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Songfacts:  You can leave comments about the song at the bottom of the page.

Fogerty wrote this after watching the Major League Baseball All-Star game from the bleachers at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. His seat was behind centerfield.

This plays continuously at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

Along with "Talkin' Baseball" and "Take Me Out To The Ballgame," this is one of the most popular baseball songs ever. It's a fixture at ballparks between innings of games.

Fogerty was inspired by Chuck Berry's "Brown Eyed Handsome Man," which includes the line "Rounding third he was heading for home." Fogerty mentions the song in the lyrics.

Baseball legends mentioned in the song: Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays, and Ty Cobb.

The second verse refers to the legendary Mighty Casey from the epic poem Casey At The Bat. At the end of the story, Casey strikes out. (thanks, Patrick - Tallapoosa, GA, for above 2)

This was the title track to Fogerty's first solo album after a 9 year absence. He refused to record because of legal battles with his record company.

This was Fogerty's third solo album after leaving Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1972. His first 2 albums did not sell well, but this went to #1 in the US.

When George W. Bush was campaigning for president of the US in 2000, he told a reporter this was his favorite song. Bush used to own part of the Texas Rangers baseball team, and liked the line "Put me in coach, I'm ready to play."

Comments:

Dan, were you an English major? The trouble with English majors is that they are taught to look for symbolism wherever they can find it, and if no symbolism exists, to invent it. "Centerfield" is about baseball. There is no deep meaning, no hidden context, no subtle shades of truth. Fogerty loves baseball and is writing of his love for the game. The "Brown-eyed handsome man" is a reference to a Chuck Berry song of the same name. Berry was singing about Jackie Robinson. The line "I spent some time with the Mudville Nine...You know I took some lumps when the Mighty Case struck out" refers to the poem "Casey at the Bat." In the poem, Casey, the star of the Mudville Nine, strikes out when he overconfidently allows two pitches to go by and swings and misses at the third. Google it to get the complete poem. Actually, Dan, I hope you are joking. I hope you made up your bizarre interpritation so people will post comments on your madness. If you truly believe "Centerfield" is about John Fogerty's public exile and court case, you are a strange man who cannot see the obvious.
- Jay, Brooklyn, NY

I love this song because it is about baseball and i love baseball
- Josh, Omaha, NE

Love CCR. John stay well and live long, love your music. Centerfield is the only song I think of when I think of my absolute most favorite game of all - bseball. But I am a Cubs fans through and through.
- Woody, Bartlett, TN

I love this song, too, but I could swear he says "Say-Hey Willie, tell THE Cobb", not Ty Cobb. I've only seen the Lyrics that say "The Cobb" once in a sheet music book. Does it sound like that to anyone else?
- Wendy, Los Angeles, CA

I have always assumed that the lyrics to this song describe how Fogarty is feeling about getting back into the big time music business with the release of this album after a nine year break. There are many references to this in his lyrics, but some of the most obvious the most obvious ones are: "it's a brown-eyed handsome man" - if Fogarty has brown eyes, my guess this refers to him; "Well, I spent some time in the Mudville Nine, watchin' it from the bench You know I took some lumps when the Mighty Case struck out," - Fogarty didn't appear in public for 9 years, i.e., he was stuck in Mudville for 9 years; he took lumps when his big legal case against his his record company (the Mighty Case) was settled. There's more but you can have figuring them out for yourself. Did anyone else see the symbolism in these lyrics. They are pretty obvious.
- dan, Washington, DC, MD

This song straightforwardly shows that baseball rocks! Literally! I played two years of ballpark baseball. I haven't played centerfield except in a few practices. In the first of those two years I usually played left field. In the other year I tended to play right field. By the way, long live John Fogerty!
- andrew, birmingham, United States

"When citing some of baseballs legends in the second verse, he mentions "Taylor"(?) Cobb" He doesn't say that - he says Tell Ty Cobb quoted directly from the lyrics link above: "So Say Hey Willie, tell Ty Cobb and Joe DiMaggio"
- Sue, Chicago, IL

Personally, I think the 'don't say it ain't so...' line refers to "Shoeless Joe" Jackson of Black Sox infamy.
- Richard, Houston, TX

It's one of the most bizzarre law suits I ve heard of.
- Stefanie, Rock Hill, SC

When citing some of baseballs legends in the second verse, he mentions "Taylor"(?) Cobb, perhaps "Tyler" with his southern accent. Ty Cobb's given first name was "Tyrus".
- Sean, Brockton, MA

Shortly after this album was released, John Fogerty was sued for allegedly plagarizing himself. The lawsuit that was filed claimed that "The Old Man Down the Road" was too close to "Run Through the Jungle."
- James, Tracy, CA

This song inspires my son Joe Willie to get in the centerfield groove and kick some boody all over New Jersey!
- Carolyn, Morganville, NJ

As a long time baseball fan, this song hits a homerun. It joins Terry Cashman's "Willie, Mickey and the Duke" as one of the great baseball songs ever recorded.
- Howard, St. Louis Park, MN

John Fogerty records the entire alubum - vocals and all instruments, including the sax solos - at his home studio in Northern California over the course of many, many years. Fogerty was quoted as saying they only reason he finished it was because he was driving his children crazy having to hear it over and over! He said he mixed it down, dubbed it onto a cassette, then gave it to a Warner Brothers Records executive and said "here's my next album" (he had a record deal with Warners, but hadn't released an album in almost 10 years!). Fogerty said about his playing all instruments himself: "I'm a pretty good bar band."
- Ken, Louisville, KY

There are some who think that the phrase "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" refers to Jackie Robinson.
- David, Middletown, CT

Truly a great song! John Fogerty, one of the best singer/songwriters EVER, epitomizes America through our national pasttime in this song! This song always makes me proud to be a baseball-playin', flag-wavin' American! Check out CCR, too. Amazing!
- Luke, Pittsburgh, PA

Between October 1 and October 8 (2004), Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will perform at five Vote for Change concerts, sharing the bill with R.E.M., and Bright Eyes with a special appearance by John Fogerty. These artists plan to target key battleground states where voters could tip the upcoming presidential election in favor of Democratic candidate John Kerry or President George W. Bush.

Right after the crack of the bat sound, some radio stations may mix in a recording of the previous night's broadcast of the local team, during a major winning moment.
- Patrick, Conyers, GA

On his television special, Fogarty plays a guitar made out of what appears to be a baseball bat!
- Steve, San Jose, CA

When "JCF" plays this song in concert, he often uses a custom made guitar made in the shape of a "Louisville Slugger" baseball bat!
- Gene, Hammond, IN

The lyrics "...a homemade bat..." could refer to the movie "The Natural" where Roy Hobbs made a bat from a tree limb that was hit by lightning.
- Patrick, Conyers, GA