Hixson Brothers Funeral Homes Pineville

University of Cincinnati Hospital. He was 86.You might have missed it: His obituary appeared in the Friday Jan. 5 Enquirer under his real name, Erwin Ronald "Ronnie" Grubb."He may not be able to hit the curve, but Ronnie Dale is a popular, permanent fixture in the Reds' Crosley Field starting line-up," said a feature story about Dale in the Reds' 1968 yearbook as he started his 12th season with the team.Fans loved clapping to his "Mexican Hat Dance," or cheering to a "Charge!" during a rally (even though a National League umpire didn't like hearing the song).  His obit says Dale was baseball's "first organist to lead the crowd in choruses of 'Charge!,' and the first to be thrown out of a game as 'Charge!' music irked the umpire."Services will be Saturday, Jan. 6, at Hixson Brothers Funeral Home in Pineville, LA.Here's the 1968 yearbook story, reprinted with permission of the Cincinnati Reds:Da Da Da Da Da Da – Charge!He's known as the official organist for the American Bowling Congress, Coney Island, and the Golden Rooster, a Mount Washington nitery, but RONNIE DALE is best recognized as official organist for  the Cincinnati Reds.Now in his 12th season with the ball club, Dale is acknowledged by sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the country as baseball's premier organist."Ronnie holds another rare distinction. He once reserved an umpire's decision – no easy task. The incident occurred several years ago when a former umpire ordered Dale to stop playing the 'Charge!' theme during a game. An appeal to the National League office wound up with a decision in Dale's favor and the "Charge" against Ronnie was dropped.The 35-year-old Alexandria, La., native originally visited Cincinnati to study at the Conservatory of Music. While subsidizing his schooling by performing on the local nightclub circuit, Dale found the remunerative rewards gratifying enough to continue on a full-time basis.He plays the Hammond organ at Crosley Field and considers it the most versatile organ ... (WVXU)