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Thu 09 Sep 2008Yankees' patriotism doodle is a real dandy
AMERICA AT LARGE:ALTHOUGH MOST Americans assume the playing of the national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, prior to baseball games to be a tradition as deeply-rooted as peanuts, hot dogs and chewing tobacco, the practice in fact dates back only to the second World War, writes George Kimball
Since the events of September 11th, 2001, fans in many major league parks have been subjected to a double-dose of patriotism, with God Bless America replacing the time-honoured sing-along of Take Me Out to the Ball Game accompanying the traditional seventh-inning stretch.
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