Amid a 13-game losing streak, the Los Angeles Angels baseball team did something radical. In their darkest hour, during a game against the Boston Red Sox, they flipped their silver side up and changed every player's walk-up music to Nickelback.
Desperate times do indeed call for desperate measures. One can only imagine the locker room strategy session that lead to somebody pitching this specific soundtrack switch-up — and if they could have possibly anticipated the results.
Well, look at this graph: it turns out that going up to bat to the sweet, sweet sounds of the 'Back only inspired a shutout. Failing to score a single run, the Angels lost to the Red Sox 1-0. To add salt to the wound, their losing streak is now at a franchise record-breaking 14 games.
The lofty idea to play Canada's most notorious rockers while stepping up to the plate was supported by the team's interim manager and admitted Nickelback fan, Phil Nevin. "I like Nickelback. The entire game, I got the songs in my head, I can't stop singing, and the next guy comes up… I don't know who it was [who decided to use the Nickelback songs], but it was neat, for a while," he said [via MLB.com].
During the game's broadcast, Bally Sports West reporter Erica Weston suggested the specific source of the idea was likely staff assistant, Tim Buss, who was also responsible for the cowboy hat players wear in the dugout.
"It definitely threw us off guard a little bit," said Angels starter Reid Detmers, who pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings. "That's just trying to keep us loose, have some fun."
Check out the footage of 2021 American League MVP Shohei Ohtani walking up to "Photograph" below, as well as the list of songs each Angels player walked to for playlist inspiration.
Desperate times do indeed call for desperate measures. One can only imagine the locker room strategy session that lead to somebody pitching this specific soundtrack switch-up — and if they could have possibly anticipated the results.
Well, look at this graph: it turns out that going up to bat to the sweet, sweet sounds of the 'Back only inspired a shutout. Failing to score a single run, the Angels lost to the Red Sox 1-0. To add salt to the wound, their losing streak is now at a franchise record-breaking 14 games.
The lofty idea to play Canada's most notorious rockers while stepping up to the plate was supported by the team's interim manager and admitted Nickelback fan, Phil Nevin. "I like Nickelback. The entire game, I got the songs in my head, I can't stop singing, and the next guy comes up… I don't know who it was [who decided to use the Nickelback songs], but it was neat, for a while," he said [via MLB.com].
During the game's broadcast, Bally Sports West reporter Erica Weston suggested the specific source of the idea was likely staff assistant, Tim Buss, who was also responsible for the cowboy hat players wear in the dugout.
"It definitely threw us off guard a little bit," said Angels starter Reid Detmers, who pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings. "That's just trying to keep us loose, have some fun."
Check out the footage of 2021 American League MVP Shohei Ohtani walking up to "Photograph" below, as well as the list of songs each Angels player walked to for playlist inspiration.
OK, I have the song list ...
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) June 9, 2022
Ohtani: "Photograph"
Adell: "Rockstar"
Walsh: "How You Remind Me"
Duffy: "Someday"
Lagares: "If Today Was Your Last Day"
Marsh: "When We Stand Together"
Mayfield: "What Are You Waiting For?"
Suzuki: "This Afternoon"
Wade: "Animals"
Exclaim! recently rounded up baseball's 7 worst-ever first pitches by musicians, to which we suppose we need to add a new honourable mention.
