Tigers Closer · 2003–2014

José Valverde Entrance Song

What was José Valverde's entrance song?

José Valverde's entrance song was "Ladies and Gentlemen" by Saliva with the Detroit Tigers during his 2003–2014 career. “Papa Grande” is documented entering to Saliva's “Ladies and Gentlemen,” a song that matched the animated Tigers closer's theatrical mound presence.

Detroit walkup culture leans heavy on Detroit hip hop — Eminem walkups have been a Tigers fixture for over 20 years, with Lose Yourself appearing on multiple players' playlists in any given season. For more on the Tigers' walkup tradition and current roster picks, see the Detroit Tigers walkup page.

Set up a Valverde-style walkup for your team

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

1. Add the player to your roster
2. Search "Ladies and Gentlemen" by Saliva and assign it
3. Set a custom trim so the best 15–20 seconds plays — for "Ladies and Gentlemen" 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
• Dennis Eckersley — "Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood