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It isn’t summer without America’s favorite pastime! To get you energized for our latest baseball titles, we’ve asked our authors to share what walk up song they would choose for themselves or their recently published books. Browse for something to read during the next rain delay or listen to some familiar songs to take you back to the ballgame.
In this definitive biography of Harry Dalton (1928–2005), Lee C. Kluck tells the full and colorful story of a man many consider the first modern baseball executive. Serving as general manager for the Baltimore Orioles (1966–71), the California Angels (1972–77), and the Milwaukee Brewers (1978–91), Dalton was the principal architect of the Orioles’ dynasty and of the only American League Championship the Brewers ever won.
Lee’s walk up song would be “Hip to be Square” by Huey Lewis and the News and “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t (Ma’ Baby)” by Louis Jordan would be the walk up song for his book.
“The first one just kind of fits me. I have been a fan of Huey and his music for decades and I am about as square as you can get. I joke that I can survive because I make it look cool. Just like the reformed man in the song. As for the second one, Harry Dalton was a huge fan of big band music as am I. That was his favorite song and it was one of the things I learned that made me feel like Harry and I were kindred spirits.” -Lee C. Kluck
Larry R. Gerlach’s Lion of the League is the biography of Bob Emslie, an umpire whose career spanned the formative years of modern baseball. Emslie endured the rough-and-tumble umpire-baiting 1890s, the Deadball era, injuries from thrown and batted balls, physical and verbal assaults from players and fans, and criticism in the press. Among his most notable games, he called four no-hitters and worked as the base umpire in the famous Merkle’s Boner game between the New York Giants and the Chicago Cubs at the Polo Grounds in 1908.
Larry chose “It’s Hard To Be Humble” by Mac Davis as the walk up song for his book.
“Umpires don’t have ‘walk up’ songs, but a tongue-in-cheek one would be Mac Davis’ ‘It’s Hard To Be Humble’ (when you’re perfect in every way). Umps aren’t perfect, but fans expect them to be.” -Larry R. Gerlach
From the backroads of the Minor Leagues to the sunny Caribbean, where he played alongside the best Black and Latin players as a twenty-one-year-old, and to the Major Leagues, where he became a ten-time All-Star, home run champion, and World Series hero, Mize forged a memorable trail along baseball’s landscape. Jerry Grillo’s work is the first complete biography of the Big Cat.
Jerry chose “T.N.T.” by AC/DC as the walk up song for Big Cat.
“This classic, pounding song by rock legends AC/DC screams ‘power hitter’ to me. It is recognizable to a large number of people. It’s got a distinctive, driving riff that would energize a crowd and inspire a powerful hitter like Mize to swing for the fences, while also terrifying opposing pitchers.” -Jerry Grillo
In this collection of essays edited by Tom Hoffarth, readers can consider Vin Scully’s life through common themes,: his sincerity, his humility, his professionalism, his passion for his faith, his devotion to his family, his insistence on remembering and giving context to important moments in the history of not just the game but the world in general, all wrapped up in a gift for weaving storytelling with accurate reporting, fellowship with performance art, humor, and connection.
Tom’s walk up song for his book would be “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” written by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer.
“In several appearances I’ve made for Perfect Eloquence, we started the program by having everyone present sing this song. It was uplifting and fun and put everyone in the right frame of mind. Everyone smiled. That’s what I think of Vin as well.” -Tom Hoffarth
Waite “Schoolboy” Hoyt’s improbable baseball journey began when the 1915 New York Giants signed him as a high school junior, for no pay and a five-dollar bonus. After nearly having both his hands amputated and cavorting with men twice his age in the hardscrabble Minor Leagues, he somehow ended up the best pitcher for the New York Yankees in the 1920s. When Hoyt died in 1984 his foremost legacy may have been as a raconteur who punctuated his life story with awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping anecdotes. In Schoolboy, cowritten by Tim Manners, Hoyt never flinches from an unsparing account of his remarkable and paradoxical eighty-four-year odyssey.
Tim’s walk up song for Schoolboy would be “Rain” by The Beatles.
“As the radio voice of the Cincinnati Reds, Waite Hoyt is remembered and loved for his epic “rain delay” stories about Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and others. Legend has it that Waite attracted more listeners when it was raining than when the Reds were playing.” -Tim Manners
To be a part of Red Sox Nation is to be a hopeful romantic who neither betrays loyalty nor surrenders hope in the direst of circumstances. The team’s history has intersected with the history of Boston and well beyond it, through the Curse of the Bambino, the military service of Ted Williams during World War II, and the Boston Marathon bombing. David Krell’s The Fenway Effect chronicles these stories and others that have built the incredible saga of the Boston Red Sox.
David’s walk-up song for his book would be “Don’t Wait for Heroes” by Dennis DeYoung.
“This mid-1980s song by Dennis DeYoung inspires its listeners to persevere through failure, disappointment, and regret. Baseball fans from Burbank to Beacon Hill know that perseverance is a cornerstone of the tremendous legacy of the Red Sox.” -David Krell
Under Jackie’s Shadow is a portal to the hidden world of Minor League baseball in the era just after Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Based on Mitchell Nathanson’s interviews, Under Jackie’s Shadow uses the players’ own words to tell the unvarnished story of what it was like to be a Black baseball player navigating the wilds of professional baseball’s Minor Leagues following the integration of the Major Leagues.
Mitchell Nathanson’s walk up song would be “Truckin’” by the Grateful Dead.
“This one is easy for me: I’d pick ‘Truckin’’ by the Grateful Dead because baseball is a summer game and the only thing that makes me think of Summer as much as baseball is the Dead. And the intro to ‘Truckin’’ is just about the best groove imaginable to walk up to the plate to. If that won’t get you going you’re just not going to go.” -Mitchell Nathanson
The Wizard of College Baseball
The Wizard of College Baseball is an inspirational and entertaining reflection on how one man forever changed college baseball—accelerating the sport’s growth and setting a new standard for modern college baseball well ahead of his time.
David’s walk up song for his book would be Van Halen’s “Top of the World.”
“If I were to give my book a walkup song, I would use Van Halen’s ‘Top of the World’ because the music fits the era when Ron Fraser’s program was at the pinnacle of college baseball and provided the blueprint for success that others aspired to reach.” -David Brauer
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