As a stadium anthem, it's not exactly "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Susan Orlean visits Boston's Fenway Park to unlock the secret connection between the Red Sox, their loyal fans and singer Neil Diamond's 1969 hit. Megan Kaiser programs the music during Red Sox games.
RENEE MONTAGNE, host: Major-league baseball's regular season ends this weekend.  The New York      Yankees and the Boston Red Sox play three games, beginning tonight, to      decide who's division champ.  The games are at Boston's Fenway Park.      That's where commentator Susan Orlean found one tradition that got her      wondering.</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Life is full of mysteries.  I've been living in Boston for two years, and      I've come across many of those mysteries here.  For instance, why do      people in Boston boil their meat?  Why are they so fond of whale      embroidery on their pants?  And then there's the singing in the middle of      the eighth inning at Fenway Park.</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Of course, every baseball game includes singing:  the national      anthem, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."  But at Fenway Park, the mystery      isn't the singing.  It's the song.</s>Mr. NEIL DIAMOND: (Singing) Where it began, I can't begin to know it...</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond, mid-tempo, middlebrow,      middle-aged, and yet, it's the sing-along anthem of Fenway Park for      reasons to be named later.</s>Mr. NEIL DIAMOND: (Singing) Wasn't the spring...</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Everyone at Fenway has a theory or a theory about the lack of      theories about why "Sweet Caroline" is sung here at every single game.      Take Bob Dakoto(ph), a retired teacher who now gives tours at Fenway.</s>Mr. BOB DAKOTO (Tour Guide): It does strike me as odd, and I'm      a--really, a researcher.  I research everything.  And I just know      President Kennedy's daughter Caroline, OK, is from Massachusetts, but I      have no idea, OK, at all, all right, where the connection is, why the      eighth inning and what have you. Do you know?</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Well, no, I didn't.  So I went to find out.  I started with      Megan Kaiser, who programs the music at Fenway.</s>Ms. MEGAN KAISER (Music Programmer): There was a fellow who works in      this department before I came who had a daughter named Caroline, and when      she was born, they played it as kind of a celebratory anthem to this new      little girl.</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Like I said, everyone has a theory.  This is Megan's third      season with the team.  By the time she started, "Sweet Caroline" was      already a tradition, but it was Megan who took it to the next level.</s>Ms. MEGAN KAISER (Music Programmer): My first year, I played it almost every game, but not every      game. It hadn't yet become the "Sweet Caroline" that it is today.</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Oh, really?</s>Ms. MEGAN KAISER (Music Programmer): And since that time, I've gotten to the point where I      started choking down the sound at two different parts in the song so you      could hear the fans singing.  Want to hear it?</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Yeah.</s>Ms. MEGAN KAISER (Music Programmer): Let's hear it.  Let's see.</s>Mr. NEIL DIAMOND: (Singing) ...Caroline...</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Good times.</s>Ms. MEGAN KAISER (Music Programmer): Ba, ba, ba...</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Oh, I'm sorry.</s>Ms. MEGAN KAISER (Music Programmer): Good times never...</s>Mr. NEIL DIAMOND: (Singing) ...goods never...</s>Ms. MEGAN KAISER (Music Programmer): And this is your part, ready?</s>Mr. NEIL DIAMOND: (Singing) ...seemed so good.</s>Mr. NEIL DIAMOND: ORLEAN and Ms. KAISER:  (In unison) So good, so good, so good.</s>Mr. NEIL DIAMOND: (Singing) My...</s>Ms. MEGAN KAISER (Music Programmer): So really, any idiot can sing the--there it is, yeah.</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Ouch.  I did wonder whether any of the Red Sox could explain the      mystery of "Sweet Caroline."  I stopped pitcher David Wells on his way      into the dugout or should I say I tried to stop David Wells, who was      about to walk right past me until he heard...</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: The song "Sweet Caroline"?</s>Mr. DAVID WELLS (Red Sox): "Sweet Caroline."</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Neil Diamond.</s>Mr. DAVID WELLS (Red Sox): Neil Diamond, yeah.  Yeah.  Of course, who wouldn't like it?</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Does it surprise you that it's a Fenway anthem?  I mean, it has      nothing to do with Boston really.</s>Mr. DAVID WELLS (Red Sox): I don't know.  It's catchy and then they just go with it,      so...</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Well, whatever.  Of course, Fenway's resident musician, organist      Josh Kantor, had his own notions.</s>Mr. JOSH KANTOR (Organist): It's a silly, cheesy song, but I think it's      a fun song when everyone sings along with it.</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Yeah.</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Hmm.  Even the fan I was sitting next to, Michael Cardis(ph), could offer      only an existential explanation.</s>Mr. MICHAEL CARDIS (Fan): It started one time.  It felt right, and it      continued, and now every time I'm here, it's like clockwork.  You know      it's going to happen, and it's great.  I love it.  It's my favorite part      of the game.</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: His favorite part of the game?  People pay hundreds of dollars      to get Red Sox tickets, and their favorite part of the game is singing      along with Neil Diamond?</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Unidentified Man #1:  I'll play that song even at home when I'm watching      the game on TV after a win, yeah.</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Unidentified Man #2:  Sometimes he dresses like Neil Diamond.</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Wow, these guys were very serious.  By this point, the game was      under way.  The Red Sox were giving a good spanking to the Kansas City      Royals.  The crowd was buoyant, and the middle of the eighth was drawing      near.  Everyone was warming up their vocal chords.</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Unidentified Man #3:  Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, (makes noises), wha, wha,      wha, wha...</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Finally, the big moment.</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Unidentified Man #3:  Here we go, ladies!  Here we go.</s>Crowd: (Singing) Sweet Caroline, bah, bah, bah...</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: Beautiful.  And yet, I felt unrequited.  I still felt the need      to clear up the "Sweet Caroline" mystery.  And finally, I did.  I spoke      to a woman named Amy Toobey(ph), who had been the music director before      Megan Kaiser.  It was Amy who started playing "Sweet Caroline." The      reason:  She just liked the song.  That's it.  She just liked the song,      and when she played it at Fenway the first time eight years ago, people      went crazy.</s>Crowd: (Singing) Good times never seemed so good.  So good, so good, so      good...</s>SUSAN ORLEAN: So good, so good, so good, so bad.</s>Crowd: (Singing) Sweet Caroline, bah, bah, bah.  Good times never seem      to go. So good.  So good.  So good.  Sweet Caroline...</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: Susan Orlean is a staff writer at The New Yorker Magazine and      the author of "The Orchid Thief." Her latest book is "My Kind of Place."</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: You're listening to MORNING EDITION from NPR News.