The Game of Baseball

Baseball is in my blood. I was swinging a Nerf bat as soon as I could walk, was throwing a ball against our living room wall as soon as I could stand, and joined the Little League team before I was even age-eligible to play T-Ball. I’ve been playing ever since, either on an organized team or just in my backyard with whomever I could drag up. And I’m a fan too – I make the pilgrimage to Fenway Park a couple times each year, and rarely miss a Red Sox game on TV. It’s my sport, and even more than that, it’s a part of who I am.

And as with most pastimes, there’s a certain musical culture associated with baseball. Take Me Out to the Ballgame has been a part of the 7th inning-stretch since the game itself began, and songs like Meet the Mets, Say Hey Willie and Stan the Man came out in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. However, it was the 80’s that produced the best baseball song of all time: Centerfield (or Put Me In Coach). The song captures the simplicity of an otherwise-empty afternoon filled with a beat up glove, a new pair of spikes, and a whole lot of green grass. It captures the excitement of a game about to start, and the sheer joy of playing. It captures the very essence of the baseball… it’s perfect.

Now whenever the song comes on – whether I’m on the sidelines warming up for another game, or whether I’m settling into my seats to watch one, it serves as a reminder. A reminder to go out there, and enjoy what I was born to appreciate… to enjoy (and cherish) the game of baseball.