A pivotal moment

The tradition of playing the national anthem at sporting events emerged during a time of great sorrow for the nation. While baseball fans occasionally heard the song performed by military bands in the late 19th century, it wasn’t until March 3, 1931, that Congress officially designated “The Star-Spangled Banner” as the national anthem.

A pivotal moment occurred on September 5, 1918, during Game 1 of the World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs.