There I was, sunk down in my hard metal seat, bad posture and all, waiting for the game to resume.  The clouds had cleared up and the rain had stopped.  I no longer needed the neon yellow and blue parka that I was wearing.  I gladly removed it with a smile realizing that I would no longer look like a target that even Vice President Dick Cheney couldn't miss.  It was now a dark, yet crystal clear night, and the moon was in a fight with the stadium lights for which was shining more brightly.  I was waiting for the game to resume, and all around me, I could hear the sound of the organist playing.  What song was on, I could not quite recognize it.  All I know is that it was different than any I had ever heard before.  As I looked down at my lap, I noticed a box of Cracker Jack already opened and half eaten.  I stared down at it intently, and then began to think about those sweet caramel and peanut morsels dancing in my mouth.  Before I could continue feasting on my snack, I first felt a presence around me.  It felt like someone was watching me, and indeed someone was.  As I looked up, I saw a man glaring at me.  I began to slowly realize that the man was dressed exactly like the kid on the Cracker Jack box.  I paused for a moment, and looked back down at the box to confirm.  Yes indeed, the man looked just like the kid on the box, but why was he standing in the aisle staring at me.  "Eat it," he said.  "Eat it and like it!"  Caught off guard, I paused for a moment with a puzzled look on my face, and then gladly obliged.  I wanted to ask him where his dog was, but decided against it, as he seemed unstable and might just punch me in the face in retaliation.  Instead, I stuffed a fistful of Cracker Jack into my mouth and when I looked back up, the man was gone.  As I looked back down, I realized that I did not get all of the Cracker Jack into my mouth.  Some of it had landed on my shirt.  That is when I realized what was wrapped around my neck.  I had a laminated badge that stated on it "All Access Pass - ALCS Game Seven".  What?!  I am at Game Seven of the American League Championship Series?  How did I get in here, and how did I manage box seats?!  I shrugged it off and decided to venture around the stadium to get the full use of my all access pass.  My adventure first took me to the booth featuring all the sights and sounds of the game.  Before I went through the corridor to the sound booth, a heavyset man with a beard stopped me.  "Hey there sonny boy," said the man.  "How did you get a pass like that to be able to access any area in the park?"  "I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night" I retorted.  He nodded and I continued on my way.  After the brief delay, I continued my trip through the ballpark to the door to the sound booth.  When I walked in, I saw an older woman seated behind an organ.  The organist looked at me, and flashed a big smile in my direction.  She said "Get ready KP, we're going to be jammin' to 50 Cent between the 5^th and 6^th innings!"  "How did this woman know who I was?" I thought, as I completely ignored the comment about 50 Cent.  I was fascinated by the talented organist, as well as everything else in the sound room.  However, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the players finally coming back out on to the field.  I said a quick goodbye to the organist and began to rush back downstairs to my seat.  I sat down in time to see the starting pitcher make his way back to the mound.  It was Seth McClung.  "Wait a second..." I thought.  I quickly looked up at the scoreboard.  Tampa Bay was leading Kansas City 3-2, and it was now the top of the fifth inning.  Staring back at the field again, I saw Doug Mientkiewicz approaching the plate to face McClung.  Wasn't this Game Seven of the American League Championship Series?!  I quickly put aside my original thoughts about Mientkiewicz trying to get his hands on yet another Game 7 ball, and was instead more focused on the two teams that were playing on the field.  Tampa Bay and Kansas City are playing... for a spot in the World Series.  Seth Mc....

I woke up in a pool of sweat feeling completely disoriented.  As I came to my senses, I realized that it was only a dream.  I looked at the clock, and saw that it was 4:17am.  Wow... what a dream.  Every image was so real and so vivid.  It all seemed real until the part where the Devil Rays were playing the Royals for a spot in the World Series.  I think that may have been what startled me, and eventually woke me up from my evening slumber. 

Later that day, I could not get the bizarre dream out of my head.  Therefore, I decided to channel that energy into all of the teams throughout baseball.  If there were an organist that could play any song possible for your baseball team, what song would you choose?  Certainly, every person would have a different opinion depending on which team he/she roots for.  Almost a month into the baseball season, here are the theme songs I came up with for each team in baseball, along with a reason why...

AL EAST

Baltimore Orioles

"Centerfield" - John Fogerty

While this is a popular song at baseball games already, it is especially fitting this year for the Orioles.  Baltimore has a bit of a logjam in the outfield, which was slightly cleared up recently due to the injuries of Luis Matos and David Newhan.  However, in a few weeks, the options for center field will include Corey Patterson, Nick Markakis, Luis Matos, among others.

Boston Red Sox

"We Are All Made Of Stars" - Moby

The Red Sox rank second to the Yankees in total payroll in 2006, and like New York, Boston is also made up of many star players, including Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, etc.

New York Yankees

"Money" - Pink Floyd

With the highest payroll in the majors (near 200 million), the New York Yankees should have Pink Floyd blasting throughout the stadium in between innings.  I'm sure the intro of various money sounds would be music to George Steinbrenner's ears.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays

"New Kid in Town" - The Eagles

Joe Maddon, funky glasses and all, is over from Anaheim to coach the Devil Rays.  While he inherited a ton of talent, Joe still has his hands full in a tough AL East division.  However, he has filled in admirably thus far, as Tampa Bay has played respectably.

Toronto Blue Jays

"Pressure" - Billy Joel

After being given more payroll for this season, Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi responded by bringing in A.J. Burnett, B.J. Ryan, Bengie Molina, Lyle Overbay, and Troy Glaus.  With the additional talent also comes the added pressure to win in an extremely competitive AL East division.

AL CENTRAL

Chicago White Sox

"#1" - Nelly

The returning Champs should consistently have this song playing at home games.  With the help from recent acquisition Jim Thome, the White Sox (17-7) are picking up right where they left off.  Currently owning the best record in baseball, the White Sox are already dreaming of a second consecutive title. 

Cleveland Indians

"Swing Swing" - All-American Rejects

The Indians, 7^th in total runs in 2005, currently lead the majors in total runs scored with 158.  The pitching has struggled early (26^th in the majors in ERA), but Cleveland has enough talent to rebound and make a run at the playoffs.

Detroit Tigers

"Dirty Little Secret" - All-American Rejects

Until a few weeks ago, the Tigers had a few secrets other teams did not know about, meaning a group of up and coming players such as Chris Shelton, Curtis Granderson, and Justin Verlander.  As a result, manager Jim Leyland and the Tigers are off to a 16-9 start, second in the AL behind only the division rival White Sox.

Kansas City Royals

"Nice Guys Finish Last" - Green Day

With a need for more talent in a much stronger division, the Royals are already having a long season.  On the bright side, K.C. has a great deal of friendly players on their roster, including the likes of Reggie Sanders and Mike Sweeney who have done a great deal for kids and local charities. 

Minnesota Twins

"Where'd You Go" - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

As of today, the Twins are dead last in the majors with a team ERA of 6.28.  After finishing 7^th in the majors in ERA last season (and 6^th in 2004), where did the pitching go? 

AL WEST

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

"Another Postcard" - Barenaked Ladies

The Rally Monkey has been famous in Anaheim ever since its debut a few years ago.  Perhaps the Angels should also incorporate this song, which discusses various different postcards delivered, with each containing a different chimpanzee on it.

Oakland Athletics

"Run" - Collective Soul

The A's have stolen only three bases so far this season, which ranks last in the majors.  With pitching being the strength of this team, perhaps Oakland should try to spark more scoring opportunities by running more often.

Seattle Mariners

"Born to Run" - Bruce Springsteen

In contrast to the division rival A's, Seattle is a team that runs often.  The Mariners are tied for third in the majors with 23 steals, and ranked second in overall steal attempts with 30. 

Texas Rangers

"Still the Same" - Bog Seger

The Rangers added the likes of Kevin Millwood and Vicente Padilla hoping to improve their pitching staff.  At this point in the season, Texas has a team ERA of 4.71, showing little improvement from their 4.53 ERA in 2004 and 4.96 ERA in 2005.   

NL EAST

Atlanta Braves

"Who Made Who" - AC/DC

With Leo Mazzone departing for Baltimore and the Mets finally playing up to their potential, it is possible that the Braves could find their streak of 14 consecutive division titles come to an end.  How will the Braves respond without Mazzone as their pitching coach, and how will Mazzone fare without the Atlanta Braves?

Florida Marlins

"Stay Together for the Kids" - Blink 182

The question in Miami right now is not how the new Marlins will perform, but will the marriage between a city and its baseball team remain.  If not, this roster of mostly rookies could wind up in another place such as San Antonio.

New York Mets

"All Star" - Smash Mouth

Like the Yankees and Red Sox, the Mets have spent large sums of cash and now feature a team filled with All Stars, including Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Pedro Martinez, Billy Wagner, and more.

Philadelphia Phillies

"Have You Seen Me Lately?" - Counting Crows

The Phillies (10-14) are off to a slow start again this season.  Last year, Philadelphia made a late season charge, only to miss out on the playoffs in the season's final days.  Could they suffer a similar fate again this year?

Washington Nationals

"Daysleeper" - R.E.M.

The Nationals are currently batting a league worst .228 during day games.  On the other hand, during night games, Washington has a much more respectable .273 average.

NL CENTRAL

Chicago Cubs

"I Miss You" - Blink 182

Already losing Mark Prior and Kerry Wood to injuries before the season started, the Chicago Cubs most recently lost the player the team will miss the most, that being first basemen Derrek Lee. 

Cincinnati Reds

"Back in the Saddle" - Aerosmith

The last World Series title for Cincinnati came in the year 1990, and the team's last playoff appearance was in 1995 when the Reds were swept by Atlanta in the NLCS. Over a decade later, the Reds are 17-8 and thinking playoffs. 

Houston Astros

"Rocket Man" - Elton John

May 1^st is upon us, and the Astros finally have another chance to sign Roger Clemens.  While the Rangers, Yankees, and Red Sox are also in the hunt if Roger chooses to play again, my money says Houston is still the favorite to land "The Rocket".  Family always wins, and Houston is just minutes away from Roger's home. 

Milwaukee Brewers

"Power and the Passion" - Midnight Oil

The Brewers are showing power on both sides of the ball.  Milwaukee is second in the majors in home runs (38), and their starting pitchers lead all of baseball with 128 total strikeouts. 

Pittsburgh Pirates

"Pain Lies on the Riverside" - Live

Located in a city where three rivers meet together, the Pittsburgh Pirates have not reached the playoffs since 1992.  Coming in to the 2006 season with young talent and a few new faces, there was some renewed hope for the city of Pittsburgh, but a 7-19 start has fans of the Pirates in pain once again.

St. Louis Cardinals

"New" - No Doubt

The Cardinals (17-8) are playing in a new stadium, yet having the same old results after another strong start to the season.  Albert Pujols (14 HR's and 32 RBI's) is becoming the early leader for the NL MVP after setting a new home run record for the month of April. 

NL WEST

Arizona Diamondbacks

"Hello Again" - The Cars

After winning the World Series in 2001, the Diamondbacks have fallen off the map since.  However, with improved defense and pitching this year, Arizona (12-13) is already showing that they will be in the thick of the NL West race throughout the entire season.

Colorado Rockies

"On the Road Again" - Willie Nelson

While the thin air is nice for hitting at Coors Field, the Rockies are actually happy to play on the road, with a major league best 10-3 record away from home coming into today.

Los Angeles Dodgers

"Great Indoors" - John Mayer

While Dodger Stadium is an outdoor park, perhaps the Dodgers would feel more at home hearing this song, as they are sporting a league best 2.63 ERA when playing in indoor stadiums. 

San Diego Padres

"Let You Down" - Dave Matthews Band

The returning champs of the NL West division are off to a rough start on offense.  The Padres currently rank last in batting average (.226), last in batting average at home (.200), last in average with runners in scoring position and two outs (.159), tied for last in home runs (14), and second to last in total runs scored (88). 

San Francisco Giants

"Don't Lie" - Black Eyed Peas

Unfortunately, the San Francisco Giants are not mentioned without also including Barry Bonds.  When the song "Don't Lie" is mentioned, it doesn't have to be directed at only Barry Bonds, even though many people would choose to do so (including myself).  This song could also be accurate for the writers of "Game of Shadows", the people at BALCO, and so on. 

There you have it, a grouping of songs that I feel fit as the current theme song for each team in Major League Baseball.  As for my dream, it's too bad that I woke up so soon.  I missed out on the 50 Cent song being played by the organist as well as which teams were playing in the National League Championship Series.  Oh well, perhaps next time when I go to sleep, but until then, happy dreams to all.