Lest the rainouts of the last few days (and my stat-heavy blog entries of the last few weeks) weigh you down, here's some lighter fare for Orioles fans out there.
Last week, Kevin Cowherd wrote a whimsical column in the Baltimore Sun about the Orioles that touched on some personal aspects of this year's squad. Among his observations:
ESPN.com, arguably the Internet's best (and unfortunately, most bloated) source of general sports information, has posted a Page 3 feature on the at-bat songs for every American League team, including the Orioles. Songs for all MLB teams are to appear in the near future.
The topic of player-selected intro songs came up in an April post here, and the ESPN.com page adds a few more to that list, along with a couple of song changes since then:
Brian Roberts: "Shake It Fast" by Mystikal
Miguel Tejada: "Hit 'em Up" by TK
Rafael Palmeiro: "California Love" by Tupac
Jay Gibbons: "Sweetness" by Jimmy Eat World
B.J. Surhoff: "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits and "Evenflow" by Pearl Jam
Jerry Hairston Jr.: "Hot in Herre" by Nelly
John Parrish: "Seven Nation Army" by the White Stripes
Eric DuBose: "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Buddy Groom: "Takin' Care of Business" by Bachman Turner Overdrive
Other teams' selections reflect a high proportion of recent popular hits, including a healthy dose of hip-hoppers and hard rockers. Many Latin-American players select music from their native culture. Some players specifically request that no music at all be played before their game entrances.
A few observations:
Ex-Oriole David Dellucci, an Italian American outfielder now playing for the Texas Rangers, chose the theme to The Godfather. Lee Mazzilli must like this guy.
Another guy who once toiled in obscurity for the O's, Seattle manager Bob Melvin, is allegedly a master at identifying rock tunes. Now if only he could figure out how to turn around that team he's managing...
Although I have written about Oriole intro songs a couple of times before, the information in those articles and their follow-up comments is in need of an update.
A couple of visitors to the site have asked about the song that introduces Melvin Mora's at-bats. It begins with a catchy, in-your-face, up-tempo horn riff. The Camden Yards deejay usually cuts off the song before the vocals start, though, making identification difficult.
Not being an avid Latin music listener, I didn't know what the song was at first. But knowledgeable people have stated in various places that Mora's at-bat song is "La vida es un cárnaval" ("Life is a Carnival"), as performed by the legendary Cuban singer Celia Cruz, the "Queen of Salsa," who died in 2003. After hearing the song in its entirety, I'm fairly certain that their attestations are correct. "Cárnaval" is one of Cruz's signature songs and an outstanding example of the salsa music that Mora loves. The lyrics to the refrain:
Ay, no hay que llorar
que la vida es un cárnaval
y es más bello vivir cantando
Oh-oh-oh ay, no hay que llorar
que la vida es un cárnaval
y las penas se van cantando
A rough English translation:
Ay, no need to cry
for life is a carnival
and it's sweeter to live while singing
Oh-oh-oh ay, no need to cry
for life is a carnival
and singing relieves the sorrow
The rest of the lyrics are similarly upbeat.
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