Yo La Tengo is an American indie rock band, based in Hoboken, New Jersey. With more than 15 albums released over a period of twenty years, they have demonstrated unusual longevity for the indie-rock scene. While they are 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, New York Mets centerfielder Richie Ashburn and Venezuelan shortstop Elio Chacón found themselves collidin(show more)

Yo La Tengo is an American indie rock band, based in Hoboken, New Jersey. With more than 15 albums released over a period of twenty years, they have demonstrated unusual longevity for the indie-rock scene. While they are 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, New York Mets centerfielder Richie Ashburn and Venezuelan shortstop Elio Chacón found themselves colliding in the outfield. When Ashburn went for a catch, he would scream, "I got it! I got it!" only to run into the 160-pound 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 leftfielder Frank Thomas, who understood no Spanish