Take Me Into the Ball Game
TREVOR HOFFMAN,Padres
437 career saves, 2.76 ERA (2006: One save, 3.00 ERA)
Hell's Bells, by AC/DC
Hoffman first used the 1980 rock classic on July 25, 1998, the day he tied amajor league record with his 41st straight successful save conversion. Now thePetco Park crowd erupts when it hears the song's first note--an ominous dong.Hoffman gave his blessing to let former teammate Akinori Otsuka play the songbefore closing out Japan's WBC title game over Cuba last month at Petco, to thewild cheers of the crowd. "I thought it was a great touch, a greatconnection," Hoffman says. "We play baseball to get a kick out ofit."
JONATHANPAPELBON, Red Sox
Six career saves, 2.20 ERA (2006: Six saves, 0.00 ERA)
Bodies, by Drowning Pool
Baseball's newest closer (the 25-year-old seized Keith Foulke's role in theSox' third game this year) has instructed the staff at Fenway Park to start theheavy metal song with its opening lyrics: "Let the bodies hit thefloor." That's an apt description of his performance--he's allowed two baserunners in seven innings--and more appropriate than Bruce Springsteen's wistfulGlory Days, which the Sox played for his first home save opportunity."[Bodies] is hard-hitting," Papelbon says. "It gets me pumpedup."
DERRICK TURNBOW,Brewers
44 career saves, 2.32 ERA (2006: Five saves, 0.00 ERA)
Fuel, by Metallica
Turnbow saved the first four games of 2006 and gives an assist to thisheadbanging song. "It really helps," he says. "It gets youradrenaline going." Starter Chris Capuano helped pick the song after Turnbowbecame the Brewers' closer last June. "The opening line is, 'Give me fuel,give me fire, give me that which I desire.'" says Capuano. "Then itgets rocking pretty hard. It seemed perfect." It's working. Turnbow hasblown only two career saves at Miller Park. "It's official," saysMilwaukee reliever Matt Wise. "Turnbow's a rock star."
[This articlecontains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]
The Pop Culture Grid
How do sports stars fit in? | Katie Couric is ... | Who would you like to box? | Last movie you saw in the theater? | Worst singing act? | Pet you would like to own? | Weirdest thing a fan ever said to you? |
MIKE | "A great interviewer" | Cuttino Mobley (Clippers guard) | Crash | "Our rookies singing Happy Birthday" | "I don't want any pets" | "I hated you when you were with theRockets" |
TIM | "The lady that does the news stuff" | "Muhammad Ali in his prime" | The Chronicles of Narnia | Milli Vanilli | A tiger | "Hey, Tim, let's hang out" |
TRAVIS HAFNER Indians DH | No answer | "Somebody | V for Vendetta | William Hung (above) | Labrador retriever | "Tell Cliff [Lee, Indians pitcher] to have a goodgame" |
BRAD PENNY Dodgers P | "Probably going to sleep in now" | Steve Lyons (Dodgers TV analyst) | Saw II | William Hung | Storm Cat (thoroughbred stallion) | "A fan called me Skinny" (He's 260pounds) |
FOURTEEN PHOTOS
MAX MORSE/REUTERS (HOFFMAN); SONY (AC/DC); J. MERIC/WIREIMAGE.COM (PAPELBON); WIND-UP RECORDS (DROWNING POOL); ALLEN FREDRICKSON/REUTERS (TURNBOW); IMPORT (METALLICA); JOHN W. MCDONOUGH (DUNLEAVY); GREG NELSON (THOMAS); AL TIELEMANS (HAFNER); ROBERT BECK (PENNY); DIMA GAVRYSH/AP (COURIC); BETTMAN/CORBIS (ALI); WARNER BROS./KOBAL COLLECTION (VENDETTA); STEPHEN DUNN/GETTY IMAGES (HUNG)
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