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<\/a>Photo R. Anderson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Whether the music selected is hard rockin\u2019 or bubble gum poppin\u2019, it serves a key purpose when it comes to the battle between the pitcher and the batter.<\/p>\n
Or as Ebby Calvin \u2018Nuke\u2019 LaLoosh from Bull Durham<\/em> would say the players use the music to, \u201cAnnounce their presence with authority.\u201d<\/p>\n Granted it would be hard for a batter to announce their presence with authority by walking out to the pop styling of Carley Rae Jepson\u2019s Call me Maybe?<\/em>, but it could be a good call maybe if it made the pitcher laugh so hard that he couldn\u2019t throw a strike.<\/p>\n As with everything in baseball, there are rules to the walk-up music. The songs chosen need to be family friendly and the music is supposed to stop once the player enters the batter\u2019s box.<\/p>\n Of course, a really good walk up song can lead to players lollygagging their way to the batter\u2019s box to hear more of their \u201ctheme\u201d before facing the pitcher.<\/p>\n A few years back while catching a Blue Wahoos game in Pensacola, FL, I had the pleasure of watching the home plate umpire make sure the plate was spotless so that more of Neil Diamond\u2019s, \u201cSweet Caroline\u201d could serenade the people in the grandstands. I must say, that it was so good, so good, so good.<\/p>\n While there is not an exact Archimedes stepping into the tub and shouting \u201cEureka\u201d moment when it comes to the invention of walk up music, most baseball people point to the 1993 Seattle Mariners as the fathers of the walkup.<\/p>\n While certain individual players had used walk up music before, the Mariners are widely credited with being the first team to come up with a song for each of their players in the lineup.<\/p>\n It seems fitting that the city that brought flannel and grunge to the world of music would also be the city to bring music to the batter\u2019s box.<\/p>\n After the Nats claimed the World Series title in 2019, the Seattle Mariners became the only MLB team to have never appeared in a World Series. Still, despite never appearing in a World Series, the Mariners can at least lay claim to being the champions of the walk up.<\/p>\n Of course, theme music is not limited to batters. Pitchers, especially closers, have also gotten into the act of having music introduce them.<\/p>\n Retired New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera famously walked out from the bullpen to the sounds of \u201cEnter Sandman\u201d from Metallica.<\/p>\n And of course, who can forget Charlie Sheen as Rick \u201cWild Thing\u201d Vaughn walking out to \u201cWild Thing\u201d in the Major League<\/em> franchise.<\/p>\n The cinematic walk up music predates the Mariners walk up trend by about five years, and is also often pointed to as being instrumental in the evolution of walk up music.<\/p>\n The Ballparks of the world are mostly silent now thanks to the COVID-19 virus. Or, put another way, as John Candy\u2019s security guard character told Clark Griswald in National Lampoon\u2019s Vacation<\/em>, \u201cSorry folks, park’s closed. Moose out front shoulda told ya.\u201d<\/p>\n Of course, just because the Ballpark is closed, it doesn\u2019t mean there can\u2019t be walk up music in other areas of life. Just think how much more exciting life could be if all of our big moments were preceded by music.<\/p>\n Just picture the boardroom scenario where someone says the following. \u201cNow up to present the quarterly earnings report, Joe Smith\u201d (cue the music).<\/p>\n After a few bars of (insert song here) Joe knocks the earnings report out of the park while his coworkers serenade him with Queen\u2019s \u201cWe are the Champions\u201d and fist bump each other on the way out of the conference room. (Editor\u2019s note: fist bumping may be changed to socially distanced air bumping to avoid contact in the post COVID-19 working remotely world<\/em>.)<\/p>\n Of course, different situations in life would require different music.<\/p>\n While some situations might call for some Pearl Jam, others may require heavy organ sounds of Bach. Others situations might even find people moving their hips and nodding their heads like yeah.<\/p>\n Just cue up the appropriate song for whatever situation comes up and one is ready for anything that life throws their way.<\/p>\n Your curbside grocery pickup order didn\u2019t have any missing items? Well, that calls for some \u201cBack in Black\u201d by Def Leopard as you drive past the people still waiting for toilet paper.<\/p>\n While it is unlikely that the walk-up song idea outside of the Ballpark will catch on any time soon, it is certainly something to think about the next time you\u2019re listening to the radio, or filling out that dreaded TPS Report before video conferencing with your boss.<\/p>\n In the spirit of promoting everyday walk up music, I guess my walk-up music in this new era of COVID-19 would be the Kenny Loggins classic \u201cI\u2019m Alright\u201d complete with dancing gopher from Caddyshack.<\/p>\n Now if you\u2019ll excuse me, I have a strange urge to listen to some Neil Diamond while brushing away invisible dirt with a tiny brush.<\/p>\n Copyright 2020 R. Anderson <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Go to any baseball game from Little League to Major League, and odds are that when a batter is coming up to the plate, they will be serenaded by walk up music. The type of walk up music selected varies depending on the player. Players often alternate their walk-up music between the guitar driven hair … Continue reading Many Situations in Life Would be Better with Walk up Music<\/span> <\/a>
Photo R. Anderson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/a>
Photo R. Anderson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/a>
Photo R. Anderson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n