'OK Blue Jays' song written when team was 'kind of OK'

Jack Lenz, who wrote the Toronto Blue Jays 'OK Blue Jays' song poses for a photo holding a vinyl of the single, in Toronto. (Marta Iwanek / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

It was written as an homage to baseball and an anthem of sorts for a team that was new and struggling.

More than 30 years later the "OK Blue Jays" song is a rallying cry being sung from coast to coast as the team begins its quest for a third World Series championship.

Jack Lenz, who co-wrote the song with Tony Kosinec, remembers Blue Jays executive Paul Beeston being excited about the song back in the early 1980s.

"The funniest thing about it was that he said, 'Look, we're an expansion team. We've only been around for a few years. We don't want to promise too much, but we want the song to be fun and be something people can sing along.

"Because we don't want to promise too much, we should just kind of say they're kind of OK,"' Lenz laughed in an interview with The Canadian Press.

"That was how it got started and, of course, it was great that OK rhymed with Blue Jays."

The song was recorded in 1982. That was the year starter Dave Stieb led the league in innings pitched and complete games while winning a club record 17 matchups. But the team finished 78-84, six games below .500 and dead last in the American League East.

There's a reference to the former Jays ace in the song: "Dave's put down a smoker. A strike. And you've got no doubt. You're out!"

Lenz doesn't think most people realize that the "OK Blue Jays" song has several verses that begin by laying out the basics of the game. Most people just know the echoing chorus: "OK! Blue Jays! Let's Play Ball!"

"You know, what song starts with the lyrics 'You've got a diamond. You've got nine men?"' said Lenz.

"It's still funny to me when you think about 'OK, we're going to explain baseball to Canadians.' That was our mission in a sense, was to explain baseball."

It wasn't all bleak for the franchise in the years ahead. The Jays made the playoffs three years later and won the first of back-to-back World Series in 1992.

Musician Keith Hampshire, who recorded the song, said it's a wonderful feeling to see the Blue Jays doing well.

He said he still gets to the ballpark a couple of times a year with his grandson. "OK Blue Jays" is still played during the seventh inning stretch.

"He turns around and looks at me and he says, 'Is that you poppa?' And I say, 'Yeah, that's me."'

It's great to hear fans still singing along, Hampshire added.

"Would've thought all those many, many years ago ... that the song would last this long and be the Blue Jays anthem? Even though the wording in it is dated, still the fans love the song. It was a great song."

It's a simple, fun melody, said Lenz.

But like Hampshire, he's surprised the song has endured.

"Who would know that the song would last for 33 years and they'd still be playing it at the ballpark?"

The song

Everyone knows the earworm chorus, but few know "OK Blue Jays" has several versus. Here are the lyrics:

You've got a diamond.

You've got nine men.

You've got a hat, and a bat, and that's not all.

You got the bleachers, got 'em from spring 'til fall.

You got a dog, and a drink, and an umpire's call.

What do you want?

Let's play ball.

Is that a fly ball, or is it a seagull?

Coming in, from the lake, just to catch the game.

It's the last inning, our guys are winning.

Dave's put down a smoker, a strike and you got no doubt. You're out.

What do you want?

Let's play ball.

---

OK, OK Blue Jays, Blue Jays!

Let's, Let's Play, Play Ball!

---

It's a beautiful evening, fans.

At the ballpark, when the game starts.

Warm summer breezes, sun's going down.

It's all dark at the ballpark.

That's OK, it's a night game.

---

OK, OK Blue Jays, Blue Jays!

Let's, Let's Play, Play Ball!

OK, OK Blue Jays, Blue Jays!

Let's, Let's Play, Play Ball!

---

Bring on the White Sox.

Bring on the BoSox.

Bring on the Angels, the Rangers, and the Yankees too.

We'll beat the Indians.

We'll beat the Tigers.

We'll beat the As so bad it'll make Billy Blue.

What do you want?

Let's play ball.

---

OK, OK Blue Jays, Blue Jays!

Let's, Let's Play, Play Ball!

OK, OK Blue Jays, Blue Jays!

Let's, Let's Play, Play Ball!