Abbott & Costello

Bud Abbott (1897-1974) and Lou Costello (1906-1959) were American stage comedians. They are best known today for their stage routine Who's on First?

Although they did not invent Who's on First?, Abbott and Costello made it their signature having performed the skit some 15,000 times beginning in 1940. In the skit, the answers to all of Costello's questions are players named Who, What, Why, Because, Today, Tomorrow, I don't know, and I don't give a darn. By the end, an exasperated Costello is totally befuddled, much to the delight of the audience.

The skit has been replayed continuously at the Baseball Hall of Fame for many years but Abbott and Costello are not members of the Hall, contrary to a popular myth.

Further Reading

• Ron Backer: "Baseball and the Great Movie Comedians", in Baseball Research Journal, SABR, Volume 48 Number 2, Fall 2019, pp. 83-90.

Related Sites

• Lou Costello at the SABR Bio Project