Athletics Closer · 1975–1998 · Hall of Fame 2004

Dennis Eckersley Entrance Song

What was Dennis Eckersley's entrance song?

Dennis Eckersley's entrance song was "Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood with the Athletics during his 1975–1998 career. The Hall of Fame A's closer is commonly cited as entering to George Thorogood's “Bad to the Bone” during his dominant late-1980s run.

The Athletics' walkup culture is in a transition era — between the Oakland Coliseum and a Sacramento home in 2025-2027 before Las Vegas, the team's walkup moments have been quieter than usual. For more on the Athletics' walkup tradition and current roster picks, see the Athletics walkup page.

Set up a Eckersley-style walkup for your team

Want a kid on your team to come to the plate (or jog in from the bullpen) like Eckersley? It takes about a minute in Walkup Pro:

1. Add the player to your roster
2. Search "Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood and assign it
3. Set a custom trim so the best 15–20 seconds plays — for "Bad to the Bone" that's usually the hook, not the intro
4. Connect a Bluetooth speaker at the field and tap to play on game day

For more, see the greatest closer entrance songs in baseball and the anatomy of the perfect walkup song.

More walkup & entrance legends

• Mariano Rivera — "Enter Sandman" by Metallica
• Trevor Hoffman — "Hells Bells" by AC/DC
• Jonathan Papelbon — "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" by Dropkick Murphys
• Eric Gagné — "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses
• Billy Wagner — "Enter Sandman" by Metallica
• John Smoltz — "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC
• Randy Johnson — "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses
• Goose Gossage — "Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood