Ozzie Smith Finally Immortalized Properly in Kickass New Song

It is a well-known fact that legendary shortstop Ozzie Smith is one of the greatest Cardinals of all time. (Some would even say he is one of the greatest baseball players of all time, period, and they'd have plenty of compelling stats to back their assertion up.)

In keeping, the Wizard has accumulated many honors since his first major-league game in 1978, including thirteen consecutive National League Gold Glove awards, the 1987 Silver Slugger award as the year's best-hitting shortstop and an induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his very first year of eligibility (not to mention, you know, the statues).

Those awards are all well and good, if maybe a bit stuffy. But now Smith has finally been recognized with one of the highest honors our society can give: an impossibly catchy rock song literally singing his praises.

The track, simply titled "Ozzie," was recorded by Providence, Rhode Island-based act the Low Anthem. It is a lo-fi, high-energy affair powered by a driving beat and absolutely fawning praise of the Cardinal legend. Written by founding member Jeff Prystowsky, it joyfully ruminates on backflips and grounders while making apologies to "Dizzy," "Gibson" and "Stan."

The track is the Low Anthem's first release in five years; it will appear on the band's upcoming album, Eyeland, due out on June 17. Listen to "Ozzie" and read along with the lyrics below:

Ozzie Smith was born on my birthday
December 26th, the day after Christmas
In my heaven there's a grounder and it might go through
Not while Ozzie's got it and we're turning two

I always wished I could be like Ozzie Smith
Fielding grounders with ease and doing backflips
Playing baseball all day long until the sun sets
I don't think it can get any better than that

Thirteen consecutive gold glove awards should make you pause
Cause no one was better in the Eighties than the Wizard of Oz
Take Me Out To The Ballgame should amend its scouting report
It should say One, Two, Three strikes you're out if Ozzie's at short

I always wished I could be like Ozzie Smith
Fielding grounders with ease and doing backflips
Playing baseball all day long until the sun sets
I don't think it can get any better than that

Bury me in my Ozzie jersey when my body hits the fan
I'm sorry Dizzy, I'm sorry Gibson, I'm sorry Stan
Bury me in that number 1 I'll be grinning when the piper pipes
Me and Ozzie are the slickest middle infield in the afterlife

I always wished I could be like Ozzie Smith
Fielding grounders with ease and doing backflips
Playing baseball all day long until the sun sets
I don't think it can get any better than that

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOZZZZZZZZIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!