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ABOUT THIS SONG I played baseball as a boy. I was very good at it in Little League. As I grew up, I started following professional baseball as a San Francisco Giant fan, listening to ball games on the radio all through the Summer with the two old guys at the hotel patio next to my Grandfather Nick's Chames Fountain in San Miguel, California. They liked my brother and I, because we would go get them Nehi's and Orange Crush's from Grandpa's fountain. Play ball! Fast forward to 1998 to Baltimore's Camden Yards where, on September 8th, Oriole, Cal Ripken, Jr. was about to eclipse the record of one Louis Gehrig, Jr. of the 1929 New York Yankees record of playing 2130 consecutive games without a break. I was glued to the TV and when the game became official in the 5th inning, I hooted and hollered in celebration with the 60,000 plus at the stadium. I watched the crowd cheer for 20 minutes while Cal walked around the field shaking hands with all he could. With tears streaming down my face, I pondered the big deal here...and discovered I was so moved by the fact that Cal showed up every day no matter what, to do the thing he loved....play ball...I was a school teacher then, and I took my 10 sick days every year. When I compared myself to Cal, I felt a bit ashamed...so, I vowed then and there that when I grew up, I was gonna be like Cal. I picked up the guitar and started that G chord with an Americana type of folk song feel and this song poured out...I wanna be like Cal, I wanna be consistent, I wanna quit complain', I wanna carry on... Love this song...love to sing it because the audience always wants to sing it along with me...you know...baseball...it's in the DNA...show up it says...just show up...plaayyy baallll!. |
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SONG LYRICS: CAL I wanna be like Cal I wanna be consistent I wanna quit complainin' I wanna carry on I wanna show up smilin' I wanna push the limits I wanna play forever keep keepin’ on I wanna be like Cal This world is a me mine place Where everybody wants so many take One foot in with six steps out Take what you need and then get out CHORUS It’s so damn easy to run run away When I fall behind at the first twitch of pain To rationalize and defend my escape But what could’ve been if I chose to stay? CHORUS 2131 the man showed up and everyone wasn't fun When I look to my life for some kind of streak I see 20,000 times I fell asleep Hear me now the old way’s done It’s a brand new me this is day number one CHORUS © September 8, 1998. Music for Every Soul. All Rights Reserved. |
08 Cal
