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OAKLAND -- A native of San Jose, A’s right-hander Lucas Erceg is living the dream by playing for the team he grew up rooting for. Playing close to home also presents the opportunity to personalize his walkout song based on the music of the region.

From E-40 to Mac Dre, there were no shortage of Bay Area options for Erceg to choose from for the tune that follows him to the mound at the Coliseum. We discuss that and more in this week’s edition of Walk-Up Chronicles:

MLB.com: Your walkout song at the Coliseum is “4am - Bay Bridge Music” by Andre Nickatina. What was the inspiration behind that selection?

Erceg: I had to keep it in the Bay. I just remember slapping Andre Nickatina and a bunch of other Bay Area artists in high school. So, just being back in the Bay Area, I kind of felt it was necessary to stay rooted. I wanted the crowd to get into it, and I know Andre Nickatina is a good one to get the crowd fired up.

MLB.com: As you were thinking about your walkout song, were there any other Bay Area songs in consideration?

Erceg: A couple of E-40 songs. There was one that I had in 2017 when I was still hitting called “Bamboo” by E-40. That was a banger. But I kind of left that with my hitting career. I don’t think it would have sounded as good as a pitching walkout song. It’s also pretty explicit once the song gets going.

MLB.com: What are some other walkout songs you’ve used in the past?

Erceg: I had a Greta Van Fleet song out in [Triple-A] Nashville. That was more fitting to the rockstar lifestyle out there. I always try to let the environment I’m playing in kind of dictate what vibe I’m going for.

MLB.com: Tuesday night, over 27,000 fans filled the Coliseum to voice their frustration over the news about the A’s pursuing a relocation to Las Vegas. For you, who grew up an A’s fan, what was it like seeing that?

Erceg: Having that environment made me feel so emotional. Not emotional like I was going to cry, but just to really resonate with and understand what the fan base is going through. To have that amount of support and passion packed into the Oakland Coliseum just reminded everyone of how strong this community is towards baseball and the Oakland A’s, and how special it is for me being from the Bay Area to be playing for the Oakland A’s. To see that happen in person, it was awesome.

MLB.com: What are some of your Coliseum memories growing up?

Erceg: I remember going to a game in 2005 or ‘06. It was with another travel ball team, and we had played together since we were like 10 years old to 14. We all went to the game after winning the 10U World Series out in Arizona, so we all got back and went to a game against the [Angels]. I remember it being a back-and-forth game, and in the ninth inning, Mark Ellis hit a walk-off grand slam off the foul pole. That’s a core memory that will never leave me, for sure.