Since 1977, sports organist Fred Costello has been a fixture at Rochester Red Wings home games. He's entertained some future Hall of Famers with a mix of classics and current hits. Here's how he became a ballpark fixture.

Rochester

Fred Costello has been the organist for the Rochester Red Wings minor league baseball team since 1977, making him one of the longest-serving sports organists in history. Costello has played at nearly every home game for almost five decades, missing only three games in that time. His performances have included a wide range of music genres, evolving from classic rock and jazz to contemporary hits.

Before joining the Red Wings, Costello was a musician in Las Vegas, performing in nightclubs. He has said that the experience of playing in front of large crowds at the ballpark was different from his earlier gigs. Costello became a fixture at the ballpark and has entertained both fans and players, including future Hall of Famers such as Cal Ripken Jr.

Costello's tenure at the Red Wings has been marked not only by his music, but also by his dedication; he rarely missed a game, only for a jazz festival and one sick day. His personal life has been intertwined with the team, as his wife Kathy is also involved behind the scenes as a staff member.

The organist’s presence is a long-standing tradition at Red Wings games, where he leads fans in classics like "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch. At 89 years old, Costello continues to provide music and merriment at the stadium.



Sports organist brings music, merriment to New York minor league team

Every Tuesday, half price tickets on a brisk Tuesday evening last month. It was the kind of night. Even a hot dog can't warm. Thank you so much. What's up, little man? What position do you play at 28 years old? Rochester Red Wings pitcher Garvin Allstead was kind of a big deal on this night is one of your Little League balls, but obviously he wasn't the only star on this team. There's a lot of talent hiding around here. It's kind of cool. It's kind of cool. For more than double the pitchers lifetime, a guy named Red Wings organist Fred Costello has been the most valuable player from this cramped booth. Longest reigning sports organist in history. Wait, sports organist, not just baseball sports organist in history. For nearly every home game since 1977, Fred's kept one mantra in mind. Resistance don't retire because they get old. They get old because they retired in the 70s. Fred was playing Vegas lounges and there was a lot of In the 70s, Fred was playing Vegas lounges and then this gig came up. We have 10,000 people clap along with youth. I never got that in the nightclub. A jazz festival was his excuse for missing two of only three games in 50 years. And then of course there was that one. One sick day. How sick were you on that day? I'm I go and this goes way back for about 20 years. I must have been pretty sick as a kid. Fred Costello wanted to be a musician on the field. I think when the dust settled, I was a better musician than ball player. Ultimately, music was his way into the park. I don't see too many guys playing ball for 50 years. When he started baseball, organs just didn't play classic rock, some jazz, some Latin, some funk, and nobody else was doing that. No, today it's Taylor Swift or a bar song to boozy tipsy tipsy. And as he looks back, he's really entertained some future big League Hall of Famers. Tell Rip was playing here for chilling and of course a lot of the guys came in my home. You know, had Kathy cook for him at 1 o'clock in the morning. Back office worker Kathy is Fred's coworker in life. Hurry up, you guys want to meet you. 60 years ago they said I do in Hollywood and today he thinks he's a big shot at the ballpark with everyone saying, well, there's Fred Costello. There's Fred. Well, yeah, he's on the screen four times a night, you know, and he's been there 49 years on that screen and me. They don't know. I hand out the paychecks. That's the real important job. No, it cares. Good thing she doesn't pay the team per ticket, so maybe time for a Christmas song or no. Well, you got appointment tonight, right? Yeah, yeah, tonight. Yeah, I got it tonight. So as snow fell over the speakers in April, the crowd went wild. It was like, oh my God, speakers in April, the crowd heard. I've never got up in the morning, said oh, I gotta go to work. Oh come on, never, never. And now it's time to stretch out for the seventh inning stretch. So let's stand up, stretch out and sing along as Rochester Red Wings Hall of Famer Fred Costello plays. Take me out to the ball game. He's the 89 year old employee who never gets old. Just like this classic from the Red Wings PA booth for CBS Saturday morning. Dave Malkoff in Rochester, NY.

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