Throughout the offseason, CBS Sports MLB experts break almost anything by batting every week around the Roundtable. Latest news, historical questions, thoughts about the future of baseball, all sorts of things. Last week we discussed the MLB version of the NHL’s four-country showdown. I plan to work on walk-up music this week.
If you’re an MLB player, what’s your walk-up song?
Matt Snyder: I’ve been thinking too much about this over the last 20 years.
For a long time I had an affinity to the cold Steve Austin theme of stones, as the broken glass begins. Classic intros like “Welcome to the Jungle”, “Enter Sandman” and “Sweet Child o’Mine” work very well and come from two of my favorite groups. I was able to slow things down with a beautiful riff to start the “yellow red bettor” of pearl jam. Perhaps my favorite song, “Cult of Personality,” has an incredible start to work well for walk-up songs for batters, but at this point it feels like a CM punk theme. I would like to choose another of my favorite songs on “Epic” more than this, but I am largely separated by my Metallica fandom.
The “Doll Master” is the pick. Although it has become a little more infamous in recent years because of “Stranger Things,” I have been an elite tier song for me since I was a child. The expanded instrumental intro, especially the quick play – poses and the first few seconds – is a great way to drive you into the appearance of a large plate.
RJ Anderson: Let’s go to the “Halloween” theme. It is instantly recognizable, and only by Pavlov’s response, it can turn any situation into a highly leveraged situation. Plus, in my own little way, I would like to consider myself contributing to John Carpenter’s Video Games Fund.
Dayn Perry: I’m partially in anthemic rock and roll music when it comes to priming the body and mind for sports performances, while also inspiring ticket-holding onlookers to rise from seats, applause, stomping and unified slogans. So I choose “Motor Away” as a walk-up song, guided by my voice. Listen. When the music plays, raise your fist and shout the name of the famous maritime battle with me.
Every time I come to the bat, I should add that I will take on deep knee bends, drying, adjusting my batting gloves and active meditation until the song is played until it is complete. As a guild, the judge has a deep appreciation for the Power Code, so I feel that Plate Ump understands this aspect.
Microphone Accessor: Before you pick, there are two walk-up songs. First of all, the theme songs of TV shows are not being used. Will Smith walked to the theme song for “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” for a while, and I think he changed that last year. I forget who, but I know the players used a bit of the theme song from “Soprano”. Jasson Domínguez leaned completely on the “The Martian” nickname and rose to the theme song for “X-Files” this year. “Gilligan Island,” “Cheers,” “Twin Peaks,” whatever. It can work.
Secondly, fans can easily sing and earn extra love and affection for the player. Francisco Lindor was great last year, but after starting “My Girl” in May, it seemed like Mets fans were really on his heels. His batting became an event. Bryson Stott (“Aok” by Tai Verdes) continues this with Phillies fans. If fans can easily sing your walk-up songs, they will, and they will love you even more. There is no scientific evidence to support this, but it claims to be true.
For my walk-up song, I’ll go with “Savotage” from the Beastie Boys. It wakes me up, and it was a song that almost put me in music when I was younger. That song and iconic music video have created my path musically, so that’s something special for me. I don’t hit a skip when I come across a playlist.
