"And the rest is history" - Orioles' rising star Gunnar Henderson credits loved one for picking his electrifying walk-up song 'Sweet Escape'
Baltimore Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson has been the club's best hitter and is one of the strong contenders for winning the AL MVP this year. When Henderson walks up to the plate, "The Sweet Escape" from Gwen Stefani plays, leaving the crowd cheering for the third baseman.
On Wednesday, MLB.fit released a sideline interaction with Henderson, where the slugger revealed the brains behind picking this iconic song.
"I mean, I've always liked the song and then I had kickstart in my heart for the longest time throughout the minor leagues and then just kind of got up here and wasn't meshing too well and I just kind of wanted something to get the fans into it," Henderson said.
"So yeah, my older brother and I just kind of brainstormed a little bit and he said, why not try this? And then we decided on that and the rest is history."
Born to Allen Henderson and Kerry Henderson, Gunnar Henderson is the middle child of the couple. His older brother, Jackson, also played for Auburn Tigers and currently plays in the softball league. His younger brother, Cade is also aspiring for a career in baseball and may soon join Gunnar in the majors.
Gunnar Henderson to compete in 2024 MLB Home Run Derby
This year's MLB Home Run Derby will see arrival of a new face in Gunnar Henderson, who will join Pete Alonso, Alec Bohm, Bobby Witt Jr. Teoscar Hernandez, Marcell Ozuna, Jose Ramirez and Adolis Garcia to complete the eight-slugger fest, which will be played on Monday at Globe Life Field.
Henderson hit 28 home runs in his 2023 AL Rookie of the Year campaign. He has nearly matched that total with 27 HRs in just the first half of the 2024 season.
Gunnar Henderson has a chance to create history by joining former Orioles stars Cal Ripken Jr. (1991) and Miguel Tejada (2004) as the only shortstops to have won the Home Run Derby.
The following day, Henderson will start at shortstop for the American League Team for this year's Midsummer Classic.