We keep mum for the SSB because we have something to do (look at flag, think of words to song, listen to tune). To keep folks quiet during 4'33", you need to put something appropriately nihilistic on the scoreboard, something that would shock people into silence. You'd need something new every time, though.

I can't think of anything nihilistically shocking enough that I'd also want to share, though, for reasons of taste.

I'm disappointed he mentions the BTF thread about his closer songs article without adding the comment about playing "Ride of the Valkyries" only for Daniel or Ryan Wagner.

This option, to some, seems so natural that it was deemed a cliché in the very entertaining Baseball Think Factory thread discussing songs 6-10.

1812 Overture. Debating whether to go with real cannons or not.

I can't think of anything nihilistically shocking enough that I'd also want to share, though, for reasons of taste.

Todd Jones's ERA.

EDIT: Oh wait, he's toast.

Daniel Wagner? Who?

He isn't even a pitcher!

Speaking of real cannon, and continuing on the theme of pro wrestling entrances from yesterday, do any closes use pyro when they enter? That would be an awesome choice, seems to me. Espcially for someone like Nathan, in the Dome.

I've always envisioned myself coming out of the pen to "More Human than Human" by White Zombie, but I guess that fits the "traditional" heavy metal pieces for closers.

I don't know what the name of the song is, but the music that plays when the Orcs are assembling in "Lord of the Rings" would be kinda cool. Or Darth Vader's theme music (surely some closer has used that?)

As for rap for closers, what about "Jesus Walks" by Kanye? Or "List of Demands" by Saul Williams? Pretty cool songs, and I don't care for rap that much.

Todd Jones's ERA.

That could inspire laughter, though.

As for rap for closers

Bring the noise.

"The Bridge Is Over" would be great for the Yankees, with all the praise of the Bronx and dissing of Queens...

4'33" is one of those "first thing you think of when you're trying to be funny" suggestions that isn't funny and doesn't even make any sense. A stadium is never going to be completely silent. It wouldn't be "silence as closer music", it would just be what happened in every game in the history of baseball before they started playing music so much.

what about "Jesus Walks" by Kanye?

Nope, the opponents would think "if Jesus can walk, so can I" and work the count. Especially if one of them is named Jesus.

Speaking of real cannon, and continuing on the theme of pro wrestling entrances from yesterday, do any closes use pyro when they enter?

I've been thinking for a while now that a brilliant closer entrance would involve Blue Oyster Cult's "In the Presence of Another World", with a pyro display timed for the pick-up from slow and somber to quick and rocking.

Along with the wrestling axis, mixed martial arts guys have about the selections you'd expect, but someone in baseball really needs to pick up DMX's "Intro" a la Chuck Liddell.

Or Darth Vader's theme music (surely some closer has used that?)

The Yankees use (or used, not sure) that when annoucing the opposing line-up. They would then use the Star Wars theme for the Yankee line-ups.

The Yankees use (or used, not sure) that when annoucing the opposing line-up. They would then use the Star Wars theme for the Yankee line-ups.

This may be the greatest piece of baseball irony ever.

Ramon Castro uses something from Star Wars as his at bat music.

only for Daniel or Ryan Wagner.

Billy.

If you have a team with a lights-out closer, but horrible setup and middle relief, I think The Hallelujiah Chorus would be perfect. That is, if a save situation ever arose.

I have no idea why I keep calling Billy Wagner Daniel.

But the point remains.

"Impossible Dream" from "Man of La Mancha" would have been perfect for Isringhausen in 2008.

If we ever see a knuckleballer close, we can run Jimmy Hager - I Can't Drive 55

This would require a whole lot of fan participation. If everyone—every fan, every vender, every usher, every bathroom attendant—could remain silent while the pitcher walked in from the bullpen and threw his warm-ups, well, that’d be about as badass an entrance as I could imagine. Is it too much to ask?

A stadium is never going to be completely silent. It wouldn't be "silence as closer music"


Well, the entire purpose of 4'33" is not the joke of "hah, there's no music in this piece", not nihilism, not bleakness, but actually that there's no such thing as absolute silence, and so paying attention to the extraneous noise is the whole point. Now, if the participatory experience was so awesome that everyone in the stadium and on the field forgot there was a game going on, yes, I can see the point.

If we ever see a knuckleballer close, we can run Jimmy Hager - I Can't Drive 55

Or Joe Borowski.

If we ever see a knuckleballer close

It was a long time ago, but see Wilhelm, Hoyt.

It was a long time ago, but see Wilhelm, Hoyt.

And much less long ago, see Wakefield, Tim, who record 15 saves in 1999. I believe in Feeding the Green Monster Neyer says that Wakefield used "8 Days a Week" in reference to knuckleballers' durability, which is pretty good.

Obviously not one that requires a lot of thought, Mike Myers using "Theme from Halloween" was always pretty good.

In his final few years with Oakland, it would have been a hoot if they had played a certain single from "The Divinyls" whenever Tony LaRussa brought in Eck...

Seriously, only LaRussa having one helluva man crush can explain standing by Eck during some of those stretches in 1993-5 when he had absolutely nothing day after day.

As for rap for closers

"Made You Look", "Simon Says", Method Man", "Shook Ones Pt.II" or any one of a dozen DMX songs would be pretty good. I would come out to "What's the Scenario" if I were a closer.

Think about how completely overwhelming it would be to an opponent watching the fireballer in question get ready, the only noise in the entire stadium the sound of fastballs smacking the catcher’s mitt. Could the outlook be any more bleak?

I've been at this performance. A Pirates-Padres game on a chilly September night in 1995. Maybe 200 people were in the stands, none of them animated in the more than 2 1/2 hours it took to play the game.

That said, the Pirates' real debt to Cage was in their use of his cut-and-paste technique. It works better with tape editing than roster construction.

"The Bridge Is Over" would be great for the Yankees, with all the praise of the Bronx and dissing of Queens...

Knoblauch used "South Bronx" as his AB music one season.

Kool would be...if Joe Nathan entered with El Ten Eleven's "Adam and Nathan Totally Kick Ass"

For Rafael Betancourt, I nominate As Slow as Possible.

I would use Beethoven's violin sonata no. 9, "Kreuzer." It starts out with a solo violin playing some a major chords with a piano echoing them, everything proceeding slowly, almost like a dirge, with the dynamics almost fading away, and then the tempo changes to presto, the key changes to a minor, and both the violin and piano are off to the races.

Tolstoy wrote a short story about this piece inspiring a murder.


Other considerations:

-The "confutatis" from Verdi's Requiem
-Parts of the 1st movement of the Brahms violin concerto
-Just about anything by Mussorgsky, but "Night on Bald Mountain" would be the most familiar
-Something by Leos Janacek, whose music always makes me feel like I'm standing at the edge of the world staring into the abyss

Has anyone mentioned the theme music from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly? Or For a Few Dollars More?

TI's "Rubber Band Man" would be awesome, I think. DJ Khaled's "We Takin' Over" - especially if you cut it so Weezy's verse ran into the chorus a couple times. "Still D.R.E." for a veteran closer.

Note: It would help if the closer in question is about 7-foot-5 and 350 pounds or so.

Jonathan Broxton, come on down!

If we are open to classical options, why not Flight of the Bumblebee? I'd imagine that would be as likely as anything to throw off the batter....leave them feeling twitchy.

If I was a closer, I think I'd opt for Chariots of Fire...and then I'd do a slow motion run in from the bullpen. Either that or Hail to the Chief....just because no one else is going to play it for me ever and it would be a pretty good WTF moment.

Other ideas:

-The mechanical music from Delibes's "Coppelia"
-The Ciaconne from Bach's second violin partita (possibly the greatest solo piece every written in any era)
-The opening of the first movement of the Sibelius violin concerto--dark, creepy, and with an air of mystery to it
-Back to ballet, how 'bout the finale from Swan Lake? Cliched, yes, but still awesome
-We're this far and no one has mentioned Mahler yet?
-This discussion needs some Richard Strauss, as all discussions do, but I can't think of what would be most appropriate of his stuff

If we are open to classical options, why not Flight of the Bumblebee? I'd imagine that would be as likely as anything to throw off the batter....leave them feeling twitchy.

Speaking of things that would work for a knuckleballing closer.

Hail to the Chief....just because no one else is going to play it for me ever and it would be a pretty good WTF moment.

I spent most of the 9th inning at Nationals' games complaining they didn't play this for Cordero, who was even nicknamed "The Chief" before they moved to DC.

-We're this far and no one has mentioned Mahler yet?

That was the first thing I thought about, one of the awesome brass fanfares or timpani moments from any number of his symphonies, but you can't really pinpoint them without simply noting a time code in his long movements, they are kind of hard to pin down and separate. I'd go for something in the 2nd, 8th, or 9th. The first movement of the 2nd has a lot of dramatic moments as well, including the portion just before the close where the cellists are whacking their bows on the bridge of the instrument.

(As a side note, the Verdi "Confutatis" is a somewhat subdued bass/baritone solo, do you mean the antiphonal "Confutatis/Voca Me" from the Mozart Requiem, or am I just being judgmental?)


If I was a closer, I think I'd opt for Chariots of Fire...and then I'd do a slow motion run in from the bullpen.

Awesome.

I totally wish stadiums would take a cue from Wilbur Snapp and play some derogatory music. For instance, whenever Livan Hernandez is announced in a road game, the music guy should play Entry March of the Gladiators.

I totally wish stadiums would take a cue from Wilbur Snapp and play some derogatory music.

I think they've gotten in trouble in the past for doing this. I seem to remember a team getting in trouble for playing "Three Blind Mice" when the umps were announced and the Brewers got in trouble for playing "She's only 17" when Luis Polonia hit.

Not long after Derek Jeter's breakup with Mariah Carey, the Comiskey Park people played Carey music before a Jeter at-bat when the Yanks played the Sox, and they were told to quit it.

I always mention this, but it still cracks me up. During Mike Trombley's brief tenure as closer for the Twins, his entrance music was "Take On Me".

During Mike Trombley's brief tenure as closer for the Twins, his entrance music was "Take On Me".

I suspect the two bolded elements are connected.

Not long after Derek Jeter's breakup with Mariah Carey, the Comiskey Park people played Carey music before a Jeter at-bat when the Yanks played the Sox, and they were told to quit it.

They (I think it was the White Sox) played the song that Tawney Kitaen was in the video for when Finley pitched there at the end of his career. I think Gammons said who ever was responsible for it was fired.

DJ Khaled's "We Takin' Over" - especially if you cut it so Weezy's verse ran into the chorus a couple times. "Still D.R.E." for a veteran closer.

"Nowadays everybody wanna talk, like they got something to say, but nothing comes out when they move their lips, just a bunch of gibberish, melon farmers act like they forgot about Gagne"

The Pirates played Pop Goes the Weasel and used a springboard "boing" sound for Raffy Palmeiro, in reference to his Viagra ads. He complained and they stopped.

Has anyone ever used "Bring The Noise," either the Public Enemy or Anthrax/PE version?

Baba O'Riley, and hell the lyrics even work for the moment as well
Won't Get Fooled Again
Seven Nation Army
Black Math
Icky Thump
Blue Orchid

During Mike Trombley's brief tenure as closer for the Twins, his entrance music was "Take On Me".

I suspect the two bolded elements are connected.

A Norwegian jumped out of a comic book and whisked him away?

Movin' Right Along - Muppets.

In honor of the late (very late, as in this morning) Ron Asheton, I vote for Search and Destroy.

They should have played "Bad Moon Rising" whenever Turnbow or Gagne came to the mound.

Icky Thump

This is probably the only reason I will ever remember the Shelley Duncan era.

"Baba O'Riley" is perfect - the University of Washington basketball team used it for player intros for a while, and it was great.

I'd use "Shoot Out the Lights" by Richard Thompson, the live version from More Guitar - the opening chords are about the most ominous in rock.

Or the Finale of Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite" - the slow buildup, then a fast section, and finally one of the most majestic melodies I've ever heard...

@44 -- Bring the Noise is one of my favorite songs ever. The pitcher in question, though, would probably have to be black, as it'd seem pretty odd if Aaron Heilman trotted out to the sounds of Chuck D questioning the blackness of radio stations.

When Gabe White was with the Yanks, they used Seven Nation Army for him.

Chad Qualls, I believe, uses Killing in the Name.

Heilman used Seven Nation Army last year, I think. Before that he used "London Calling." At least as a set-up man John Franco used "Sweet Emotion" which I now associate with boos flying around Shea Stadium.

I would come out to "What's the Scenario" if I were a closer.

I've considered this, but there's only a brief chorus at the beginning and end. You would have to loop it or something.

I totally wish stadiums would take a cue from Wilbur Snapp and play some derogatory music.

"Sabotage" by Beastie Boys when the Mets bullpen comes in
"Born to Slow" by Crystal Method when a particularly portly player bats
"Don't Believe the Hype" by Public Enemy when a prospect is up

"Don't Believe the Hype" by Public Enemy when a prospect is up

I think that was Frank Thomas's favorite song when he was a youngster. He used it as a personal admonition to never be complacent.

Kanye West - Stronger

As a side note, the Verdi "Confutatis"

is a somewhat subdued bass/baritone solo, do you mean the antiphonal "Confutatis/Voca Me" from the Mozart Requiem, or am I just being judgmental?

I'm thinking of something from Verdi, though possibly a different part. It's been a while since I sat down to listen to it, and it's not in my rotation for work music.

Thanks to the movie, I'm not likely to confuse the Mozart version of that for anything else.

Any good Mahler recording recommendations? I only have one CD (1st and 3rd symphonies), and it somehow got scratched up to the point where it made wild screeching noises in my car's player this morning.

"I think they've gotten in trouble in the past for doing this. I seem to remember a team getting in trouble for playing "Three Blind Mice" when the umps were announced and the Brewers got in trouble for playing "She's only 17" when Luis Polonia hit."

There was a minor league organist who got ejected for playing the theme from the Mickey Mouse club, as a way of questioning an umpire's call. And I can't find the details, but I remember someone getting in trouble for playing a song ("Whole Lot of Shaking Going On", maybe?) that made fun of Jim Eisenreich for having Tourette's.

"The pitcher in question, though, would probably have to be black, as it'd seem pretty odd if Aaron Heilman trotted out to the sounds of Chuck D questioning the blackness of radio stations."

Anthrax is all white, right? He could get away with it if he wanted.

I don't know, does that mean we're admitting that Anthrax "got away with it?" Clearly their version with Chuck D on the track is cool, but I think Frank Anthrax or whatever his name is sounds kinda dumb when he's recommending Farrakhan in live versions without Public Enemy.

The White Sox fired someone for playing "Here I Go Again" when Chuck Finley warmed up after Tawny Kurtain [sic] was arrested.

When Gabe White was with the Yanks, they used Seven Nation Army for him.

I would think a marginal major league pitcher might not want to use a song that inclludes the line "I'm going to Wichita"

Well, the entire purpose of 4'33" is not the joke of "hah, there's no music in this piece", not nihilism, not bleakness, but actually that there's no such thing as absolute silence, and so paying attention to the extraneous noise is the whole point.

Nihilism may not be the point, but it is a legitimate path of criticism.

I'm surprised no closers go for "Final Countdown", which is otherwise such a common arena rock staple. I'd go with it, except I'd have it start with the second chorus and then into the shreddin' solo which we never actually make it to in stadium play.

Any good Mahler recording recommendations? I only have one CD (1st and 3rd symphonies), and it somehow got scratched up to the point where it made wild screeching noises in my car's player this morning.


WELL, I'm a singer so I'm drawn to the 2nd and the 8th. I'm not sure which of those two in your set you prefer, but I'll guess it's the Bernstein as those are usually paired. If you're partial to the 1st, Columbia has a pretty great recording of Walter's (who studied briefly under Mahler) recording of the 1st and 2nd. The remastering is very very good:

http://www.amazon.com/Mahler-Symphonies-Lieder-fahrenden-Gesellen/dp/B000002A7H

As far as the 2nd in a single modern recording, Blomstedt and the best symphony chorus in the country in San Francisco are amazing:

http://www.amazon.com/Mahler-Symphony-No-2-Resurrection/dp/B00000423M


For the 8th, one of the best recordings is also one of the cheapest, on NAXOS, of the Warsaw Symphony:

http://www.amazon.com/Mahler-Symphony-No-Thousand/dp/B000EQHS14


Some of Lenny's recordings have a tendency to fall out of favor, but in the instrumental symphonies, his 6th and 7th are seen as definitive: (I'm still guessing that this one comes from the same cycle as your 1 and 3, but even if not, well worth it. Also, these are imports listed in Amazon, I simply like the original artwork in the release but you can find cheaper reissues with some minimal searching.)

http://www.amazon.com/Mahler-Symphonie-No-7/dp/B000001G7H
http://www.amazon.com/Mahler-Symphonie-No-6-Kindertotenlieder/dp/B000001GBD/ref=pd_sim_m_1


Many consider the 9th to be Mahler's masterpiece, and one of Tilson-Thomas's best recordings of his work. I'm not as familiar with this symphony, and haven't really had time to compare it to others, but it is pretty good. The San Francisco Symphony does incredible work (I'll be buying his 8th in this cycle when he does it. Amazon loves his 2nd, I've never heard it, but personally I think it's difficult to go wrong with Tilson-Thomas):

http://www.amazon.com/Mahler-Symphony-No-Hybrid-SACD/dp/B0007YMUFC


I'm thinking Dan might not be a Mahler guy, but he might have some opinions if he is.


Hope that helps, and sorry to bore the rest of you.

I want a Coke from #44.

Any good Mahler recording recommendations?

Ninth with Solti/CSO. You really want the horn section modifications.

Question on the Mahler recommendations: Are we talking about Rick or Mickey?

Off the top of my head, some things that'd work well:

*Tom Waits - "Goin' Out West"
*Laibach - "God is God"
*Peter Tosh - "Stepping Razor"
*Primal Scream - "Accelerator"
*Public Image Ltd. - "The Order of Death"
*Basil Poledouris - "Anvil of Crom"

And as popular as Kill Bill was, I'm flat-out shocked that nobody is using Tomoyasu Hotei's "Battle Without Love Or Humanity".

Question on the Mahler recommendations: Are we talking about Rick or Mickey?


Gustav Mahler: Shortish career and output, very high in VORC, great peak, early departure due to health.

Closest comp seems to be Koufax.

In honor of the late (very late, as in this morning) Ron Asheton, I vote for Search and Destroy.

Man, what a bummer.

In The Hall Of The Mountain King by Greig ought to scare the hell out of them.

Someone has to use "Never Gonna Give You Up," right?

Has anyone used Surrender by Cheap Trick?

Someone has to use "Never Gonna Give You Up," right?

After they complete the save, the closer can scream, "RICKROLLED!"

It only works for the Braves, but Going to Georgia by the Mountain Goats would be great.

"I've got two big hands a heart pumping blood and a 1967 colt 45 with a busted safety catch"

I've always thought that Massive Attack's "Angel" would work really well. Maybe not the lyrics, but the spooky instrumental lead in.

Link to the Massive Attack Song

I think this is the one (this computer doesn't have a sound card).

And as popular as Kill Bill was, I'm flat-out shocked that nobody is using Tomoyasu Hotei's "Battle Without Love Or Humanity".

Oh, absolutely. I had that as a ringtone for awhile, but I had to change it because the ensuing phone call was never dramatic enough to live up to the advance billing.

Good rap songs assuming profanity isn't a concern:

-Biggie, "Kick in the Door" or "Who Shot Ya?"
-Wu-Tang Clan, "Bring da Ruckus"
-M.O.P., "Firing Squad"
-Eric B. & Rakim, "I Ain't No Joke"
-Dr. Dre, "What's the Difference"
-Blackalicious, "Sky is Falling"

-M.O.P., "Firing Squad"

Or "Ante Up"

-Wu-Tang Clan, "Bring da Ruckus"

This would call for a customized version.
"If you got beef then bring the ruckus
Valverde ain't nothing to #### with"

The introductory music from "Carmen"? Hey, it worked well in "The Bad News Bears."

Why not just the Jets motif from "West Side Story"? It'd be cool to have 40,000 fans simultaneously snap their fingers...

Tool Electrical Storm- but I still want silence if it were me.

Someone has to use "Never Gonna Give You Up," right?

Is Rick White still pitching? What about Rick Helling? Although I guess the ultimate would be Rick Aguilera.

I'm disappointed he mentions the BTF thread about his closer songs article without adding the comment about playing "Ride of the Valkyries" only for Daniel or Ryan Wagner.

Well, it's either that.. or playing "Kill the Wabbit"

Anyways, someone should use "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived" by Weezer in 2009.

Voodoo Child

Voodoo Child

My current ringtone.

My current ringtones are:
Baba O'Riley
Back in Black
Col. Bogey
Symphony no.9
Imperial March

Some of Lenny's recordings have a tendency to fall out of favor, but in the instrumental symphonies, his 6th and 7th are seen as definitive: (I'm still guessing that this one comes from the same cycle as your 1 and 3, but even if not, well worth it. Also, these are imports listed in Amazon, I simply like the original artwork in the release but you can find cheaper reissues with some minimal searching.)

You'll get a wide variety of opinion on Bernstein's Mahler, some absolutely loving it and some absolutely hating it. I'm much closer to the former camp. They can be overwrought, though, and I can understand people not liking them.

Well, it's either that.. or playing "Kill the Wabbit"

SCTV fans remember it as "Vikings and Beekeepers"

My current ringtones are:
Baba O'Riley
Back in Black
Col. Bogey
Symphony no.9
Imperial March

My ring tones right now are:
Malcolm Arnold - Clarinet Concerto No. 2 (3rd mvt)
Alabama Song
The Final Countdown
The World is Full of Crashing Bores
Franz von Suppe - Requiem (Dies Irae)
London Calling
Arnold Schoenberg - Pierrot Lunaire (Gallows Song)

When I get a phone that lets me put a ringtone on it, I'd like to put "Cosmik Debris" by Frank Zappa on it. That would probably be my top choice for closer entrance music, too. We used to listen to it on car trips when I was a kid and it always scared me a little bit. My second choice for closer music would be "The Impostor" by Elvis Costello.

Takashi Saito needs to come into games with the Yoshida Brothers blasting the stadium. Storm, Kodo, and Rising.

I would think a marginal major league pitcher might not want to use a song that inclludes the line "I'm going to Wichita"

While that is a funny comment it also makes me look up White's career. Talk about on-and-off.
His ERA+s went from 106 to 267 to 85 to 145 to 103 to 63 at one point. Over that same span the ERAs went from 4.43 to 2.26 to 6.25 to 2.98 to 4.05 to 6.94.

Yikes.

Gustav Mahler: Shortish career and output, very high in VORC, great peak, early departure due to health.

Closest comp seems to be Koufax.

That may be the first Mahler joke I've ever heard.


Thank you for the recommendations. I'm somewhat deficient in my knowledge of stuff that does not include a solo violin, but I've been attempting to broaden my horizons lately.