Walkout songs have been a big topic of discussion this year and most of the focus has been on elite closing pitcher Edwin Diaz and his walkout song “Narco” by Timmy Trumpet.

There is no doubt that the rousing trumpet tune is a great walkout song that strikes fear into the hearts of opposing batters late in the 9th. The Mets were set up for a deep run into the playoffs, with Diaz looking to be a key part of that run. 

Despite this, the Mets lost in the wildcard. There’s no reason to talk about them.

The Cleveland Guardians didn’t. That’s who we’ll focus on. We’ll get back to the songs in a bit, but for now, some background:

When the Guardians entered a rebuild in 2021, it was expected to take a while for them to compete again. Coming into 2022, the Guards would need a lot of rookies and younger players to contribute if they wanted to be competitive.

One of those rookies was Oscar Gonzalez, a 25 year old outfielder/designated hitter who has been in the Cleveland organization since he was 16. He looked good from the very first game, where his beautiful swing earned him a hit in his first major league at-bat.

As the season went on, he had his ups and downs, but as the playoff race heated up so too did his bat. He finished the season with a very respectable .297 batting average to go with a .327 on-base percentage and .461 slugging percentage. 

These percentages were not unexpected, as he was a great hitter in the minor leagues as well. Along with batting prowess, another thing also followed him up to the big leagues: his walkout song.

Every time Gonzalez walks to the plate at home in Progressive Field, the same words can be heard:

 “Are ya ready kids? Aye aye, captain! I can’t hear you! Aye aye, captain!”

The shanty that follows is familiar to millions that grew up in the 2000s, or even just lived through them.  The theme song to Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants blasts over the speakers as Gonzalez steps up. 

While most walkout songs are primarily an in-stadium experience, the SpongeBob theme can typically be heard loud and clear over the broadcast. 

Sometimes, it is a victorious song, as Jose Ramirez, the batter before him, has just gotten on base and put Gonzalez in a position to score a few runs. Other times, the joyous melody comes in sharp contrast to the strikeout fans just watched.

When asked about the song by Sports Illustrated, Gonzalez said that he uses it “because kids love that song and this is a kid’s game after all”. 

Fans have embraced it, with Gonzalez earning “SpongeBob” as a nickname, or “Spongebomb” when he does well. A few fans have even begun dressing up as the yellow sponge during games, often appearing on the broadcast.

On Oct 8, the song played at the start of the bottom of the final inning. The Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays were in extra innings and not just any extra innings. Typically, people think of extras as being a 10th or 11th inning— this game was in the 15th. 

Neither team had scored in the game and the Rays were running out of relievers. Corey Kluber, a Cleveland legend as a starting pitcher who won two Cy Young Awards with the team in the 2010s, was in for one of the first relief appearances of his career.

Back where it began for him, Kluber hoped to keep things scoreless and go to the 16th. Gonzalez had other plans. The crowd roared as he stepped to the plate and the theme blasted from the speakers. One run here and the Guardians sweep the Rays and advance into the second round of the playoffs.

Kluber delivered the first pitch, missing the zone for a ball. Now 21 pitches deep, he prepared his primary pitch, a cutter that typically comes in around 86 miles per hour in the high right corner of the zone. This time, he has the velocity, at 85 mph, but he does not have the location he wants. The ball is in the lower left corner of the zone and Gonzalez swings hard.

There was never any doubt.

It’s an absolute bomb, a SpongeBomb, with an exit velocity of 107.5 mph and a distance of 409 feet. The fans are seen losing their minds in the left field stands where the ball lands. Ballgame.

The Guardians advance to the American League Divisional Series, where they are now playing the Yankees. In the first two games in the Bronx Gonzalez will not get his walkout song, but the Yankees better be afraid of the legend of Spongebomb when the series goes back to Ohio.