MILWAUKEE -- It's a brief but important moment for each Brewers player -- their 10 seconds to walk to the batter's box with a song playing for all to hear.
It can pump them up or it can calm them down. Or simply, give some perspective into their personality.
But one guy has heard it all for the last few years and it's more than just hitting play.
"Music is definitely important to them," Matt Morrell, Brewers Production Coordinator said. "That shows with how much they care about it."
Matt Morrell is the keeper of the walk up songs. He's taken all of their requests, no matter how extreme they may be.
"Juan Francisco a few years back had eight songs," Morrell said. "You don't get to bat eight times in a day but sure. We'll rotate these eight songs."
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Choosing eight songs may sound extreme, but that's not the only crazy request.
"Hey, I need this song that starts at exactly 17 seconds," Morrell said. "It gets that specific."
Of course, he has to weed out the songs with profanities or other inappropriate music. However, he pretty much gets them whatever they ask for. There are songs ranging from music theme songs (Jurassic Park for Brent Suter) to popular Hispanic music like Prendi for Jonathan Villar. But what reigns supreme is new music. Travis Shaw requested Lemon by N.E.R.D. featuring Rihanna. He also requested Rihanna for his batting practice music. He must have something about the beautiful bars by the Barbadian beauty.
"There was a song Jesus Aguilar picked," Morrell said. "I looked it up on YouTube because I had never heard of it. It was published the week before."
The music means a lot to the players as they get ready. However, it also gives a peek behind the curtain for fans. Music can really show the personality of players. For pitchers, they get to choose multiple songs; one for when they're on the mound and one for when they get in the batter's box.
"Zach Davies for example," Morrell said. "His at bat music is 'It's Tricky,' by Run DMC. But when he goes out to pitch, he wants to hear Rage Against the Machine."
But as much as it's a part of their personality, superstition inevitably finds its way into baseball player's routines. So if they're in a slump, it's got to be the song.
"If someone goes 0 for 4 with a new song, it's probably getting changed," Morrell said. "Then there are guys that only change it once a year. Then there are guys that are the other way. Even in an 0 for 4 day, I want the same thing because if I'm 0 for 4 today, maybe tomorrow I'm 4 for 4."
