Maybe if Ben Gibbard released it before Ichiro was traded for two minor league arms he wouldn’t have silently asked to be traded from his NBA-less hometown. In what I imagine is a first ballot hall of fame career in the making, Ichiro Suzuki made headlines last night for being part of a trade that sent him from the basement dwelling Seattle Mariners to the universally loved first place New York Yankees. Making it all the more interesting was that his Mariners just so happened to be scheduled to play the Yanks last night and he simply had to walk across the dugout and switch uniforms before the game. He started, he played rightfield, be batted eighth, he bowed twice, went 1/4 and stole a base in a winning effort for his new team.

I really like baseball. I’m what you would call a stat head. I like sabermetrics. I read fangraphs. And I am not alone damnit. Any opportunity to type the words “fangraphs” or “sabermetrics” on a widely respected music blog I’m going to seize so, Ben Gibbard, come on out of the dugout for your effort and tip your cap because I’m applauding you damnit.

Okay, I’ll stop with the baseball talk and get to the music stuff that brings you to this here blog. Ben Gibbard’s solo project comes out October 16th. I figured the effort would be filled of interesting lyrics after his separation from his a-dork-able wife — sorry, I can’t let this go unsaid, I hope those billboards are gone forever. I hope they have all been burned. I loathe those pandering giant  polka-dotted pieces of annoying ever so much. Okay, so, where was I? Yes, I figured his new album would be full of sad, and scathing relationship wrought lyrics that could yield some fantastic musical results but I would have never guessed a tribute song about the single season hits record holder would be a part of the tracks released in the coming weeks. Heck, I never even knew Ben Gibbard was into baseball, but, I’m certainly glad he is.

Congratulations Mr. Ben Gibbard you wrote a catchy indie song about one of the best right fielders I’ve seen. Here. Look at how absolutely astounded Terrance Long is when he figures out he was beat with eons to spare. Ah, I could go on but I’ll let Gibbard take it from here.