Playing right field
Here’s a comment by “Rufus T. Firefly”:
“[Kamala Harris] seems like the kid playing right-field in baseball, who just stands out there daydreaming, hoping the ball doesn’t come her way.”
Also a great line.*
(*from a kid who played right field often)
That immediately brought up a song association for me. You might enjoy this:
Here’s an article about the guy who wrote it:
As a kid, Welch played right field, so he knows of what he sings.
Thirty-five years ago, Welch’s fortunes were altered when the folk group Peter, Paul & Mary recorded his song for their 1987 album “No Easy Walk to Freedom.”…
“My life actually changed radically,” Welch said from his home in South Egremont. Songwriting royalties allowed Welch “to quit my day job and to have a down payment on a house.” At the time, his day job involved “typing briefs and trying to write computer programs” for a law firm. …
Welch “wrote the song one afternoon in 1982 or ‘83.” He said he had no idea anyone would like it until he performed it at a New York City cafe in 1983. “I played it and the crowd went nuts,” he said; “You never know, really, it turns out.”
John Fogerty had “Centerfield,” a more uplifting song. I wonder if Fogerty’s jab at producer and record industry mogul Saul Zaentz, the song “Vanz Kant Danz” will be mobilized against J.D. Vanz … er, Vance.
Couldn’t resist. The ball evaded Conseco’s glove.
Martinez homer aided by Canseco’s head
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QixQMUu4CKI
‘she was born on third base, and she acts like she hit a triple’
I’ll take credit for the right field line and thank Rufus T. Firefly for complimenting it.
https://www.thenewneo.com/2024/08/30/the-harris-and-walz-interview-was-a-lackluster-and-awkward-affair/#comment-2759147
I played softball, and was in either right field or first base, because I’m left-handed. With long legs and arms and an ability to catch almost anything, I was pretty good at first base. – Whenever I was at bat, the opposition shifted way over to the right side of the diamond because I was incapable of hitting anywhere but straight down the first-base line.
huxley:
Credit as the originator.
I’m curious – had you ever heard the song? I had forgotten it and then remembered it when I saw Rufus’ reference.
we usually had right field out
I know Peter, Paul, and Mary came first but “A Mighty Wind” did it best.
And we did as Butkus51 says, hitting to right field was an out.
Mary, on the other hand, resembles a Chicago Bears center. Hut hut hut
I’m curious – had you ever heard the song?
neo:
The tune is familiar but not those words. According to wiki the song was 1986 after they reunited after a long break. I stopped listening to PP&M in the 70s.
Though PP&M were quite dear to my heart for their first several albums. Still are.
My woefully unathletic sister-in-law has the best story along these lines I’ve ever heard. She was once stuck in the outfield as the fence. If you hit it past her, it’s was a home run.
Remember that well Brian E.
Jose Canseco had an identical twin brother named Ozzie. Only reason I even know that is because Ozzie played for St Louis’ AAA team for years – Louisville, my home town. Identical twins, one was one of the greatest superstars in Major League Baseball, the other languished in the minors his whole career.
Mike Plaiss, at first I thought you meant she got stuck in the outfield fence! I’m not sure which would be worse, really – that or serving as the demarcation itself.
I wasn’t that athletic. I usually played right-field.
Any dreams I might have had for the game were dashed when I realized how far ahead the kids were who had been playing Little League since they were six.
I remember one such kid, on the small side, who, on the first softball game of sixth grade, bunted for a single, then parlayed it into a home run.
Butkus51 and steve walsh,
When we played pick up games we were usually short players (and equipment) so we switched between right field/left field closed depending on the batter.
For the record (and unlike the song),
I was generally one of the fastest, if not the fastest on the team, and one of the better hitters. I hit a lot of doubles thanks to that combination. I never liked baseball enough to pay attention to all the nuance, so I never developed the knowledge necessary to play infield well. I also didn’t have a super accurate arm. So, coach often put me in centerfield. I also was not whiny, and a lot of my little league teammates were, so coach would also put me in rightfield because he knew I wouldn’t complain, and others would.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard the song*, and it’s fun! Thanks, neo.
*But I’ve been repulsed by Peter, Paul and Mary since hearing “Puff the Magic Dragon” as a child.
I don’t know why, but folk music annoys the heck out of me. I do like Steve Goodman. He’s the only folk artist I’ve heard that doesn’t come across as pretentious and elitist. It’s funny, I really like the song, “Spirit of New Orleans” (it’s a great song!) and it bothered me that Arlo Guthrie wrote it, because I find Arlo Guthrie annoying. I was so glad, when I read here at neo’s place, that it was actually written by Steve Goodman. That made so much more sense.
I also really like Chicagoan Corky Siegel, but wikipedia says he’s more of a Blues artist than a folk artist.
RTF, up until about the mid-1960s there was actually quite a bit of perceived overlap between blues and folk music, with blues being seen as black “folk music” represented by more primitive/acoustic bluesmen such as Leadbelly or Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry. When blues-driven British rock bands like the Rolling Stones, Animals and Yardbirds became popular the perception changed with blues now being considered a powerful ancestral force to hard rock.
Folk music also had considerable influence on other pop and “pyschedelic” music of the mid-and late 60s. LA pop bands like the Byrds, Mamas and Papas and Grass Roots had folk roots, as well as two of the leading San Francisco bands Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead.
Rufus: I guess I was reading ahead as I read your last comment (reintegrating, the head doctors call it) and I read: “. . .repulsed by Peter, Paul and Mary since hearing and hearing and hearing Puff the Magic Dragon.” When it was popular, it seemed to play over, and over and over.
I was a pitcher, I didn’t want ANYONE on my team to touch the ball. As an aside, has anyone noticed that if you are a great player you make a mediocre manager.
”I was a pitcher, I didn’t want ANYONE on my team to touch the ball.”
Gave up a lot of home runs, did ya? ;-). Just kidding. 🙂
I hate to admit it, but I did play a lot of right field when I was in grade school. But I did get moved over to third base when I hit puberty.
mkent,
Yes I was very arrogant. But very good. I still hold a high school record that’ll probably never be broken, I threw the pitch that Don Baylor hit
A home run record for distance!
Third base the “hot” box!
My mom had great courage. She also had a 6th grade education. More importantly, she had twice been subjected to electroshock therapy because she was a little different. That is to say she was independent, courageous, and would sometimes respond to a situation with a quick reflex. In retrospect we can clearly see that she was on the Autism spectrum, but more importantly she moved forward every day in So. California with the idea of hope. She made So. California work.
However, the women in our neighborhood despised her. She was independent, she owned her own little business, she was divorced and re-married. All these things were not considered in the realm of acceptable norm in our neighborhood. In the school system where I went to school. Both my mom and I were shunned. Perhaps, mostly because we had moved in from out of state–I do not know for sure, I do know that my fifth grade teacher made it very clear in front of her class that people who came to California were nothing better than failed share croppers. I was not affected by being shunned. I went to school, I came home, I was loved, I had things to do outside of my school realm, I had my church. It really didn’t matter to much to me that I was shunned.
Every day during gym class we were outside playing games–baseball, volleyball and some basketball. I was always. Always– chosen last. They used to put me in right field for baseball. Like the song says nothing going on over there. Until one day “they” realized I could catch and throw. I was moved over to center field where I really had fun. THEY would never complement me–of course not. But, I caught that ball and got it back to home plate they would yell in happy response. When I came in from out in the field the only thing I would hear is my gym teacher: “nice catch”. The others went back to not talking to me.
Anne,
Really sorry you had to live through that. My mom had her own business also. She was the only working mom I can think of in my Elementary school class, except for two moms who were school teachers.
Thanks Rufus. I do not understand how or why being shunned had so little impact on me. I just got on with my days. Think I was just doing what my mom did. Very lucky me!
However, I do have a baseball story for you. DH and I used to go out in the afternoon and throw the ball around. We both have our own mits and a couple of hard balls. We lived near a small university and we would go to the end of their track/field and play catch. Sometimes the boys soccer team would come out and practice. One day when DH and I were tossing our ball back and forth I started watching the boys from the university playing soccer. Dh said, “Anne pay attention.” I did and then I looked the other way for just a second when I turned back to face DH I caught that ball right in the middle of my face! Passed out immediately. When I came to a few minutes later I was surrounded by young men in knee socks. “Mrs. Anne–Mrs. Anne are you ok? Can you hear us? When I opened my eyes I heard my beloved’s voice ” GDamnit Anne–get up!”
“…noticed…”
I dunno. Gil Hodges was a superb manager…but maybe he proves the rule.
Joe Torre?
(I HAVE noticed that catchers make some of the best commentators…
…which shouldn’t be surprising, actually….)
– – – – – – – –
“…hit puberty…”
…sounds like a new baseball statistic….
– – – – – – – –
Ah Anne, but you were LOVED (great stories!)…
BTW, is “DH” Dear Husband? Or Designated Hitter…?
Mediocre players learn as much they can to just hang on to the team. Great players can just ” do” it, but have little idea why.
I will admit Joe Torre was great ( especially for the braves) but as general rule what I say is true.
You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown – The Team Song
https://youtu.be/QsZEH5tEYYM
I think Sennacherib is exactly right here, and it’s not just in sport: “Mediocre players learn as much as they can to just hang on to the team. Great players can just ‘do’ it, but have little idea why.” Maybe, “little idea how?”
As examples Casey Stengel and Ted Williams. Generally since great players can just ” do” it they have little patience with those who can’t. This is not a good managerial trait. Lee Trevino used to say that Fred Couples had the greatest swing in golf and no idea why! Thanks Rufus!
Dear Barry:
DH is dear husband. And, he is still so dear to me. After more than forty years, I still love to see that guy walk into the room! I am the perfect example of that old line about gals falling for guys who have a good sense of humor!