The sight was familiar, but the sound wasn’t as the game flipped to the ninth inning Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. Kenley Jansen jogged in from the Dodgers’ bullpen for a save situation as he has every year since 2012, but the ballpark DJ didn’t play “California Love.” Instead, Tupac’s “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted” thumped from the speakers towering over the center-field wall while Jansen prepared to protect a two-run lead against the Colorado Rockies.
“Just a new beginning, man,” Jansen said. “It’s time to start fresh.”
So, gone is the soundtrack of Jansen’s career, a song that became synonymous with his dominance at his peak.