Tangled up

Mike Bauman had this column at MLB.com last week.

Is Dylan the Poet of the Pastime?
Finding baseball messages in a music icon

One of the best, and frankly, most underpublicized developments of the past year in baseball was the clear and present evidence that Bob Dylan is a baseball fan.

Between his work on satellite radio and an interview in Rolling Stone, it was clear that Dylan, the poet for a generation, whether he wanted to be or not, was heavily into the national pastime. You always believed that he was highly evolved, and this was proof beyond dispute.

In the Rolling Stone interview, Dylan appeared to suggest that his favorite player was Derek Jeter and his favorite manager was Ozzie Guillen. He said that it was difficult to follow a particular team because of the frequent personnel changes, and this is not an unknown fan complaint in the contemporary game. However, he indicated that he liked the Detroit Tigers.

Here is Bauman's proof:

• "Nothing Was Delivered." We thought it was an angry song about unfulfilled promises, but it could just as easily be a multi-layered examination of the balk rule.
• "Don't Ya Tell Henry." The title could make this a theme song for Barry Bonds hitting home run No. 756.
• "I Shall be Released." Maybe it's a man contemplating a spiritual rebirth or the end of a prison term. But it could also be a guy realizing that he is about to be beaten out for the 25th and last spot on the roster.
• "Paths of Victory." It's an uplifting song of the long-suffering underdog's determination to see a better day. Kind of like the 2004 Red Sox or the 2005 White Sox.
• "Shelter From the Storm." Dylan obviously became inspired during the course of a rain delay.

He forgot:

"Tangled up in Blue." It's about an steadily escalating argument with an umpire.

"Meet Me in the Morning." See you at Fenway Park for the Patriot's Day game.