Gotta be, centerfield

Jun 13, 2009

The radio in our Toyota Sienna had been under repairs for a few weeks, but now it’s back in, so I’ve been jamming to the tunes and catching up on domestic and world news via NPR on WUNC.

Yesterday, on one of the local rock stations, John Fogerty’s Centerfield was on. That’s a song that always makes me smile and cringe at the same time.

During our senior year in high school, Julie Countryman and I read the daily announcements over the school’s PA system each morning. I usually ended the segment with a quote of the day, supplied by my grandfather.

But, on opening day of the 1988 Major League Baseball season, I somehow convinced the principal, Bernie Looney, to let me play Centerfield in its entirety. By the time I got down to my Calculus class, I could tell that my teacher — and most of the other faculty members — weren’t happy with me for taking so much time out of the class period. I spent the rest of the day feeling as if I’d been stuck out in left field.

Anton Zuiker ☄