In the really old days a reliever would ride on a stylized golf cart with a customized roof made to look like the home team’s hat complete with logo and a brim. Then, relievers just started walking – the more energetic ones would run – in from the bullpen. Fan favorite Tug McGraw would come in slapping his glove against his right thigh all the way from the bullpen to the mound to psych himself up. Then came the advent of reliever’s “walk-in music” where the stadium speakers would blare some high energy song chosen by each particular reliever. Mariano Rivera used Metallica’s Enter Sandman while my favorite was Trevor Hoffman‘s Hell’s Bells from AC/DC.

Now, with the addition of huge video boards and smaller “ribbon” video boards all over the stadium, graphics have come into play. LED lighting in stadiums gives teams the ability to do a small scale light show to go along with the entrance.

Jhoan Duran and the Minnesota Twins perfected the entrance using all of the above elements and adding fan participation as they are invited to turn on the flashlight on their phone or just light up the screen and point them toward the field. For music, Duran uses El Incomprendido by Farruko, Victor Cardenas, and DJ Adoni. The music matches the entrance and excitement perfectly. The Phillies made sure that Duran’s entrance was acquired along with him when the Phillies dealt Mick Abel and Eduardo Tait to the Twins to get the reliever.

The entrance was so spectacular that NBC Sports Philadelphia showed Duran’s first entrance to the Citizens Bank Park mound after he was acquired. Fans were hooked! Rather than seeing some of the normal commercials that would normally run, fans “suggested” that NBCSP show the entrance every time that Duran enters a game. After the number of suggestions became kind of overwhelming, the commercials were dropped and Duran’s entrance will be shown when he enters. Since the display is not as dramatic in day games and is obviously not done on the road, the station will only show the entrance when the Phillies are playing a night game at home.

So, if you figure Duran is coming into a game, get your beer and other late game necessities ready ahead of time so you can watch the show unfold.