As the Cleveland Guardians took the field for a pre-game practice, the Chicago White Sox greeted them with a playlist of somber, sleep-inducing ballads at Rate Field.
The speakers at Rate Field crackled to life Tuesday as the Cleveland Guardians stepped onto the grass. but the music echoing through the stadium was anything but a high-energy pump-up mix. Instead. the Chicago White Sox’ audio staff curated a deliberate. melancholic soundtrack for the Guardians’ workout. transforming the atmosphere into an exercise in psychological gamesmanship.
As the visitors prepared for Wednesday’s pivotal Game 3 of the American League Division Series. the playlist opened with the unmistakable opening chords of Boyz II Men’s “End Of The Road.” The message was clear: the Guardians. who currently trail the best-of-five series 2-0. were being serenaded by their opponent’s own version of a swan song.
The selections remained consistently downbeat. The mix cycled through The Sundays’ “Here’s Where the Story Ends. ” Daniel Powter’s “Bad Day. ” and R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts.” The auditory assault continued with the soothing. mid-tempo pacing of Savage Garden’s “Truly Madly Deeply. ” Paula Cole’s “I Don’t Want to Wait. ” and The Cranberries’ “Linger.”.
Beyond the audio. the center-field video board broadcast White Sox season highlights. layering visual reminders of Chicago’s success over the somber tunes. The setlist rounded out with the Crash Test Dummies’ “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm. ” Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight. ” Sixpence None the Richer’s “Kiss Me. ” and Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars.”.
This isn’t the first time the organization has used the public address system to target a Cleveland visitor. In April 2002. a team music director famously played Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” to greet Cleveland pitcher Chuck Finley—a pointed jab referencing Finley’s divorce from actress Tawny Kitaen. who had starred in the band’s music videos. The fallout from that incident was swift, resulting in the director’s termination the following day.
For the Guardians, the distraction comes just one day before they face the reality of elimination. The pressure of the 3 p.m. matchup—to be broadcast on TBS, truTV, and 1000-AM—now includes the lingering echoes of a playlist designed to ensure their time in Chicago is as uncomfortable as possible.
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