By Harlan Pritchard, Brooklyn Eagle Staff
BROOKLYN, April 18 — There’s a peculiar tune echoing through Bromwich Park these days, and it has nothing to do with the umpire’s calls or the crack of a bat. During the opener of the home series against the Philadelphia Brewers, an impromptu amateur band stationed in the right-field grandstands struck up a rather unlikely anthem: the now infamous tune “Cheatin’ Whales.”
Originally aired after the sixth inning of the inaugural WLBL radio broadcast out of Richmond as a jab at the dubious history of Brooklyn’s beloved ball club, the ditty was intended as a mocking swipe at the Royal Fish’s success in the Legacy Baseball League. But leave it to Brooklynites to turn an insult into a badge of honor.
“I heard it on the Richmond broadcast and thought, ‘Why not give it a little Brooklyn spin?’” said Clarence “Bugsy” Finn, the cornet player leading the ragtag ensemble. With little more than a cornet, a snare drum, a banjo, and a harmonica, the group launched into the jaunty tune during the fifth inning of the series opener to uproarious support from the crowd who gleefully sang along.
The lyrics, which poke fun at supposed Brooklyn cunning on the diamond and nefarious operations off of it, are now set to ring out in full-throated irony from the stands. “We know it’s meant as a dig,” said Jimmy “Ragtime” Malone, the group’s drummer, grinning between choruses. “But when your boys are the reigning champs, it just sounds like a compliment.”
Manager Marques Williams even took notice after Tuesday’s game, offering his usual colorful commentary. “If those [censored] in Richmond want to call us […] cheaters, they can play it all they […] like while we polish the […] Cup,” he quipped, tipping his cap to the band.
As the Whales continue their defense of the Legacy Cup in first place in the Eastern Leage, it seems “Cheatin’ Whales” may become an unexpected rallying cry for the faithful of King’s County. The band has promised to make their presence felt at every home game, and the tune’s infectious energy is already spreading.
“We’ll play it until they bring home another title,” said Bugsy, adjusting his cornet with a wink. “And then we’ll play it louder during the parade.”
Brooklyn may be the butt of Richmond’s joke, but at Bromwich Park, it’s clear who’s having the last laugh.