Baseball Songs on Vinyl, Vol. 2: "Love is Like a Baseball Game"

The Intruders, Philly soul, and Aaron Nola.

Baseball is often a zero sum game. Every hit is a credit to the batter and a demerit to the pitcher. Every out is the inverse. For every up, there is a down. Addition and subtraction in equal measure. The game is rigidly democratic in this way.

Life is not really like a baseball game, but according to ‘60s/ ‘70s soul band The Intruders, love is. 

They have a good argument (and a great look). Love and baseball are linguistically intertwined. “First base… second base…” “Struck out,” “Pitchers and catchers,” “Switch hitters,” “Bat and balls,” “Waxahachee Swap.” OK, I made up that last one.

The Intruders were essentially the progenitor of Philadelphia Soul. There is no “Love Train,” or “TSOP” (“The Sound of Philadelphia” AKA the Soul Train theme), or “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now” without The Intruders.  

Their big hit, “Cowboys to Girls” in 1968, lead to Columbia Records investing in the tiny Gamble Records label, enabling the founders Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff to launch a new imprint, Philadelphia International Records. They would go on to sign the O-Jays, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Lou Rawls, Teddy Pendergrass, and many more to make soul music history.

The Intruders had a typical career arc, starting in 1960: street-corner Doo-Wop singers, a string of minor recordings, THAT ONE single that put them on the map, in-fighting, personnel shuffling, releases that go nowhere, and the inevitable break up in 1975.

Wedged between the “THAT ONE single” and “in-fighting” was “Love is Like a Baseball Game.” As baseball songs go, it’s a gem.

Let those lyrics wash over you for a minute. Your clothes just fall off. Your voice is Barry White three octaves lower just listening to this masterpiece. And the chorus…

Strike one - She took me by surprise

Strike two - Right in front of my eyes

Strike three - Oh, I was out without a doubt

Oh, I was out

That’s a first pitch fastball right down the dick. Then a change-up in your eyes that drops into the zone. Finally a swing-and-miss slider that ends up in the other batter’s box. She’s Greg Maddux and you’re a pimply high schooler. She’s out of your league. LITERALLY. A verse and chorus later, you’ve struck out again on three pitches. Your heart is broken and your batting average is .000.

If we’re going to personify this heart-breaking knee-buckler in 2022, the Phillies Aaron Nola would be a good choice. He led the majors in 3-pitch strikeouts. If we want to go by 3-pitch strikeout rate, Shohei Ohtani is our jilting lover, who, as we all know, goes both ways.

Thank you to Ellen Adair for the heads up and Baseball with R for the data.

So let’s give credit where credit is due. The Intruders and this baseball song (mostly producers Gamble and Huff) started a movement that ruled soul music for decades. When their first single was released in 1971, Greg Luzinski was a rookie. When Phyllis Hyman hit #1 on the R&B charts with “Don’t Wanna Change the World” in 1991, Dale Murphy was playing his last full season. 

You may prefer punk rock. Or disco. Or The fucking Eagles. Philly Soul doesn’t take away from other ‘70s music. More music from more diverse artists just means more joy for more people. Art is not like a baseball game.