Flippin' Thru: ESPN – The Magazine, October 6, 2008

ESPN: Would you write an at-bat song for a player if he asked?

Lil' Wayne: Hell yes. I'll do it right now. Prince Fielder is one of my favorites, so I'd do "Coming up to the plate young Prince/swinging for the fence." Something like that, but better, 'cause I'd work real hard on it.

On page 38 of their latest issue, ESPN The Magazine devotes a few hundred words to the music that baseball players use on their way to the plate. It's the usual disposable, instantly forgettable sports journalism that the World Wide Leader has practically patented, but it wasn't without a good amount of unintentional comedy and outright ignorance.

-- Minneapolis rapper A&R wrote and performed "Joe Mauer's Theme Song", which is played before every at-bat by the Twins starting catcher. And, with lyrics like "Guess who stepped up to the plate/It's minus one from number eight", it's obvious the Midwest's rap dominance didn't die with the incarceration of 18 out of 24 members and affiliates of Bone Thugs N Harmony. You can listen to the entire awful track here.

-- Hey, did you know that Rangers OF Josh Hamilton is a Christian? Sure is. His at-bat song is from a Christian band called Phillips, Craig & Dean. Remember 10 years ago, when cornerback/outfielder Deion Sanders found Jesus and no one believed him because he was a jerk? Meanwhile, Hamilton gets the benefit of the doubt despite stealing millions of dollars in development costs and signing bonus from the Rays. Last time I'll mention this. Promise.

-- The article repeatedly states that the Oakland A's don't use prerecorded music before their players at-bats, but that can't be right. I know I've heard music before at-bats while watching almost all of their home games this year on TV. Of course, now I can't think of any of the songs. I do know that erstwhile closer Huston Street uses this as his "theme song", which I find pretty bad ass.