There’s an old saying in baseball — "never waste an at-bat."
Everything about the moment is important, from a batter’s initial stance to his final swing. Yet, it all starts with the walk-up music, which, as far as we’re concerned, is always of the utmost importance.
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A batter’s walk-up music is self-descriptive — it’s the snippet of a tune played as the batter walks from the on-deck circle to the actual batter’s box. The term -- or a variation on it, like "walk-in" or "entrance" — also is used for the music played when pitchers, usually closers, take to the mound. These songs are frequently chosen by a team’s music director (or someone filling that role), often with input from individual players.
Ideally, these songs should say something about the player -- describe his ferocity or ability or background. The most famous walk-up of all might be Mariano Rivera’s use of Metallica’s "Enter Sandman," which signifies that when this New York Yankees closer takes the mound, it’s nighty-night for the opposing team — and, more often than not, that’s the case.
In honor of the World Series opening this week, here’s a look at some of the walk-up music used by the two teams battling for the championship — the San Francisco Giants and the Detroit Tigers. (Note, walk-up music is known to change — so this might not reflect exactly what will be heard at the games.) We’ll go by projected batting order:
San Francisco Giants:
1. Angel Pagan (No. 16, CF)
Song: "Blue," Gemini
Electronic Dance Music (EDM) is all the rage these days. It’s even made it to the realm of the walk-up. This is a hip choice, courtesy of the British DJ known as Gemini.
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2. Marco Scutaro (No. 19, 2B)
Song: "Danza Kuduro," Don Omar
This tune, which is also favored by the Tigers’ Jhonny Peralta, is a fine reggaeton anthem. But, given Scutaro’s performance in the playoffs, maybe R.E.M.’s "Superman" would be a more appropriate choice.
3. Pablo Sandoval (No. 48, 3B)
Song: "The Motto," Drake
This 2011 cut served Drake quite well — it sold more than 2 million copies in the U.S. alone — and it certainly works for Pablo’s walk-up music.
4. Buster Posey (No. 28, C)
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