Walkup tunes, bonus track

It might just be me, but I was personally intrigued to no end on the walkup song selections by UK players. Something about what song they chose to represent them at the plate, and the thought process behind it, fascinated me. So, some extra material that wasn’t able to make it into the paper.

- Drake is a very popular choice (maybe not that surprising, considering the artist’s reception at his recent concert in Memorial Coliseum). The lineup is bookended by Drake songs, with leadoff man Chris Bisson playing Drake’s verse off “4 My Town” and nine-hole hitter Taylor Black going with Drake’s “Still Fly.” Personally, I can’t say I love Black’s choice, but that’s probably because my roommate’s alarm clock is “Still Fly,” and there’s an unwritten rule that you have to hate alarm clock songs after months of hearing it way too early each and every morning.

- The hometown love is a big deal. Chris Bisson gets his second mention here — both Bisson and Drake are from Canada. Nick Kennedy, as mentioned in the paper, plays “California Love.” Mike Kaczmarek, who hails from Illinois, plays Common’s “Chi-City.” And I’m sure there are plenty more if I was able to get a full set list of the player’s songs. I think the hometown shout-outs might have to do with a little bit of subconscious homesickness (after all, some of these guys are playing ball far away from home) and a little bit of just representing where they come from (think of football players writing area codes on eye black).

- Here’s what a fan would hear on a typical day as the soundtrack of the lineup (in the general batting order of recent games).

1. Chris Bisson – Birdman, 4 My Town
2. Chad Wright – Justin Moore, Backwards
3. Gunner Glad – Wale, Nike Boots
4. Lance Ray – Bad Company, Bad Company
5. Andy Burns – DJ Khaled, All I Do is Win
6. Keenan Wiley – Randy Houser, Boots On
7. Marcus Nidiffer – Stevie Wonder, Superstitious
8. Cory Farris – Fabulous, My Time
9. Braden Kapteyn – Atreyu, Becoming the Bull
10. Taylor Black – Drake, I’m Still Fly

– I wish I had been able to look into what pitchers used. Kennedy said his first song was Fort Minor’s “Remember the Name,” because it defined him during his comeback from an arm injury that kept him out for over a season. Closers, in particular, always have interesting song choices, mainly because their mindset is usually so different from other pitchers.