Yesterday while working in one of the apartments behind Buzzy’s Country Store, I heard my favorite SiriusXm DJ Kristine Stone tell a story about coming home from work in 1994 to find her then husband watching PBS. When she asked him why he wasn’t watching the baseball game he informed her that baseball had gone on strike.
As Kristine then played John Fogerty’s Centerfield, I smiled thinking about her reference to the “then spouse” and my own memories of that scenario/baseball strike in 94 (click here for that story.)
If you check out today’s MLB standings, note that of the six divisions, only two of them have any sort of pennant race currently going on – the AL Central where Cleveland is up 1.5 games and the NL Central where St. Louis is up 1.5 games.)
The other four divisions find the first place team way ahead by several games. The NL East Mets “only” have a 6 game lead over the Braves, but play a 4 game series in Atlanta starting next week. That race could still get competitive providing Atlanta can figure out how to beat the Mets who are 8-4 this year against them. If Atlanta is to make any kinda run at the highest paid team in MLB they better start doing so this coming Monday.
And speaking of highest paid MLB teams, yes, you will see some correlation between Division leaders and these most moneyed teams. The NL West Dodgers (2nd in $) are up 16 games. The AL East Yankees (3rd in $) up 10 games, and the AL West Astros (9th in $) are up by 11 games. The Central Division leaders Cardinals have a 1.5 game lead and the 10th highest payroll. However, it is the Cleveland Guardians who stand out the most as the lowest paid team (30th behind the Orioles at 29th) but leading the Al Central by 1.5 games. Who says it’s money that matters? (OK, in 5 outta 6 divisions it really does!)
Musically, I have played Centerfield many times previously and never tire of hearing it (particularly when the bat hits that ball sound effect is played at the 2:55 mark.) You can listen to it again by clicking here. But how about something here from that fella posing above with my favorite DJ: