“Is there baseball in heaven?” (joke)

A baseball joke has two old men make a pact for the first one to die to inform the other if there’s baseball in heaven. “I’ve got some good news and some bad news,” said the deceased to the living. “The good news is that yes, there is baseball in heaven. The bad news is that you’re pitching on Tuesday.”
 
The joke has been cited in print since at least 1981.
 
           
2 July 1981, Courier-Post (Camden, NJ), “It’s time for man in the street to act in strike” by Ray W. Kelly, pg. 4C, cols. 5-6:
Thus they (two brothers—ed.) made a blood oath. Whoever died first would go to heaven, ask St. Peter if there was baseball and immediately return to tell the living brother the truth.
 
THE OLDEST brother, Frank, passed away a week later. And, on the night he was buried, he reappeared at the foot of his brother’s bed.
 
“Is there baseball in heaven?” asked the younger brother.
 
“Well, I’ve got some good news and some bad news,” said Frank. The good news is that there is baseball in heaven. The stadiums are like Gardens of Eden and the bats are made of solid gold.”
 
“That’s great, said the brother. “What’s the bad news?”
 
“You’re pitching Sunday.”
 
Google Groups: net.jokes
Good News/Bad News
Carlo Sgro
2/22/86
Seen on *Bizarre*
Two baseball players made a deal with each other that, whoever died first would return to earth a week later and tell the other if there was baseball in heaven.  After a while, the inevitable happened and one of them passed away. 
 
After a week, the living one heard a voice coming from his ball glove.
 
“Joe, Joe,” it said.  “It’s me, Bill.  I’m back from heaven.”
 
Joe said, “So tell me, Bill, is there baseball in heaven?”
 
“Well, Joe, I have some good news and bad news ...  The good news is that there is baseball in heaven. The bad news is ...
 
you’re the starting pitcher on Friday.”
 
Google Groups: alt.stupidity
Knock Knock
Liam G Curry
11/28/90
(...)
These two friends love baseball, they eat,drink, and sleep baseball. Then one day the two of them wondered if there was baseball in heaven. They decided that the first one to die would contact the other with the answer.
 
Mike passes away leaving Bill to await The answer. One day Bill is working in his basement when he hears,“Bill!!”, Bill responds “Mike, Mike is that you??”. The voice booms down “yeah Bill its me Mike.”. SO without missing a beat Bill asks “Well is there baseball in heaven?” Mike responds “Ive got some good news and some bad news” “WHats THe good news"Bill asks. “well the good news is we do have baseball in heaven.“MIke answers, “Thats great now nothing can upset me so whats the bad news"Bill asks,,,“You’re pitching Saturday….”
 
Google Groups: rec.humor
Brothers who loved baseball
Daniel
5/20/96
There where these two young brothers who absolutely loved the game of baseball. One day when they took a couple of minutes not playing baseball, they had a heart to heart talk. “Bobby,” says Billy, “can ask you something?.” “Sure,” says Bobby. “Well, I know this is crazy, but if one of us dies before the other, don’t you think it would be a good idea if the other comes back to tell the other if there is baseball in heaven,” says Billy.
“Yeah,” says Bobby, “let’s make a promise that we will do this.” So they both agree and get back to their baseball game. A few months later Bobby is hit by a truck and dies. Billy, crushed that his brother, and more importantly, his catcher, has been killed, sits crying on the curb. All of a sudden Billy hears, “Billy, Billy!” “Bobby, is that you,” asks Billy. “Yeah,” replies Bobby. “Hey Billy, remember when we agreed to let the other know
if there is baseball in heaven?” asks Bobby. “Yeah,” says Billy. “Well, in that regard I got some good news and some bad news,” Bobby tells him. Bobby explains, “the good news is that there is baseball in heaven…the bad news is that you are pitching in Friday’s game.”
 
Google Groups: alt.x.y
Baseball Joke
Paco R.
10/1/97
(...)
There were these two old timers who were baseball pitchers in their day and were very big baseball fans. Tom was 85 and Rocky was 93. In talking about baseball they agreed that whoever dies first would get in touch with the one who remained and let him know if there was baseball in heaven. So Rocky dies in his sleep one day and a couple of years later he was able to communicate with Tom.
 
“Tom,” he says, “I have good news and bad news about baseball in heaven. The good news is there IS baseball in heaven. The bad news is…..You’re pitching this Saturday!”
 
Google Groups: rec.humor
Baseball in Heaven?
David F. Simmons
3/2/98
There were two guys who were friends all their lives… The two had also enjoyed playing baseball all their lives… One day they were talking and one asked the other if he thought they played baseball in Heaven… The other said he had wondered the same thing from time to time so they agreed that the first one to die would try and get word back to the other if they played baseball in Heaven… Well, as luck would have it, one of the two guys died about a month after their conversation… About six months went by and the surviving friend hadn’t heard anything from his friend that had died so he began to figure that his friend couldn’t make contact with him or, even worse, there was no baseball in Heaven… Well, that night just after this guy went to sleep, a bright light woke him up, and instinctively he said “Is that you buddy?”, to which his friend replied, “It is me!” The first guy couldn’t wait any longer so he asked his friend, “Well buddy, I have to know, is there baseball in Heaven?” His friend said, “Well I have some good news and I have some bad news…” The good news is, yes they do have baseball in Heaven, and the bad news is that YOU’RE pitching in the game this coming Sunday night!!!”
 
Twitter
word_czar
@word_czar
“The good news is: There IS baseball in Heaven.  The bad news is: You’re pitching on Sunday.” #randompunchlines
2:01 PM - 15 Jan 2010
       
Reddit—Jokes
Two old men had been best friends for years, and they both live to their early 90’s, when one of them suddenly falls deathly ill.
submitted November 8, 2010 by TwattyMcTwatterson
 
Two old men had been best friends for years, and they both live to their early 90’s, when one of them suddenly falls deathly ill. His friend comes to visit him on his deathbed, and they’re reminiscing about their long friendship, when the dying man’s friend asks, “Listen, when you die, do me a favor. I want to know if there’s baseball in heaven.”
 
The dying man said, “We’ve been friends for years, this I’ll do for you.” And then he dies.
 
A couple days later, his surviving friend is sleeping when he hears his friend’s voice. The voice says, “I’ve got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that there’s baseball in heaven.”
 
“What’s the bad news?”
 
“You’re pitching on Wednesday.”
 
Reddit—Jokes
So there are 2 friends on their death bed…
submitted September 1, 2011 by flash19950
They have been best friends for years and have always been on a baseball team. They loved baseball. So one of the friends told the other, “If you die before me, see if there is baseball in heaven and figure out some way to tell me if there is.” The other agreed and the next day he died. A few days later, the friend that was still alive heard a voice in his head from his friend saying, “I have good news and bad news! The good news is they have baseball! The bad news is you are pitching next Tuesday.”
   
Reddit—Jokes
Bob and Jim.
submitted June 4, 2012 by QBallKeefTNP
Bob and Jim have always been bestfriends and grew up together playing baseball. They both loved baseball their whole lives and had always had a passion for the game. In the end of their life Jim is with bob on his death bed. Jim says to Bob, “After you go, can you send me a sign to tell me if there is baseball in heaven or not?” Bob agrees and passes soon after. A week goes by and Jim wakes up in the middle of the night with Bobs ghost standing in front of him. Bob says, “Jim, I have some good news and some bad news.” Jim replies, “What’s the good news? Is there baseball in heaven?” “Yes.” says Bob. “So then what could be the bad news?!” asks Jim. Bob answers, “You’re pitching Tuesday.”
 
Twitter
lorraine Jo King
@LahLahBean
If there is baseball in heaven will you come back and tell me? Larry nodded just as he passed away. That night Tom was sleeping, he heard Larry’s voice in a dream,
I have good news & bad news from heaven, there is baseball, but the bad news is you’re pitching on Tuesday. #jokes
8:15 AM - 5 Oct 2018