MLB Honors Ozzy Osbourne with Iconic ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ Performance

Major League Baseball took to Instagram on July 22 to share a nostalgic clip of Ozzy Osbourne’s rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” just hours after the rock icon's death was announced.

Osbourne, known for his role as the frontman of Black Sabbath, performed the beloved song during the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field in August 2003, amidst a game between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers.

With his wife, Sharon Osbourne, by his side, Ozzy’s performance quickly became memorable—not for its musical precision but for his humorous misstep in the opening lyrics, which elicited laughter from both the audience and players in the dugout.

Despite struggling through the rest of the song, he managed to end on a high note, channeling the spirit of former Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray with an enthusiastic shout: “Let’s get some runs! Don’t mess around, let’s get some runs!”

MLB captioned the video tribute with a heartfelt message: “There was only one Ozzy 💖.”

Fans flooded the comments section with lighthearted remarks about his unique interpretation of the classic. One user quipped, “Ozzy is the ONLY person that could’ve butchered it THIS badly and still be praised for it! RIP legend, this world won’t be the same without you here! 😢.”

Another fan added, “Classic Ozzy! He really was one of a kind, even in his ‘worst’ moments.”

Osbourne passed away at the age of 76, as confirmed by his family. In a statement, they expressed their profound sorrow: “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”

The cause of death remains undisclosed. Osbourne had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2020 and faced various health challenges in recent years. In an interview with The Guardian last May, he reflected on his struggles: “You wake up the next morning and find that something else has gone wrong. You begin to think this is never going to end.”

In June 2022, Sharon revealed that Ozzy was preparing for a significant operation that would “really determine the rest of his life.” His final performance took place at Black Sabbath’s Back to the Beginning concert on July 5, held at Villa Park in Aston, Birmingham. The event featured performances from renowned bands like Metallica, Slayer, and Guns N’ Roses, all while raising funds for children’s hospitals and the Cure Parkinson’s charity.