Terry Cashman

Terry Cashman (born Dennis Minogue, 5 July 1941, in New York) is a record producer and singer-songwriter, best known for his 1981 hit, "Talkin' Baseball." While the song is well recognized today, it was all but ignored by typical Top 40 radio during its chart life, making only the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Cashman was the lead singer for a band called The Chevrons in the late 1950s. He also played Minor League Baseball in the Detroit Tigers organization at around the same time. In 1967, Cashman teamed up with Gene Pistilli and Tommy West to form the pop-folk group Cashman, Pistilli and West. Their debut album, Bound to Happen (1967) included the Cashman-Pistilli composition "Sunday Will Never Be the Same", a #9 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for Spanky and Our Gang that year and #7 in Canada. Cashman, Pistilli and West (later reduced to Cashman & West) enjoyed modest success, recording six albums through 1975. In the fall of 1972, Cashman & West's song, "American City Suite" hit #27 on Billboard's chart and #25 on the Canadian RPM charts. Cashman and Pistilli also had a #22 hit single (#15 in Canada) "Medicine Man", under the name The Buchanan Brothers. Their song "Son of a Lovin' Man" hit #50 in Canada. Cashman and West jointly produced Jim Croce's recordings in the early 1970s. In 1975 they launched Lifesong Records, which would have hits including "Shannon" by Henry Gross and "Ariel" by Dean Friedman. Inspired by a picture he had received of Willie Mays, Duke Snider, and Mickey Mantle, Cashman decided to write a song dedicated to 1950s baseball. The popular choral refrain in the song "Talkin' Baseball" — "Willie, Mickey, and The Duke" — immediately struck a chord with fans in 1981 who were disappointed by the Major League Baseball strike that summer. Cashman has later redone this song with new lyrics for most of the Major League teams, still featuring the "Talkin' Baseball" refrain. Because of this, he is now known as "The Balladeer of Baseball". He did a parody of the song, Talkin' Softball, for an episode of The Simpsons, called "Homer at the Bat." The song plays over the closing credits. The Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will honor Cashman this summer as part of induction weekend, 30 years after his song that pays homage to Mays, Mantle and Snider became a ballpark favorite. Cashman will perform his ballpark anthem once again during ceremonies on July 23, 2011, a day before Roberto Alomar, Bert Blyleven and Pat Gillick are inducted.