Rocklopedia!

Centerfield is the title track on the album titled “Centerfield” by musician John Fogerty. It was released in 1985 and was his most popular post-Creedence album. Fogerty played all the instruments on this album himself, thanks to overdubbing. The image on the cover shows an old-fashioned, “beat-up glove”, as referenced in the title song, and text similar to a logo of a baseball team, setting the mood for the track.

This album was Fogerty‘s first album in nine years. After Asylum Records rejected his Hoodoo album, he decided to take a long break from the music business. In the meantime, Fogerty‘s recording contract with Asylum Records was reassigned to co-owned Warner Bros. Records so this album was the first released on the Warner Bros. label.

The song “Centerfield” can be seen as a metaphor for any comeback or second chance. Taken literally, it has often been used as a soundtrack for collections of short clips of classic Baseball moments. For example, the line “Just to hit the ball / And touch ‘em all / A moment in the sun / (sound of ball meeting bat) / It’s a-gone and you can tell that one ‘Good-bye’” timed with film of Bobby Thomson’s pennant-winning home run in 1951.

On Day 12 of the NASA Space Shuttle Mission STS-124, Centerfield was played for Pilot Ken Ham.

The RIAA has certified the album double-platinum (2 million album sales).

Centerfield Track Listing
1. “The Old Man Down the Road” – 3:34
2. “Rock and Roll Girls” – 3:28
3. “Big Train (From Memphis)” – 2:58
4. “I Saw It on T.V.” – 4:20
5. “Mr. Greed” – 4:09
6. “Searchlight” – 4:31
7. “Centerfield” – 3:53
8. “I Can’t Help Myself” – 3:15
9. “Vanz Kant Danz” – 5:32