February 28, 2024 – With No. 1 hits like “Drunk Me,” “Truth about You” and “At the End of the Bar,” multi-faceted country music entertainer, singer, songwriter, producer and performer Mitchell Tenpenny would be hard pressed to pick his favorite.
But ask him about his favorite position to play on the baseball field and the Nashville Stars Music Industry Advisor has an immediate and enthusiastic answer.
“First base!”
Born and raised in Nashville, Tenpenny was always into sports. Just like his active touring today, he was an avid travel baseball player. And just like his chart-topping performances, he was always comfortable at first.
“I liked the action and being in the play,” Tenpenny said about his favorite position. “I loved the competition and the pressure of it. It’s the best position on the field.”
Tenpenny’s love of the sport was an important bit of connective tissue for him on the field and with his family. “I loved being the captain of the teams I was on and welcomed that responsibility,” he said, “but the best part of baseball was going to Greer Stadium with my dad and my brothers, cheering on the Sounds and just hanging with my family. My first EP, Linden Ave, really reflects my love of the sport and what comes with it and my family.”
Being a baseball fan and a Music Industry Advisor means Tenpenny is following the progress of the Nashville Stars very closely. “I’m excited. We need a team. I’ve seen what happens when Nashville wraps its arms around a team. It’s truly special. I’ve never seen anything like the Stanley Cup playoff response we had for the Preds. And this city will embrace the Nashville Stars in the same way.”
As a product of Nashville, he’s particularly proud of the connection the Stars will make to the legacy of the sport in our history. “I’m from here and I want to remind people of all that has made this city special, not just what happens now but what has been here…music, sports, and the people who made Nashville the special place it is. And I want to maintain the history of baseball here, from the Negro Leagues and Sulphur Dell to what the Stars will add to that legacy.”
As Tenpenny heads out on a tour with Luke Combs that will include more than 100 dates across the country between April and year-end, he’s looking forward to connecting with baseball along the way. “Chipper Jones was my favorite player growing up, and I was like a little kid when I met him for the first time,” Tenpenny said. “Now he and Tom Glavine and I have become big buddies, and we connect often when I’m on the road. Plus, my manager is dating San Francisco Giants third baseman J.D. Davis, so a game at Oracle Park is a given every time we hit the Bay area during baseball season.”
But one of the coolest things is to get to play his music on some of the biggest baseball parks around. “I always loved watching games in those settings, and now I get to sing my songs in them. That’s special.”
It’s a safe bet that while he sings another of his No. 1 hits on one of those fields, he’ll also sneak a peek toward first base, imagining he’s got on his glove and stretching to pick up a throw that closes out a game.
For a full list of Mitchell Tenpenny’s tour dates this year and to hear his latest hits, visit https://www.mitchell10penny.com/