The baseball playoffs are just getting underway and after the Colorado Rockies beat the San Diego Padres by scoring three runs on one of the best closers in Major League history (Trevor Hoffman) for their tiebreaker game, the importance of a closer became apparent.

 

It is absolutely essential that the last pitcher to enter the game can hold on to his team's lead. What's more essential? Scaring the crap out of the opposing team with your song.

 

Here, the baseball playoffs are predicted by matching up closer songs and closer songs alone...

 

American League Divisional Series

 

New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Indians

 



Mariano Rivera - New York Yankees - "Enter Sandman" by Metallica

Rivera's entrance to "Enter Sandman" by Metallica has become synonymous with postseason baseball over the past decade -- if you've paid any attention, you've seen it. The dispute over New York Mets crosstown closer Billy Wagner's usage of the song only heated fan intensity for the song.

The song is one of Metallica's best and arguably their most badass. What isn't badass, though, is Rivera's feelings about it: "You want me to tell the truth? I don't want to get in trouble. I don't listen to that kind of music. I don't love the song."





Joe Borowski - Cleveland Indians - Various

Borowski probably has the most outrageous record of entrance songs to stand by. At a 2006 game in Florida (when he used to play for the Marlins), Joe came out to a song to the tune of the "Ghostbusters," but with supplanted lyrics: "“If you need a car/Truck or van/Who you gonna call?/Mulrooney!"

Even now, over a year later, nobody has any idea what the hell was going on or who Mulrooney is.



Verdict: While Rivera's "Sandman" is intimidating and he is an originator of the entrance song art form, Borowski's odd song behavior is unpredictable and downright scary (and there's more on him to come). There's something weird and it don't look good...

Winner: Cleveland

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. Boston Red Sox

Francisco Rodriguez - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - "Sandungueoso" by Tego Calderon

While Rodriguez' teammate, Garret Anderson, is one of the few players in the league to specifically request that no entrance music be played when he goes to bat, K-Rod opts for a little Latin flavor. Rodriguez is from Venezuala and Calderon is from Puerto Rico, but they share a common language: the language of a word I can't pronounce.





Jonathan Papelbon - Boston Red Sox - "Bodies" by Drowning Pool; "Wild Thing" by The Troggs; "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" by Dropkick Murphys; "Can't Stop" by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Papelbon has been all over the place with his choices as of late, but since The Departed came out he has been known to jam out to "I'm Shipping Up to Boston." Death, destruction, Boston -- it all fits together nicely.



Verdict: The Dropkick Murphys are way scarier and maybe that's just because I'm not really sure what Tego Calderon is saying. Plus, bonus points to Papelbon for integrating the Boston theme into his entrance.

Winner: Boston

Page over for the National League Divisional Series...