Sheryl Crow at the Major League Baseball press conference Monday; photo by Christian Gooden

Sheryl Crow can’t wait to get up under the Gateway Arch at 8 p.m. July 11 for her free Major League Baseball Charity Concert, benefiting Stand Up to Cancer, she says.

We sat with Crow, who was looking super-petite in a crèam-colored linen ensemble, in a downtown hotel suite Monday afternoon just before her press conference at Kiener Plaza to announce the concert (last year’s performance from Crow of the National Anthem at the All-Star game at Yankee Stadium before it was torn down was a mere prelude).

During the chat, she talked about the show, her music, baseball, her 2006 bout with cancer, and last year’s canceled Fox Theatre concert.

Q. How did this whole Major League Baseball gig come about for you?

A. I got to sing the National Anthem at the All-Star game last year and that was huge. It was so much fun and I’m from such an avid baseball family, especially the Cardinals. So when we got asked to do it here in St. Louis, that made it even more special.

And I have great memories of seeing summer bands under the Arch. In fact, I was here in the ‘70s when Elton John played under the Arch and there was like 70,000 people there.

Q. How much of a baseball fan are you actually?

A. It’s funny, when I was in college I was obviously a huge Cardinals fan. I grew up in Southern Missouri, and St. Louis was the big city. When I got to college, I ended up being an escort on some sort of fan bus with Willie McGee and Ozzie Smith and several of the players by virtue of the fact that I was a Mizzou Tigers hostess. Getting to meet those guys was a huge thrill.

Q. How long has this MLB event been brewing with your name on it?

A. We talked about doing this almost a year ago when we were doing the All-Star game at Yankee Stadium. They asked me soon after that.

Q. Give us a little preview of what your concert will be like?

A. I think I’m going to try and trapeze off the top of the Arch. Or do what Elton John did and come out in a giant duck suit. No, we’re going to play a lot of the songs that are familiar. I’m bringing the whole band, backup singers, percussion, everybody. And I have a surprise guest. People definitely won’t want to miss this show.

Q. What can you say about the surprise guest? Will he be a part of your set or perform before you?

A. He’ll trapeze off the top of the Arch. (MLB confirms that a special guest name will be added to the concert, with an announcement coming soon).

Q. How have you been since you battled cancer in 2006?

A. It’s a little over three years out, and that’s a really good sign that it won’t come back.

Q. What happened with the canceled show at the Fox Theatre last year?

A. We were really disappointed about that. I know a lot of artists have been disappointed that their tours have come through and not done that well and obviously we realize that. Last summer, clearly, the gas prices were back-breaking and those were tough financial times. We realize it’s hard to dish out extra money, even though we have a fairly inexpensive ticket.

This is our home turf and we believe we could have sold the tickets. But the people ‘making it happen’ weren’t so organized. I’ll just put it like that.

Q. What can you say about the follow-up to last year’s “Detours?”

A. I’m starting to write and record. Actually I’m starting some recording next week. This one, I think, is going to be more rootsy, more ‘Missourah’ sounding, and I say ‘Missourah” with the ‘ah’ because it’s going to be more ‘Missourah’ than ‘Missouri.’

Q. Any ideas where you will go lyrically?

A. I sort of pulled out all the stops on the last one because there was a lot to write about. Let’s face it, we were going through a really transitional time in this country’s history. But there’s always stuff to write about, and it’s a very inventive time to be a writer. As long as people are talking there are things to write about.

Crow’s concert will stream live at mlb.com, and fans will be able to donate to Stand Up to Cancer.