Bob Dylan, who turned 65 today, had the fourth in his series of “Theme Time Radio Hours” broadcast on XM Satellite Radio this morning. How can you describe a show that had baseball-themed performances from a range of artists that included Sonny Rollins (“Newk’s Fadeaway”), Ry Cooder (“Third Base, Dodger Stadium”), Lawrence Ferlinghetti (“Baseball Canto”), and the original cast of the Broadway musical Damn Yankees (“Heart”)? As well as dynamite cuts from the likes of Mabel Scott (“Baseball Boogie”) and Sister Winona Carr (“Life is a Ballgame”)? And Dylan himself singing “Take Me Out To the Ballgame” acapella?

This one you just had to hear. And if nothing else, the range of takes on baseball that were squeezed into this hour amply demonstrated that the sport deserves the title of “America’s favorite past-time.”

Dylan also read an email from one “Jamie” in Las Vegas who said she liked to listen to baseball games on the radio late at night but her boyfriend complained that it was keeping him up. He advised:

Do what I used to do. When I was supposed to be asleep, I’d take the bed-side radio and slip it under my pillow. Press your ear close to the pillow — which is what you’re supposed to do with pillows anyway — and listen to the second game of the double-header, without botherin’ anyone else in the house. Millions upon millions used to the same thing, back when radio was king. And I hope you still do that with “Theme Time Radio Hour,” your private pillow pal.

That’s the kind of listener Dylan has in his head when he’s putting together these shows, obviously. A solitary soul tuning in through the darkness. He’s going for intimacy, mystery and a little naughtiness, and generally hitting the spot in a highly entertaining manner. The most jarring elements remain the guest spots — we heard Charlie Sheen today; it was Jimmy Kimmel last week — who seem never to fail in bringing things back to the mundane, at least for the minute or so that they use to pass along a dull anecdote or opine about something. It’s odd indeed to hear these inserted pieces of ordinariness, and then quickly to be brought back to the patter being provided by Dylan — who by comparison appears to be broadcasting from the planet Neptune. Well, maybe those spots serve a purpose in that way; they’re too short to be really bothersome, but they remind you that the rest of the show is something that is quite unordinary.

Addendum: Playlist via XM:

Take Me Out to the Ball Game - The Skeletons
Baseball Boogie - Mabel Scott
Baseball Canto - Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Three Strikes and You’re Out - Cowboy Copas
The Ball Game - Sister Wynona Carr
Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball? - Buddy Johnson and His Orchestra
Baseball Baby - Johnny Darling
Home Run - Chancy Halladay
Strike One - Teddy Reynolds
Newk’s Fadeaway - Sonny Rollins
Joe DiMaggio Done It Again - Billy Bragg and Wilco
Say Hey - The Treniers
The Wizard of Oz - Sam Bush
3rd Base, Dodger Stadium - Ry Cooder
Heart - Original Soundtrack: “Damn Yankees”
Joltin Joe Dimaggio - Les Brown and His Band of Renown

Theme Time Radio Hour with your host, Bob Dylan, on XM Radio.

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