Loud music has a special place in many Major League Baseball clubhouses, as players get pumped up before games and celebrate their victories. Sometimes, even live DJs and smoke machines make an appearance. But Minnesota Twins manager Paul Molitor is not all about that bass.
During an introductory press conference for outfielder Torii Hunter yesterday, Molitor explained that he wants to pull the plug on some of those habits. “Well…” he said with a long pause. “I will tell you I’m not a proponent of some of the music that’s played. I don’t think it’s appropriate for various people that walk through that clubhouse and I plan to make sure that I have a standard there as well. I’m not against music.”
It is not clear what specific songs rubbed him the wrong way, but he seems to mostly take issue with the post-game mix. The Twins have been known to celebrate their wins with loud rock and rap music. But they probably have not been getting too many noise complaints lately, seeing as they have finished last in the AL Central for three of the past four seasons. Perhaps the mandatory mellow will allow them to regain their focus.
Either way, Molitor is not the first to restrict music in MLB settings. Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox famously banned loud music when he was in charge of the Atlanta Braves. Per his suggestion, the team opted to pump themselves up via headphones before the games. Incidentally, this also proved successful in appeasing their diverse tastes in music. Many of the Twins already do the same thing.
Molitor also plans to reduce smartphone and tablet usage before and after games. “Like all managers, I’m going to have to make sure that they [understand] that they can be a distraction from what they’re trying to accomplish, and we’re going to have to figure that out,” he explained.
The 58-year-old hall of famer is known to be a huge rock and roll fan, so reporters asked him if he planned on switching to Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam to celebrate future Twins wins. “I don’t know,” he replied. “We’ll find something.”