Alabama man will sing at Yankee Stadium

TUSCALOOSA -- Just as fans vote in players for the All-Star Game, singer Robert Huffman's fans and friends will send him to Yankee Stadium on July 15.

He's at least in the ballpark, as one of the three top vote-getters in the "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" contest, sponsored by Baby Ruth on the song's 100th anniversary.

The phone call came late in the day when he was expecting an early e-mail announcing results, so Huffman had braced himself for disappointment.

"I was thinking, Too bad I don't have more friends," he said, laughing.

But when he got the word, he was "pretty elated, actually."

Huffman and others submitted videos of themselves performing the song. The Web site www.mlb./com/babyruth posted the videos. Viewers could vote up to 25 times per e-mail address.

When the dust settled, Huffman's "Katie Casey Harmonica" was standing in the on-deck circle. The longtime Tuscaloosan, who now lives in Birmingham, was featured in the sepia-tone video. He wears a vintage White Sox jersey, strums his acoustic guitar and chimes in on harmonica.

Each of the finalists, with spouses or guests, will be flown to New York City. The finalists will be treated to four days and three nights of Big Apple living, with the penultimate event an appearance before a panel of judges.

"The judges are going to watch our videos the day before, then listen to us perform live," he said.

Whoever the judges pick as overall winner will lead the All-Star crowd in singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch.

Huffman will bring his guitar and harmonica, ready to perform, but he's also braced for some sort of pageant question from the judges.

"Probably something like what would it mean to you to sing at Yankee Stadium," Huffman said.

It's the last All-Star Game for The House That Ruth Built; after the 2008 season, the South Bronx site will be demolished.

"If they ask about the song itself, that'd be good for me, because I do a lot of old songs, and I have a lot of respect for the writers," Huffman said.

Celebrations have been low-key affairs. On July 5, he cooked some Nathan's hot dogs with friend Scott Gordon, who shot the video footage, and the day before he attended a traditional Fourth of July party with friends who insisted he lead them in a singalong.

"I've never voted for anything that won before," said Elise Smith, one of the hosts of the party.

Huffman's taking along his wife, Nancy Abney.

Huffman was a driving force behind Tuscaloosa bands including Club Wig, Opus Dopus, The Irascibles, The Copasetics and The Crying Jags, and he hopes to visit some friends from school and music days who live in New York City. And they plan to visit one of the famous Papaya King hot dog stands, where Hawaiian flavors blend with frankfurters.

"But nothing too touristy," he said. "I think we'll go again sometime to do the touristy stuff."