Lima threw his adizero rose dominate fists up
And players aren’t the only ones guilty zoom hyperdunk 2011 of cramping their musical style. Cecil Cooper, who managed from 2007-2009, gave his iPod to Oakes to play during batting practice.
“Coop was really into it, but I had guys like Carlos Lee calling up to change it,” Oakes laughed. “Even after I explained it wasn’t [batting practice] music, Coop still insisted there were a lot of good choices and to keep hitting shuffle.”
Oakes also has to roll with the punches when guys change their songs. Former Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt decided to abandon his faithful Godsmack anthem “I Stand Alone” and convert to Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive.” After a bad start (just one inning), Oswalt phoned up to the booth and changed it back to Godsmack. Superstitious or not, Oswalt came back and threw a 1-2-3 inning.
The music doesn’t always go so smoothly. The late Jose Lima once gave Oakes an unlabeled CD with clear instructions to “play Track 3.” But somehow the tracks got mixed up, and when Oakes hit play, Lima threw his fists up and looked up at him from the mound.
Oakes said most of the players picked their intro songs years ago, but not anymore. “I use their on-field persona and just guess at the music to play. I played heavy metal for Lance Berkman, but if you ever met the guy, he’s all country and Christian,” Oakes said. Players also became synonymous with their at-bat music. For almost two decades, it was obvious Craig Biggio was coming to bat anytime you heard U2.
But it’s not always a guessing game. Former catcher Brad Ausmus was a bit more direct. “Ausmus once threw a ball at our window to get our attention and signaled to change the music,” Oakes said, laughing.
Other players were a bit more intricate in their musical selections, such as Roger Clemens, who was adamant that his song play at a certain time from the moment he crossed the first-base line and ending at the 1:40 hook. “Fans penny 1 can’t be bothered with long intros. You have to get to the hook to keep the energy up,” Oakes said.
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