World Series 2024 Songs

Freddie's big hit vs Yankee's Trashmen

The 2024 World Series is, and will be, one of the most discussed and debated of our time.

The two biggest franchises are facing off— the biggest payrolls, the best records, and the most famous names. If you are not a Dodger or Yankee fan, you probably hate them with the power of a thousand suns. There is no neutral. The only downside of this super-team matchup, is that one of them has to win. One of these teams, and their fans, get a parade and years of bragging rights. Gross. 

Nevertheless, every victorious team needs a theme song. The 1979 “We Are Family” Pittsburgh Pirates is the preeminent team/song combo for me (I was 10 years old, bullseye age for baseball fandom). For the 2024 Dodgers and Yankees, TTSS recommends two songs recycled from past World Series winners. 

Within days of the Dodgers 1981 World Series victory over the Yankees, someone at Warner Bros Records thought it was a great idea to get four Dodger players in a studio to sing Queen’s “We Are The Champions,” a platinum-selling hit in 1977. The results are more horrific than you can imagine.

Not only was a 7” single released, but the quartet of Steve Yeager, Rick Monday, Jay Johnstone, and Jerry Reuss went on a promotional tour, performing on Merv Griffin, The Tonight Show, and… Solid Gold.

I had to watch this with one hand in front of my eyes, like a bloody slasher movie. I am shook.

“Yeager was by far the best singer,” Johnstone wrote in his autobiography, Temporary Insanity. “Of course that was after they added an echo chamber and backup singers to drown him out.” Children’s Hospital of Orange County received “proceeds” from the record’s sales. Those poor children. 

There are certain truisms preached around the TTSS offices. “Louie Louie” is a cornerstone of western civilization. No debate or discussion will be held on this point. Out-of-town scores should be displayed AT ALL TIMES in Major League ballparks. There is no such thing as a bad cover of The Trashmen’s “Surfin’ Bird.” 

This last platitude is tested with the following Yankees-centric version released after their 1977 World Series win over the Dodgers. This miraculous slab of vinyl is from Rotten Rat Records, a New York novelty label founded in 1971.

We present to you: The Fowls’ (ha) “The Yanks Are The Champs.”

So many questions remain for this World Series. Will Ohtani return? Will Judge ever get the big hit? When (not if) will Dave Roberts screw up?

The question we have definitively answered here is what song will be played on repeat during the locker room champaign celebration: NEITHER OF THESE SONGS. THEY’RE ANNOYING. But we are so, so happy they exist and are thrilled to share them with you. Happy World Series-ing!