Most everyday I hear at least one song that would make for a perfect walk-up song in a baseball game. Since I’m not a professional baseball player or run the music for a professional baseball team and have no real desire to do either, I’ve decided to let everyone know what I’d use for my walk-up and warm up songs on any given day. This is fluid for me. It’s static for others. For some players, most players, one song works for every occasion. Others change songs every season. Some batters have a different song for each at bat. Imaginary players like myself get as many songs as reasonable (one for the starting pitcher, one for each at bat (I’m going with three because sometimes it makes sense to sub out a rightie for a leftie, obviously) and one for a relief pitcher. Play ball! Well, play ball after 10 seconds to a couple of minutes of music.

Starting Pitcher

My Bloody Valentine “Only Shallow”

The starting pitcher gets a few minutes to get accustomed to the mound or whatever. The first track on Loveless consistently moves, from the perfect drum intro to the waves of distortion to Bilinda Butcher’s hypnotic vocals. Whether I get 60 seconds or three and a half minutes to warm up, MBV’s most well known song will put me in the zone and confuse/confound every other player.

First At Bat

The Art of Noise with Max Headroom “Paranoimia”

Batters don’t get nearly as much time as pitchers, so if you’re trying to get in the right mindset or whatever, you need to do it quickly. I’m starting at the 10 second mark when Max begins talking. It’s not so much to get me ready but to confuse the pitcher.

Second At Bat

Yves Tumor “God is a Circle”

Once again I’m trying to confuse, except this time it’s with something new and something I enjoy very much. There’s no way we’re getting to the vocals, which start at the 0:29 second mark, but I’ll keep playing the song in my head even when it’s been faded and it’ll be a nice treat for me.

Third At Bat

Yo Gabba Gabba theme 

There’s more than one way to confuse. This one is for the parents and the players that were young enough to watch this when it first aired in 2007, which is most of them. If that makes you feel old, you are old. Which leads us to our final pick.

Relief Pitcher 

Kylie Minogue “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head”

The relief pitcher does not get nearly as much time as the starting pitcher to warm up. That’s fine, you just need to pick a song that gets to it from the jump. Kylie’s 2001 hit gets to it from the jump. Even before the “La-la-la-la-la-la-la-las” the simple keyboard line get the earworms growing. Also, pitching is a mental game. What a perfect soundtrack to, once again, confuse the opposing team.

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