animation for the Eat 'n Park restaurant chain to use during the seventh-inning-stretch at Pittsburgh Pirates home baseball games. The iconic "smiley cookie," sold at the restaurants would be the bouncing ball following the words to "Take Me Out To The Ballgame."

Displayed on the scorboard's video screen, views of the crowd in the stands singing along are screened behind the words. At the time, the ballfield's organ player, Vince [when it was still done live], would play along with the animation and the fans had a lot of fun.

That was twenty-five years ago and although the animation has been updated in the last few years, the seventh inning event has continued each year, now at the Buccos' newer ball field, PNC Park. The same animation was also used by the Pirates' Johnstown Minor League team and in Cleveland at the Indians games there.

FAN FOOTAGE COURTESY OF ROOT SPORTS