There aren’t many jobs where you get a serenade every time you show up for work.
The president of the United States does, along with a band to play „Hail to the Chief.“
Baseball players — at least the batters — get that privilege, too. Walk-up music that began in the 1970s with the player-specific selections by an organist for the Chicago White Sox has evolved into player-selected playlists shared not just at the ballpark, but on Spotify, Apple Music and other platforms as well.
(Columbus trivia for you: In those early days, White Sox organist Nancy Faust chose Carole King’s „I Feel the Earth Move“ for 6-foot-7, 270-pound Columbus native Frank Howard after announcer Harry Caray called the slugger „too big to be a man, not big enough to be a horse.“)
Whether choices of walk-up tunes are meant to get crowds fired up or the players themselves inspired, the tradition continues at Huntington Park for this year’s Columbus Clippers team.
Here’s a selection of some of the Clippers‘ current walk-up songs.
The Clippers‘ 23-year-old shortstop from the Dominican Republic steps to the plate to the beat of Dominican rapper Lápiz Conciente’s „TU NO ERES DE NA.“ It’s a message to opposing pitchers; the Spanish title translates literally to, „You are not from anything.“ A more crude, colloquial translation is probably more common, though.
Literally translated version that probably won’t fire you up as much as the other one: „You’re not from anything, you’re not from anything, you’re not from anything, no! / You’re like a pot without a lid / Superman without a cape, a sailor without a map / You’re like a full album without a hit.„
One lyric to fire up Univision viewers: „(You’re like) Don Francisco without Sábado Gigante.“
The 27-year-old outfielder recently called up to Cleveland by the Guardians is going the nostalgia route — which is anything released before last summer, by the way — with Izzy Bizu’s 2016 single, „White Tiger.“
Lyrics meant to fire you up: „I begin and take a breath / And all adrenaline rushes to my head / And I’m not in my comfort zone.„
Lyrics that have absolutely nothing to do with baseball: „What a damn, make a stand / Drunken ways take control, oh, oh, oh.“
Brennan has gone old-school before. He played most of last season with the Clippers‘ parent club in Cleveland, where his walk-up songs included Kool & the Gang’s 1981 hit, „Get Down on It.“
Tolentino, 23, a shortstop from Orange County, California, comes to bat at Clippers‘ home games to a cut from rapper Future’s „Solo,“ a song from his 2017 album, „HNDRXX.“
Lyrics to get you fired up for a good at-bat: „I won’t let you down, bet I won’t let you down.“
Lyrics to get you fired up for a major-league payday: „20-ounce steaks, hey, can’t fit it on the plate / Jumbo shrimp, hey, straight out of the lake, hey.“
Pries, 27, a first-baseman from California who’s in his third season with the Clippers, offers a sample of European house music with his walk-up song: a 2019 collaboration called „Piece of Your Heart,“ by Italian trio Meduza and British duo Goodboys.
The song has a good, mellow beat, but don’t expect lyrics that will get the entire ballpark singing in unison.
Lyrics that might not fire you up, but at least you won’t forget how they go: „Uh, da, da, da, uh, uh / Da, da, da, uh, uh / Da, da, da, uh, uh / Da, da, da.“
Huff, 24, has a more electronic, European sound cued up. The catcher from Scottsdale, Arizona, walks up to „Turn Off the Lights,“ a 2018 release by British DJ Chris Lake that features vocals by Alexis Roberts.
It’s more hypnotic and dark-clubby than the usual „Ring Your Bell“ Huntington Park fare, but hey, times change. You can get fried cauliflower nuggets at games now, too.
Lyrics that might make you forget to cheer up; it’s just baseball: „Diamonds, they’re fake / Your words are seeking / Die, die in my chest / So what are you thinking?“
These guys are old-school. Nuñez, a 30-year-old catcher from suburban Sacramento, California, chose Tupac Shakur’s posthumous 2002 release, „Thugz Mansion,“ for his signature tune.
Lyrics to fire you up in a mellow kind of way: „Ain’t no place I’d rather be / Chillin‘ with homies and family.“
The 29-year-old third-baseman from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, is one of the most senior members of the Clippers‘ current roster. His walk-up music is older than he is, though.
Hip-hop trio House of Pain released the club classic, „Jump Around,“ in 1992. The song has words and music that seem custom-made for blasting from speakers in sporting venues.
Lyrics made to fire you up: „Pack it up, pack it in, let me begin / I came to win, battle me, that’s a sin / I won’t ever slack up, punk, ya better back up / Try and play the role and yo, the whole crew’ll act up / Get up, stand up (c’mon) c’mon, throw your hands up / If ya got the feelin‘, jump up towards the ceilin‘.“
The 23-year-old shortstop, whose father, Miguel Cairo, played three seasons for the Cincinnati Reds, chose another walk-up song from an earlier era. Sean Kingston’s club hit, „Fire Burning,“ was released in 2009, but it’s got a ’90s beat and vibe.
Lyrics that’ll work at a baseball game: „Somebody call 9-1-1 / Shawty fire burning on the dance floor, whoa / I gotta cool her down / She gon‘ bring the roof to ground on the dance floor, whoa / She’s fire burning, fire burning on the dance floor.“
Bay Area native Halpin is the youngest player on the Clippers‘ roster at 22. The outfielder walks to the plate to the music of Miguel, whose 2015 release, „waves,“ is a mellow dance tune.
Fired up for baseball? „Put it out, I’m on fire, fire / That’s what I’m about, take me higher, higher, tonight / I’m gonna ride that wave.“
Dispatch reporter Bob Vitale can be reached at rvitale@dispatch.com or at @dispatchdining on the Instagram social platform.