DAILY DIRT: Phillies are the best, and did you know Dave Bing once sang backup for Marvin Gaye?

Incredibly, none of the Beatles could read music, but more on that in a minute … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 932 of The Daily Dirt.

1. We’re a month into the MLB season, and these teams currently sit atop the pack:

1. Philadelphia Phillies: The best balance of any MLB team? The Phillies do not have a real weakness, although I won’t be surprised if they try and strengthen the back end of their bullpen at some point. Otherwise, what’s not to love? Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola might be the top one-two combination of starters in either league.

2. Atlanta Braves: Has anyone noticed the start Marcell Ozuna is enjoying?

3. Los Angeles Dodgers: For what they have accomplished to date — or, maybe, NOT accomplished — I should probably have the Dodgers listed below both Cleveland and Baltimore. But it’s hard not to love a lineup anchored by Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. It’s the starting rotation that remains a concern, but at some stage of the season both Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw should return. 

4. Cleveland Guardians: Josh Naylor is deservedly in the early American League MVP conversation …

5. Baltimore Orioles: … but I think the ultimate A.L. MVP will be Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson. What a stud. (And in case you missed it, the O’s sent 20-year-old Jackson Holliday and his .059 batting average back to the minors. The son of former Cardinals slugger Matt Holliday was not yet ready for prime time.)

And now, the five worst MLB teams:

30. Chicago White Sox: It’s difficult to even try and capture how bad this team truly is, but consider the following: This year’s Chisox club is likely worse than the infamous 1962 New York Mets.

29. Colorado Rockies: Normally, the Rockies have trouble getting opposing batters out on a consistent basis. This year, offense is a problem, too. Remember the days of Larry Walker and Vinny Castilla? The Rockies still lost a lot but they were at least fun to watch.

28. Miami Marlins: The starting rotation, due largely to injuries, is a complete disaster. And so is Miami’s record.

27. Oakland Athletics: Sure, the A’s are terrible, but have you been keeping up with reliever Mason Miller? That guy throws nothing but pure gas.

26. Houston Astros: When does a “bad start” officially morph into a serious problem? The once-proud Astros were 7-19 heading into the weekend. 

2. Did you know …

• That one of the backup singers on Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” album was Dave Bing. Yes, the same Dave Bing was an all-star guard in the NBA and later the mayor of Detroit.
• That Prince’s hit song “Purple Rain” was originally written for Stevie Nicks.
• That Jeff Beck played guitar on Tina Turner’s classic “Private Dancer,” which was written by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits.
• That one of the singers who provided backup on Pink Floyd’s legendary “The Wall” album was Toni Tennille (of Captain and Tennille fame).
• That John (“Welcome Back, Kotter”) Sebastian played harmonica on the Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues”.

3. Four facts I find fabulous about The Fab Four:

• Ringo Starr was the narrator for the popular “Thomas the Tank Engine” animated series from 1984-90.
• Frank Sinatra once described the Beatles song “Something” as the greatest love song ever written.
• John Lennon was dyslexic and legally blind.
• None of the Beatles could actually read music. They could play the guitar, piano, drums and write lyrics, but they never learned to read music.

Steve Thought O’ The Day – “Yesterday” by the Beatles has been covered by other artists more than 1,600 times. Among those artists have been Elvis Presley, Boyz II Men, Frank Sinatra, Gladys Knight and James Brown.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Did The Godfather of Soul sing “Yesterday” to lure the ladies into his hot tub?