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Monday, November 2, 2009

World Series ump sings about the Big Dogs

Feeling bad about the Phillies’ right-to-the-wire beat-down last night by the Yankees?

Me, too.
 
At least we have World Series umpire Joe West to remind us, in song, that there’s still honor in having made it this far (and, hey, it ain’t over ‘til it’s over). Or, as he warbles, “You can’t run with the big dogs if you act like a puppy.”
 
When he’s not umping the World Series, West is known as “Cowboy Joe,” a singer-songwriter who favors country music and who also waxes prolific, in spoken word set against pleasingly schmaltzy song, about America’s Favorite Pasttime.
 
"I love the music because it's pure," West told the Tampa Tribune in 2008. "I was once told that it is two chords and the truth. It's simple, it tells a story. It's real life."
  
Click here to listen to Joe sing a little bit of "You Can't Run With the Big Dogs." 
 
Wanna join in? Here's some lyrics.   
 
You never get a second chance to make a first impression
You can’t live your life in a state of depression
The stakes that you make in life sometimes seem too many
But remember that hindsight is always 20-20.
 
‘Cause you can’t run with the big dogs if you act like a puppy
You can’t swim with the big fish if you splash like a guppy
You can’t run with the stallions if you trot like a colt
You can’t turn that lug nut if you don’t have the bolt
Posted by Ronnie Polaneczky @ 11:48 AM  Permalink | Post a comment
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About Ronnie Polaneczky

When my phone rings here at the Daily News, nine times out of ten the caller begins the conversation with, “Yeah, so what happened was…”.

Because this is Philly, the caller doesn’t say, “My name is Bob” – or Mary – “and I wonder if I could have a moment of your time?” Philadelphians are too direct for that. They just say, “Yeah, so what happened was…”, and then tumble into a tale they think oughta be shared with a wider audience. I love getting these calls (even the ones where it becomes clear, after 30 seconds, where the caller sowed the seeds of his own misery), because they give me chance to connect with fellow citizens in a way that no other job allows. Well, okay, no other job for which I’m remotely qualified.

That’s why my blog is titled “So What Happened Was…”. To me, it’s the quintessentially Philly way of saying, “Once upon a time.” When I hear it, I know a good story is coming. And I can’t wait to see how it turns out.

Ronnie Polaneczky has been an award-winning columnist for The Philadelphia Daily News since 1999, offering a front-steps perspective on every aspect of city life, from the sublime to the stupid. In her past life, she was the editor-in-chief of Atlantic City Magazine, associate editor at Philadelphia Magazine and a fulltime freelancer published in Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Reader's Digest, Men's Health, MarieClaire and others. She lives with her husband, daughter and various pets in the city's Fairmount section, where she dreams of one day singing The National Anthem at an Eagles game. In addition to her column and blog, you can enjoy Ronnie's musings in podcast form here.

Read more from Ronnie Polaneczky at Earth to Philly, the Daily News blog on anything and everything "Green

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