The Southpaw

Notes for Future Baseball Historians: Entrance Tunes Make the Encyclopedia

Back in the day, it was a mainstay of every household that emphasized (or aspired to) some level of intellectualism: the venerable Encyclopædia Britannica. We had the full set (and the year supplements) -- and it was just there, from the beginning, from the time I became conscious of such things.

It contained all knowledge. Then, in the 1970s and 1980s, some noteworthy books came along that challenged that notion. There was The Catalog of Cool, The Whole Earth Catalog, Our Bodies, Ourselves, and Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* But Were Afraid to Ask, for example.

But now we've got Wikipedia, which trumps the Encyclopædia Britannica, because it's more complete. It includes cool stuff! At some point, the good Britannica folks in Chicago will catch up.

The above is a long-winded introduction to a very cool article I found in Wikipedia, entitled, simply enough, "List of baseball entrance music."

What a wonderful idea.

Have fun perusing the entire list on your own. Some things struck me as ... odd or interesting.

Reds centerfielder Ryan Freel enters to "Tom's Diner," by Suzanne Vega. Maybe the most mellow song on the list. And it's just surprising that it's on any major leaguer's playlist:

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Hideki Matsui is one homesick man. There's a few things he could do about this (besides going home). He could enter to some familiar Japanese tunes. Or he could let everyone know he'd prefer that Yankee Stadium be relocated on a site close to the Tokyo Dome. He prefers the latter, by coming to bat to the sounds of "Get Back," and "Day Tripper" by the Beatles and Led Zep's "Immigrant Song."

Nationals centerfielder Ryan Langerhans, who's making the Mendoza Line look lofty, brings music theory into the mix, according to Wikipedia. He enters to Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" because "the opening chord sequence matches the syllables in his name." Which is true:

Maybe he should consider changing, at least briefly, to "Let's Not Talk About It," by ... The Mendoza Line.

Finally, and simply, a list of the Zen men, who request (or have requested, in the past) they come to bat to some peace and quiet:

• Moises Alou


• Garret Anderson


• Adrian Beltre


• Hank Blalock


• Brad Fullmer


• Kevin Kouzmanoff


• Jose Molina


• Bernie Williams

The 1986 Dodgers Grooving The Baseball Boogie

It's a mystery why the Dodgers, who in mid-August were in third place, eight games out of first, decided to record this tacky, cocky video. After 18 of the players joined L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley, Donna Mills, Joan Van Ark and the Commodores to tape "The Baseball Boogie," the season was all downhill, and the boys from Chavez Ravine finished fifth in the NL East, 23 games behind the Astros. On the other hand, the team did draw more fans than any other NL club in 1986 ... so maybe the show biz vibe paid off.

Meet the Mets!

A beautiful, clean recording of the 1962 version of "Meet the Mets," written by Ruth Roberts and Bill Katz. Click on Mr. Met to have a listen.

Lyrics follow after the jump.

Diamond Cuts: Free Baseball Music Downloads

The Washington Post hosts a nifty collection of songs from Hungry for Music's album series, "Diamond Cuts."  Among the songs: (links go directly to mp3):

"Babe Ruth's Piano," Wrangler Greg Hardin's ode to one of the kings of baseball.

Karl Straub, "The First Baseball Game."

The Flea Bops, "Hardball Boogie."

Honky Tonk Confidential, "Bases on Balls" (written by Zita Carno and Laraine Day, aka Mrs. Leo Durocher).

"Take Me Out To The Ball Game," by the Hula Monsters.

Rhodes Tavern Troubadours, "Here Comes The Big Train."

If you like what you hear, consider purchasing one of Hungry for Music's disks: proceeds from Diamond Cuts help support the organization's outreach programs, with include musical instrument donation for disadvantaged children and bringing concerts to institutions, such as hospitals, homeless shelters, and retirement homes.