Now Batting - BLUZ (bluz) DUDE (dude dude)

I’ve been meaning to write this but with the World Series dawning, I figure I better get off the dime or I’ll have to hold it until Spring.

If you’ve ever been to a baseball game, or paid close attention at home when watching on TV, you may have noticed that when a home team batter comes to the plate, they play a snippet of a song during his introduction.  Many clubs allow the batter to pick his music.

I’d be all over that.  If I were a major league baseball player, I’d make it my business to get to know the ballpark music guy reeeeeeeal well.  Nothing like 7 seconds of music to get me pumped up to smack some long ball.  Although knowing me, I’d start dallying a bit, in order to hear more of the song.  Is it bad form to play air guitar on the bat?

I wouldn’t be able to limit myself to a song or two all year… I’d need to widen the assortment far more than that.  Maybe 20?  25?  There would have to be certain songs for certain situations.

And of course I’d have to track my production with each song on a spreadsheet.  Without data, it’s just not scientific.

I’d see it working like this: I send the music guy 4 songs before the game.  If I get a hit, he plays the same song again until I make an out.  If a big situation comes up, I may have to whip out my cell and call to the booth for a “special” selection.

The problem would come in when my team was on the road.  They don’t play your music as a visitor.  I’d have to pay the clubhouse boy to hold up a boom box like John Cusack in Say Anything.

So what would I use?  Deep breath…

A whole lot of AC/DC, that’s for sure.  Every song is instant adrenaline.  Top contenders would be: TNT, Long Way to the Top if You Wanna Rock & Roll, Dirty Deeds, Let There Be Rock and the main riff from Sin City, live.  I’d also use the intro to Dirty Eyes, which is the original version of Whole Lotta Rosie.  All of these would be staples.

Styx – Blue Collar Man.  I’d also consider Renegade, but I’d be afraid I’d get caught up in the moment and blast somebody.  Burghers, you know what I’m talking about.  If you’re not from Pittsburgh, the Steelers play Renegade during the 2nd half of football games, accompanying a series of Steelers defensive highlights on the scoreboard.  It features a series of devastating hits, for which if they happen again, someone gets fined and suspended.  See for yourself:

Shot by me at last year’s Steelers/Chargers game.

Krokus – Long Stick Goes Boom.  It’s a little known song by Krokus, a Swiss band that sounded like AC/DC.  The title alone makes it perfect for batting.

Meat Loaf – Bat Out of Hell.  This would be one of the “specials,” for when the team really needs my Bat to connect.

Roy Buchanan – Short Fuse.  Incendiary guitar instrumental by the late great blues guitarist.  It’s kind of like the Batman TV Theme meets Jimi Hendrix.

Joe Satriani – Summer Song.  What better for the boys of summer?  Up-tempo guitar instrumental.

Sammy Hagar – Only One Way to Rock

Judas Priest – You Got Another Thing Coming.  Can’t lose with balls-out 80’s rock.

(Note: How funny would it be if someone tried a song that was completely against type?  I’m thinking like the Monty Python “Knights of the Round Table” song, or Philosopher’s Song.)

Scorpions – Rock You Like a Hurricane.  I’d use the version they made with the Berlin Philharmonic.  The intro totally rocks it.  They use this coming out of intermission, sometimes, at Penguins games.

Lastly, for when I’m no the big stage and the game’s on the line, there’s only one song that guaranteed to bring out my best.

Bill Conti – Going the Distance.  Otherwise known as the Fight Theme from Rocky.  Goosebumps every time… gets me completely jacked up.  Biggest drawback is that I may slug the ump.  But it may not be used if we’re playing Philadelphia.

This is the song, but the video is a mashup from the 6 Rocky movies.

OK, that was me… what about you?  What would your adrenaline song be?