Earlier today, we attempted to handicap the 2009 World Series (which starts in only a few hours) by taking a look at the at-bat songs for the Philadelphia Phillies. This time, we take a look at the lineup offered up by the New York Yankees. It's a less eclectic batch of tunes for sure, but possibly more effective, as it's filled top-to-bottom with badass New York hip-hop and tough guy tunes sure to swing any game in the Bronx's favor.
It begins with Derek Jeter and Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind" (which he and Alicia Keys will perform live during Game 2 on Thursday night), a great New York anthem for a great New York team (and a great New Yorker). Johnny Damon uses Saliva's "I Walk Alone" as his entrance tune, yet another track that connects baseball and wrestling (it's the same song used by WWE star Batista). Mark Teixeira uses Twisted Sister's "I Wanna Rock" (another New York-centric selection, as the band is from Long Island) while Nick Swisher saunters in to Ludacris and R. Kelly's "Rockstar."
There are some stranger moments, most notably Hideki Matsui's use of Billy Joel's "Big Shot" — a New York tune for sure, but probably not in Matsui's regular iPod rotation.
Still, the Yankees have the advantage. Sure, they've got three Jay-Z songs, but they also have a secret weapon: Closer Mariano Rivera, who enters every game with Metallica's "Enter Sandman" pumping through the PA. With a playlist like that, the World Series is the Yanks' to lose. They will "Run This Town," indeed.
Official MTV Newsroom Prediction: Yankees in 6