Centerfield by John Fogerty

Today's song isn't related to a specific memory, which is possibly cheating.  The premise of these stories after all is to document the soundtrack of my life. Let's go with it though, see where it takes me.  We might come upon a memory after all.

For the longest time I thought this song was about take a trip.  Put me in coach, as in the coach section of the plane or train.  I realize this is embarrassing because it means I missed the approximately one million references to baseball. I may also have been somehow mixing it up with another song, The Letter.  My baby's got a ticket on an aeroplane.  Ain't got time to take a fast train.  This makes sense, considering my overactive imagination as well as my propensity to overthink absolutely everything.  This hasn't changed to this day.  

In 8th grade I became obsessed with baseball.  My dad and I planned a trip to see all of the California ballparks in one week.  I decided I would visit all of the major league ballparks and I even planned out several more trips with my Dad to accomplish this. My dad and I only went to one more new park together, but I am now very very close, almost 30 years later.  I started a baseball scrapbook, wrote essays and speeches about baseball, and even planned out a room to display my baseball love.  When I realized that Centerfield was all about baseball and even mentioned Joe DiMaggio (my obsession), I was simultaneously mortified at my enormous mishear and in love with such a fun song.  It is everything I love about baseball - the crack of the bat, the moment in the sun, the fresh mown grass and how every ballpark is unique.  I'm ready to ... watch a ball game. Put me in coach!