We have discussed in previous posts(1) & (2) about the music that is best suited to be played when coming up to bat. The website, The At Bat Music Project has done a real nice job compiling a list of songs players use before coming to bat.
Some quick highlights:
Eric O' Flaherty of Atlanta uses Billy Ocean's "Caribbean Queen." ???
Kevin Youkilis of Boston comes out to Biz Markie's "Just a Friend."
The Yankees' Mark Teixeira uses Run-DMC's "It's Tricky."
Arizona's Jason Kubel's two options are both Beastie Boys songs
Two players use Bob Marley songs.
Three players use the Outfield's "Your Love."
The Dodgers Andre Either is an old school rap fan using Snoop Dogg's "What's My Name," or, one of my personal favorite's Ice Cube's "Check Yo Self (remix)"
The Phillies & ex-Phillies seem to use the craziest collection of songs.
Chooch has switched songs to Phil Collins "In the Air Tonight."
Raul Ibanez uses Rush's "Tom Sawyer."
Catcher Rod Barajas uses Dr. Dre's "Nuthin' but a G Thing"
Jason Bartlett uses Kris Kross' "Jump."
It's a fun list that I'm sure you can find something amusing.
One final note; the new organist of the Chicago White Sox has been playing "Ghost Town" by the Specials since attendance has been down. Awesome!
We're three games into baseball season, the Phillies are undefeated, and it's time to revive the age-old debate. If you were a baseball player, what would be your at-bat music?
You need something that's gonna rev up the crowd but also something with enough swagger and cred to make it worthwhile. And the song you choose says a lot about who you are. Here's a very funny video where Curtis Granderson struggles as he tries to pick his at-bat music for his first season as a Yankee:
If Granderson needs inspiration, he could look to his captain: During the Yankees 2009 World Series run, Derek Jeter took "Empire State of Mind" -- which was everywhere at the time and seemed like it was meant to be played at Yankee Stadium, and grand enough for a player like Jeter. Moving over to the Phils, Chase Utley comes to bat (when he's healthy) to the opening bars of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir". Shane Victorino's unlikely selection is "Buffalo Soldier" by Bob Marley. And dare I say Carlos Ruiz has a really good one in "Turn My Swag On" by Soulja Boy (For some reason, I love the snippet of that song they play for Chooch). Here's a YouTube clip of the Phillies' at bat music from 2010:
My playing days are long in the past, but if I were stepping up to the plate, I'd play "Clash City Rockers" by the Clash.
It has a brash opening guitar riff that would sound great in a stadium, and it packs a punch in about 12 seconds, which is really all you have time for.
My second choice might be "Tell 'Em" by Sleigh Bells -- because nothing is as loud and aggressive as the opening guitars in that song.
So let's hear it -- what song would you play as you come to bat?
