In 2003, The White Stripes released ‘Seven Nation Army’. It won a Grammy, and enjoyed its relatively brief stay at the top of the alternative charts.
15 years later, the track has evolved into a global sports anthem. You’d be hard pressed to find a sports fan who doesn’t recognize the seven-note chant, or who can resist joining in when the crowds around them erupt into the iconic “dummm, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum”.
But White’s contribution to the world of sports, and baseball more specifically, goes way beyond his 2003 track. The Tigers fan has strong ties to the baseball community, especially in his native Detroit, making him totally deserving of his inclusion in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Here’s a timeline to prove it.
2009: Anonymously donating $170, 000 to fix a local baseball field
It’s widely believed that White made an anonymous $170, 000 donation to help restore a baseball field in his hometown of Detroit in 2009. The plan was to organize a benefit concert to raise funds for the field, with White taking center stage.
The restoration plans were expedited when community volunteers received a call that an “anonymous donor” wanted to donate $170, 000 to fix the whole field. The donation source was never confirmed, but organizers were convinced this gesture had Jack’s name written all over it.
2014: Throwing the first pitch at a Detroit Tigers game
The Tigers enthusiast threw the ceremonial first pitch in 2014, to Santa Claus no less. The Tigers were taking on the White Sox, it was “Christmas in July” at the ballpark, and the White Stripes’ “Icky Thump” was blasting in the background. As far as celebrity first pitches go, White held himself pretty well.
2014 was also the year when the ‘Sad Jack White’ meme was born, after an image of the rock star looking upset at a Chicago Cubs game went viral. Everyone knows that memes are the gift that keeps on giving, so White gets major credit for this contribution to internet culture.
2016: Investing in a baseball bat company
White took his baseball fandom to another level in 2016, when he partnered with the Tigers’ Ian Kinsler in a baseball bat company, Warstic. The manufacturer designs wood and metal bats for baseball and softball players, and just as you might expect, they are as unique-looking as White himself.
If that wasn’t enough, White then released a song for the company that would also serve as Kinsler’s walk-up music on the pitch.
2017: Releasing an Exclusive Record Through the Detroit Tigers
Here’s something to add to the list of things that only Jack White would do: He released a 7” record that included tickets to a Detroit Tigers game.
The single was released from White’s Third Man Records, and featured a song called “Strike Out” on the A-Side, with an interview between White and former Tigers outfielder Kirk Gibson on the B-Side. The team allegiance is strong.
2018 – Getting his baseball bat inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
After White played a charity baseball game outside Cooperstown, New York, the bat he used was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in July. Better yet? The request to have the bat inducted came directly from Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson.
50 limited-edition replicas of White’s bat were created, signed by the artist and auctioned online for charity, with a portion of the proceeds sponsoring Native American youth participation in baseball.
Idelson also presented White with a faux induction plaque, referring to the musician as the “Motor City Master”. The plaque acknowledges that White “Became one of the most prolific musicians in history, launched by 2001 masterpiece Seven Nation Army, which became a cult classic in major league ballparks. Raised in the shadows of Tiger Stadium.”
Need we say more?
