The Best and the Worst MLB Entrance Music

So you're sitting at a baseball game and your team is down two runs with two outs in the 9th inning. The other team has brought in their closer so your manager is calling on a pinch hitter. And right before he emerges from the dugout, his entrance music blasts on the speakers,

"Only you can make me feel, and only you can take me there..."

And you think to yourself, "Wait...is...is that Ashanti?" Then you finish your beer, grab your souvenir bobblehead and head toward the exit. Sure enough, Adrian Beltre grounds out to the pitcher and the game is over.

Of course, players' entrance music has nothing to do with their talent but if it's a high pressure situation, does Ashanti really help get the adrenaline pumping? If players are going to take the time to request a song to come out to, they should put some effort in choosing the perfect song. Now, there is such a thing as taking your entrance music way too seriously. In 2000, while with the Red Sox, Carlos Baerga was called to pinch hit in a close game. While everyone waited for him to appear from the dugout, Baerga ran into the clubhouse to call up to the game operations booth to make sure they played Nelly's "Hot in Herre" for his at bat. He finally appeared on the field to his requested song, and promptly grounded out to end the inning. Another example happened in 2002, when Mike Piazza came up for his at-bat at Shea Stadium. As a joke, the deejays played Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby". Piazza grounded out and after the game blamed the outcome on the song, saying it interrupted his focus. He continued to complain to the team and eventually had the deejays fired.

Now without further ado, here are WARTT's 5 Best and Worst Entrance songs (I excluded any country because as Brian McCann says, "You don't go up to hit to country. Just can't."):

The Worst

5. Ben Zobrist - "The Tree" by Julianna Zobrist

Okay, so Zobrist obviously gets points at home for choosing one of his wife's songs. But a Christian, electronic pop song about how death could not hold Jesus back and because of that people can be saved also? No thanks, Ben. Keep it at home.

4. Jason Varitek - "Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down

This song doesn't pump me up to go out and hit the game winning homerun. It makes me want to lock myself in my room and cry myself to sleep. Plus, 3 Doors Down should be banned from the MLB after their horrendous performance during the 2008 All Star Weekend.

3. Mark Teahan - "I Want Your Body" by Jose Lima

Teahan admits to using the song as a joke at first, but says he started to like it so he kept it. Not only is it called "I Want Your Body" but it's by Jose Lima. That is a bad combination.

2. Gordon Beckham - "Your Love" by The Outfield

Everyone thought Beckham's entrance music was because of rookie hazing. But when asked, he said, "I love The Outfield!". Turns out the song has been his entrance song since high school and he takes it very seriously. Going as far as calling and complaining to other players who have started using it such as Kelly Johnson and Eric Byrnes. Either way, when I hear the song I expect it to be at an after hours bar, not at the ballpark.

1. Troy Tulowitzki - "Gimme More" by Britney Spears

It's Tulo bitch! According to Tulowitzki, this song was played after games in the Colorado Rockies clubhouse and he liked it so much that he decided to make it his entrance music. First off, what is a team of middle aged men doing listening to Britney Spears? And second, why would one of them admit to it and even come out to it while 30,000 people are around? C'mon Troy, you're better than that.

The Best

5. Ryan Zimmerman - "Return of the Mack" by Mo' Reese Marks

As good as the Mark Morrison version of this song is, the Mo' Reese Marks version is that much better. It's funkier, yet smoother. Zimmerman just pimp strolls into the batters box and puts up his All Star numbers.

4. Billy Butler - "Thriller" by Michael Jackson

Mark Teahan started calling Butler, "Bill the Thrill" after seeing the display he put on in batting practice. He also called the game operations booth and had them start playing the Michael Jackson classic for Butler's at bats. Too bad Teahan couldn't come up with something good for himself.

3. Curtis Granderson - "Poison" by Bell Biv DeVoe

Granderson has said, "It's only like 5 seconds of a 3 hour game, so you might as well have fun with it." I couldn't have said it better myself. Poison is a 90's rap classic with a great intro that you can't help but dance to. Granderson has also said he enjoys looking around the field when his music comes on to see the opposing players' reactions, "I saw Derek Jeter smiling...and Coco (Crisp) was dancing to it. Stuff like that keeps the kid in you for the game."

2. A.J. Pierzynski - "A.J. Scratch" by Kurtis Blow

As much as A.J. is disliked, fans can't help but agree his entrance song is as catchy as they come. An 80's hip hop song with a classic beat that uses his name in the chorus. Even as a Cubs fan, I can't help but leave The Cell with this song stuck in my head. But I still hate him. I don't even know him but I hate him. I hate his guts. I hope all the bad things in life happen to him and only him.

1. Grady Sizemore - "Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine

The total opposite type of entrance song as the previous four, but an incredible choice nonetheless. An entrance song is supposed to get a player pumped up, and this one definitely goes above and beyond. When this song comes on, no one could help but get amped up heading into that batter's box. Just ask the three time All-Star who has no ceiling in sight.

Now if I had to choose, I definitely couldn't choose just one. I'd probably use "U Don't Know" by Jay-Z, "Victory" by Puff Daddy, Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes, and "Ante Up" by M.O.P. But I'm sure there are a hundred or so more.

How about you? What songs would you choose?