Bruce Springsteen Pays Tribute to Inspiration Behind ‘Glory Days’

Bruce Springsteen took to social media to honor Joe DePugh, the inspiration behind his hit song "Glory Days."

The Boss said in a statement, "Just a moment to mark the passing of Freehold native and ballplayer Joe DePugh. He was a good friend when I needed one. 'He could throw that speedball by you, make you look like a fool'….Glory Days my friend."

DePugh is the famed "big baseball player" who "could throw that speedball by you." In a 2011 interview with the Palm Beach Post, DePugh recalled the run-in with Springsteen that led to the singer-songwriter to pen "Glory Days" a decade later.

As "Glory Days" says, DePugh was walking out of bar as Springsteen was walking in. He said, " ... Once I saw Bruce we went back in and closed the place. He had a little entourage with him. They all sat in a booth, but it was just me and him at the bar. All of a sudden, it's 1:30 (a.m.) and they started blinking the lights."

While Springsteen wrote that all DePugh "kept talking about was glory days," DePugh told the Palm Beach Post that he was "tickled pink I would even get into the song."

"Glory Days" was the fifth single off of 1984's Born in the U.S.A. It peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at No. 5.