Yo La Tengo

Yo La Tengo is an American rock band. Based in Hoboken, New Jersey, they have demonstrated unusual longevity for the indie-rock scene. A critical favorite with a devoted fan base, they have achieved only limited popular success.

Their name comes from a baseball anecdote. During the 1962 season, Richie Ashburn, the center fielder of the New York Mets, was crashing again and again with Venezuelan Elio Chacón. When Ashburn went for a catch, he would scream, "I got it! I got it!" only to collide with the 160 pound (73 kg, 11 stones 6 pounds) Chacón, who spoke only Spanish. Ashburn learned to yell, "Yo la tengo! Yo la tengo!" which is "I've got it" in Spanish. In a later game, Ashburn happily saw Chacón backing off. He relaxed, positioned himself to catch the ball, and was instead run over by 200 pound (91 kg, 14 stones 4 pounds) left fielder Frank Thomas, who understood no Spanish.

The band wanted a name that sounded foreign in order to avoid any connotations and Kaplan is a devoted baseball fan (and a fan of the New York Mets in particular). However, it still irks them when they are asked t...