Former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman John Fogerty returned to the top 40 in 1985 in a big time way. The first single, the haunting "Old Man Down the Road", was just a warm-up. "Centerfield", the title track, has gotten quite a bit of use in some baseball-related movies or specials since its initial release. It's a great companion piece to Terry Cashman's "Talkin' Baseball (Willie, Mickey, & the Duke)", released around the same time.
Always loved this song and video!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I'm not a baseball fan per se, I enjoy seeing it played live and to see the images of some of the greatest names in baseball history while this song played seemed to make the sport come alive once more! It reminded you of guys who truly loved the game and not the primadonnas who seem to dominate sports these days.
The lyrics remind you of that one untested kid who's just begging for his chance at bat:
"Put me in coach! I'm ready to play.. today. Look at me! I can be... centerfield!"
A lot of those "primadonnas" get that way because of a bunch of parasites that call themselves friends----and in some cases, agents----pumping them up, telling them they're already at the major league level in terms of skills when they really aren't. An exaggerated, over-inflated sense of self-worth and artificial entitlement have all but ruined professional sports over the last 35 years, and it's, unfortunately, not stopping any time soon.
ReplyDeleteFogerty's piece was brilliant, enabling him to step out of the shadows of CCR.