Country music icon Dolly Parton passed away on Tuesday at the age of 80, and the tributes have poured in, remembering her trailblazing work and infectious personality.
That was on full display almost 40 years ago when Parton paid a visit to Yankee Stadium for an episode of her TV series "Dolly," which premiered in September of 1987.
The pow-wow with pinstriped players was part of the Out and About segment on the show's third episode and featured cameos from Dave Righetti, Rick Cerone, Ron Guidry and Mike Pagliarulo.
Dolly fearlessly stepped in to take a few hacks along the first-base line, showing off solid swing mechanics.
"Now what if I actually hit this thing," she said. "Am I going to hurt somebody?"
Pagliarulo gifted Dolly with a Yankees bomber jacket, which she immediately put on. It may not have been a coat of many colors, but she looked right at home in navy blue.
"That looks great. I need a hat to go with this," she said. "Not that I can get it over all this hair."
Dolly was of course all dolled up for the event with her signature high blonde poof, and the Yankees hat sat comfortably atop it like a crown befitting the Queen of Country.
Despite her visit to the Bronx a few decades ago, Parton's sports allegiances always unquestionably lay with her home state of Tennessee. She partnered with the University of Tennessee's athletic department to release an exclusive Vols edition of her 2023 album "Rockstar," and that year she played during halftime of the Tennessee vs. Georgia game, when she was escorted onto the field by former Vols quarterback Peyton Manning.
She was named the Tennessean of the Year in 2020 by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame for her "countless contributions to the state."
Here's hoping the baseball gods gift us with another 9-5 double play, a rarity that was pulled off just last week.