Depending on who’s singing, “God Bless America” lasts anywhere from 1-2 minutes. Robert Merrill’s recorded version at Yankee Stadium is over in just 56 seconds. But within the first and last notes, during the seventh-inning stretch, Aaron Judge settles his account with the American flag.
In front of the first base dugout, hand on his heart, Judge doesn’t just stand at attention – he sings every word. Fully aware the cameras are on him, No. 99 wants his message broadcast loudly, especially on the Fourth of July.
“Singing “God Bless America” is my sign of respect for the veterans who are being honored on the field,” Judge said. “They’re 70 years old, some are 80, some are 90 and can barely walk. You see an old photo of them, their rank, what branch of the service, where they fought. I have nothing but respect for them.”
There’s a contingent of Yankees who follow Judge’s lead, including Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Higashioka and Anthony Volpe. The group has formed organically — Judge never pressured anyone to join — but instead adheres to one rule.
If you line up, you have to sing.
The Yankees are the only team that still plays “God Bless America” at every home game during the regular season and playoffs. Launched in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Yankees started the practice in earnest in 2002 and have never looked back. Instead of going to commercial after the top of the seventh, the YES Network stays live to broadcast Merrill’s booming rendition.
Other teams have scaled back or moved on over the years. The Mets, for instance, play “God Bless America” on Sundays and holidays only. But while enthusiasm has dimmed elsewhere, the Yankees vow to never waver.
“‘God Bless America’ is permanent in our ballpark,” said team president Randy Levine. “It’s part of George Steinbrenner’s legacy and that’s not going to change. It will be played in perpetuity.”
The song, however, has not been without controversy in the Bronx. The Yankees removed Irish tenor Ronan Tynan from the rotation in 2009 after he made anti-Semitic remarks. And the late Kate Smith’s taped performance was banned in 2019 after the Yankees learned of her history of racist song lyrics.
A recording by the Merrill, who died in 2004, is left in their wake. His is considered the most powerful and dignified version of “God Bless America.” It remains the gold standard on 161st Street.
“I love it,” Judge said, referring to Merrill’s voice. “It brings everyone together for those few moments.”
Each Yankee has a different appreciation for the song, although they’re bound by respect for the flag and Judge’s leadership. He was the first Bomber to go top step for Merrill.
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The Yankees’ slugger became acquainted with the national anthem when his father Wayne was the varsity basketball coach at Linden HS. Not yet a scholastic athlete, not even a teenager at the time, Judge’s respect for the flag grew as he developed an interest in sports – and America’s role in World War 2.
“It was incredible to me the sacrifices those young men made,” Judge said. “They went overseas and endured incredible hardship, 18 and 19-year-olds, their courage. The ones that made it back, their lives were never the same, physically or emotionally.
“So every time the anthem is played, especially on Opening Day, when we’re lined up (at the first base line) or when “God Bless America” is played, I’m thanking those who made it possible for me to play a baseball game and make a living like that.
“Every time I see a soldier or marine or sailor – or a policeman or firefighter – I say, “thank you.” I can’t thank them all, so I do it by singing.”
That’s how the group of Yankees formed. Judge placed the stamp of approval on the Yankees’ patriotism – which he emphasized has “nothing to do with politics.”
“Being patriotic is something everyone can all share, and I don’t mean just my teammates, but the fans, too,” Judge said. “I wish everyone in the Stadium would join us (singing). It’s the least we can do.”
Judge’s request doesn’t come without a caveat to his fellow Yankees, however: if you sing, prepare to be overwhelmed by Cole, whose pipes have no rival.
“Gerrit can sing,” Judge said with a laugh. “He’s so good he can make you feel bad about your own voice.”
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Everyone in the major leagues is familiar with Cole’s high-90s fastball. He’s the definition of a war fighter from 60 feet, six inches. But few are aware of Cole’s artistic gene. He’s a singer, musician and entertainer.
For the right-hander, “God Bless America” is more than a pledge of allegiance. Although he says, “I obviously love my country and I take patriotism seriously,” Cole connects to the song as craft.
First, his background: Cole’s parents, Mark and Sharon, met as singers in the famed Pacific Chorale in southern California. Since its inception in 1968, the chorus regularly appears with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, having toured extensively to more than 19 countries in Europe, South America, and Asia.
Mark was a tenor. Sharon a soprano. Their offspring followed close behind.
“They taught me how to sing,” Gerrit said. “I don’t think I have a great voice, but I’m musically inclined enough that I can told a tune.”
Cole is being modest. He sends Christmas carols and Happy Birthday recordings to friends. He plays piano and guitar. He can read sheet music. And when the clubhouse’s postgame sound system blasts Harry Styles, “Gerrit sings it note for note,” Judge says. “He’s at another level.”
It’s Merrill, however, who Cole admires during the seventh-inning stretch.
“I knew growing up, watching the Yankees in the playoffs on TV, they’d say, ‘Now we’re cutting to Robert Merrill for ‘God Bless America’,” Cole said. “It felt like a Yankees tradition.”
And Cole’s critique of the master himself?
“(Merrill) delivers a clean rendition,” Cole said. “Nice and sharp, good pace. I try to keep up with him.”
Cole has one other link to “God Bless America” and its place on the Fourth. Both grandparents were World War II veterans.
His paternal grandfather, Adrian Cole Jr., served in the Army. His maternal grandfather, Charles James Heim, was a Marine in the Pacific theater.
The Yankees’ ace still wears “grandpa Chuck’s” gold chain around his neck, even on the mound.
“Sometimes I go back and forth with the guys who wear big chains and all the diamonds,” Cole said. “I tell them, ‘This chain is realty small, but it was in the Pacific theater.’ And that’s pretty cool.”
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Anthony Volpe embraced “God Bless America” about the same time he first picked up a baseball. His parents have videos of him singing before anyone dreamed he’d someday launch a career in Pinstripes.
“For some reason I just loved the song,” Volpe said. “I was just a kid, singing it the way I do now.”
It didn’t hurt that Volpe played for Team USA in international youth tournaments — both the under-15 and under 18 squads on his way to ultimately landing in the Bronx.
And the Volpe family itself was rooted in its patriotism and service. A second cousin on Volpe’s father’s side is in the Marine Corps. A first cousin on his mother’s side graduated from the Naval Academy and is currently stationed at Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island.
Those factors combine to make “God Bless America” a no-brainer for the Yankees’ rookie.
“Any time I’m able to display how proud I am to be an American, I do,” Volpe said. “Everyone in our clubhouse is an embodiment of the opportunity we have. Both my parents started from nothing and worked their way up to whatever they wanted in the world.
“Even for the non-American players on our team, you can be anything in this country.”
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Kyle Higashioka started singing “God Bless America” for the smartest reason a ballplayer could think of.
“I saw Aaron Judge doing it, so I figured I should copy that,” the catcher said. “He’s obviously doing something right in his career. So anything he does, I should do as well.”
But the momentary break for Merrill’s seventh-inning rendition has a deeper meaning for Higashioka. Like Cole, his batterymate, both of Higashioka’s grandparents were World War II veterans.
And one, in particular, stood out.
Shigero Higashioka, his paternal grandfather, was a corporal in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated Japanese-American unit that fought in the European theater.
It was the most decorated unit for its size and length of service. In total, 18,000 men served, earning 4000 Purple Hearts, 21 Medals of Honor and an unprecedented seven Presidential Unit Citations.
Shigero Higashioka was awarded a Bronze Star, which is given to members of the Armed Forces who distinguish themselves for heroism, and a Purple Heart, awarded to those who were wounded or killed as a result of enemy action while serving in the U.S. military.
Along with Kyle Higashioka’s maternal grandfather, Captain Joseph Gribb, an Army doctor, the Yankees’ backstop had a rich history to draw upon. But when the younger Higashioka was finally old enough to ask about the war, Shigero, “was already in his later years.
“Basically all he told me was, “I was just trying to survive,”” Higashioka said.
But that was enough for Higashioka to think of the family’s sacrifice every time he stands next to Judge singing “God Bless America.”
“I respect what others have been through so we can have the luxury to play baseball,” Higashioka said. “That’s why I sing, for the men and women who volunteer to go off and fight for us.”
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Anyone who comes into contact with Anthony Rizzo immediately picks up on his laid back vibe. Although a fierce competitor, he’s as chill as he is driven.
The first baseman is also tolerant of other points of view, especially when it comes to the national anthem and “God Bless America.”
Although he says the seventh-inning tradition is “my favorite thing about playing in Yankee Stadium,” he’s aware not everyone agrees.
Not everyone feels as strongly that, in his words, “We’re paying homage to the troops and everything they’ve done to allow us to play in front of all these fans. We’re very lucky.”
Rizzo passes no judgment on those who feel differently.
“I try not to get into anyone’s beliefs,” Rizzo said. “They’re going to do what they want to do. That’s the beauty of this country. Whether you agree with it or not, it’s coming from their own context. It’s deeper than anything I can cast my own judgment on.
“For me, for us, for Higgy, for Volpe, for Nestor (Cortes), who’s come along, it’s a nice daily reminder that we’re grateful. It’s a meaningful thing,
“If you don’t believe that, I’m sure you have your reasons. Whatever those are, good for you for sticking to something you believe in.”
And that’s been Judge’s point all along. He doesn’t use “God Bless America” as a litmus test for patriotism. It’s a nod to that 90-year-old veteran, hand on his heart, singing along with Merrill.
It’s the Yankees’ way of saying: thank you.
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