100 Songs of Summer #50 “Centerfield” by John Fogerty

The halfway point of our Top 100 Songs of Summer Countdown fittingly coincides with the unofficial halfway point of America’s summer game. In honor of the MLB All-Star Game being played at Citi Field, and with the annual Artists-Writers Softball Game on the horizon, we step up to the plate with a grab-your-glove-and-bat-and-ball sing-along favorite.

Hamptons 100 Songs of Summer #50

“Centerfield” by John Fogerty

Few aspects of Americana define summer like baseball—whether it’s played by kids in a sandlot or by millionaires in a gleaming Major League cathedral. And with the possible exception of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” this single (on which Fogerty plays all the instrumentals and sings) off the 1985 album of the same name is the game’s true anthem. It is so intrinsically tied to the national pastime that it has an entry in the Baseball Almanac, and Fogerty performed it at the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Cooperstown in 2010. Put us in, coach, we’re ready to play today!