'Get Metsmerized' and 4 other awesomely bad baseball raps inspired by the 'Super Bowl Shuffle'
The 5 most awesomely bad 1980s rap songs by MLB teams
Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon celebrated the 2015 Royals' World Series championship by inviting Eric Hosmer and World Series MVP Salvador Perez onto the program ... and by re-introducing the world to "Rapping Bret Saberhagen."
The Saberhagen bit was born out of nostalgia for an old truck commercial from the last time the Royals won a Fall Classic, in an era when the Bears' '"Super Bowl Shuffle" was still the talk of the town. After finding ourselves absolutely transfixed by both Saberhagen segments, we pored back through the Internet archives to unearth a few awesomely bad team 1980's baseball anthems that gave quarterback Jim McMahon and the rest of the Bears a run for their money
Watch at your own risk.
"Kingdome" - 1981 Mariners
This one predates the "Super Bowl Shuffle" by a few years, but it's just too amazing for us to leave off the list. When a work stoppage cut the 1981 MLB season short, Mariners utility man Lenny Randle had some extra time on his hands, so he recorded a few hip-hop singles to help raise money for a fan with cerebral palsy. The first single, "Kingdome" by Lenny Randle & Ballplayers, urged listeners to do a dance inspired by that time Randle famously tried to blow a swinging bunt foul.
A truck commercial - 1985 Bret Saberhagen
This one is the inspiration for the Fallon sketches we've had the pleasure of watching (and rewatching) over the past week or so. The sad part about this is that Saberhagen's rap skills are actually pretty solid compared to some of the other folks on this list.
"The Baseball Boogie" - 1986 Dodgers
Satin jackets? Check. Orel Hershiser as a backup dancer? Check. Obligatory sunglasses inside? Check. Trash talk directed to Huey Lewis and the News? Double check.
"Get Metsmerized" - 1986 Mets
Darryl Strawberry's verse in "Get Metsmerized" makes Jay Z's verse on "Monster" sound like Nicki Minaj's verse on "Monster."
"The Berenguer Boogie" - 1987 Twins
Relief pitcher Juan Berenguer played for seven teams in his 15-season MLB career. For the World Series champion 1987 Twins, Berenguer appeared in 47 games, made six starts, earned four saves and donned a trench coat in an awesomely bad rap song that focused on his nickname, El Gasolina.