Walkout anthem. I just learned that term for a baseball closer’s theme music when he enters a game from the bullpen. Phillies new closer Jonathan Papelbon needs a new walkout anthem because the Dropkick Murphys won’t let him take “Shipping Up to Boston” out of Fenway. Red Sox fans can have that song! They can have the entire Dropkick Murphy’s catalog, if you ask me.
I’m hoping I can warm up to Papelbon, whose keee-raaay-zeee eyes routine and that stupid jig in a kilt to the Dropkick Murphys’ song after the Sox won the 2007 World Series put me off. Clearly the guy is a top-notch closer. In 1979, when my Phillies acquired Pete Rose, I suddenly loved the guy for all the things I hated about him the day before. In the early ’90s I even warmed up a bit to former Mets hero Lenny Dykstra, but I still thought he was a juiced-up jerk.
A cool walkout anthem might go a long way to helping me like this guy—no yahoo rock for jocks or Riverdance music, please. I think my wife is right in her belief that that style of Irish folk dancing is the lamest dance style ever. Let’s pull together our sports-rock expertise and help Jonathan Papelbon select a new walkout anthem. This venture may help Papelbon, but most importantly it will help me. Thank you.
I think the Irish love soccer so much they won’t even use their hands when they dance.
STRONG Comment of the Month conttender!
That Papelbon guy made my shit list the moment he started doing that ridiculous jig thing. As far as I’m concerned, he deserves to get saddled with the theme from “Riverdance” for the rest of his career to atone for that idiocy.
He is no longer in Boston; he is far from the land. I close the iron door upon him.
I heard Papelbon interviewed on one of our sports-talk stations this morning. He was actually pretty funny and seemed pretty thoughtful in his answers. He said he’s selected his new walkout anthem, but he’s not telling what it is until his first appearance in the regular season. I’m hoping it’s “Bitchin’ Camaro.”
Mod, I’m in the same boat as you that Papelbon needs to win me over (thanks to a combination of his past goofiness, his Red Sox lineage and his salary)…so it’s probably not surprising that you picked the exact song I was going to suggest for him.