Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Kevin Alexander's avatar

That feeling of first walking out of the tunnel and into an arena is absolute magic.

Expand full comment
Brett Kinsey's avatar

Ken and CJ got it just right. I was a senior in high school when this was released. My best friend & I dug CCR and were exposed to Centerfield through MTV. I bought the cassette and it was in heavy rotation in our homes. There was some interviews broadcast on MTV which gave the album some context. IIRC the songs were written and composed over a period of 10 years. Fogerty working in a small home studio surrounded by equipment with around ten feet of free space for him.

I don’t associate Centerfield the song with baseball too much. I enjoy it as an obvious metaphor for Fogerty’s absence from the airwaves for an extended period and the joy & enthusiasm for his return to the public earwaves. Fogerty’s allusion to centerfield is primarily via the notion that a team’s best fielder should play the position. It requires accomplished speed & versatility. He said as much during interviews. ‘Put me in coach/I’m ready to play’ feels exuberant and celebratory in the way that Spring Training might feel for a die hard baseball fan. A fresh start, clean slate for every team and accompanying optimism; even for the previous season’s worst team. A time of renewal under the warmth of the sun.

Vantz Can’t Dance is indeed the clunker on this album. Automatic Fast Forward on the cassette upon hearing the opening bars.

Expand full comment
5 more comments...

No posts