The Cubs have now called ‘Smack My Bitch Up’ an ‘irresponsible music selection…’
First, a little back story: earlier this year, Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman was suspended for 30 games for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic abuse policies. Chapman isn’t technically a wife beater: he was accused of choking his girlfriend and firing 8 shots in the air at his Florida residence, though prosecutors never pursued the case, citing lack of evidence.
Chapman’s attorney denied the charges, though the MLB went forward with their own sanctions, part of a new set of policies related to domestic violence. That seriously confused Chapman’s career, including a pending trade, and left a cloud of accusations over his head.
Fast-forward to this past weekend, and Chapman was called up by the Cubs to pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals. Upon his return,Wrigley Field thought it would be appropriate to play Prodigy’s ‘Smack My Bitch Up’ as Chapman’s intro music.
For those unfamiliar with the lyrics to this song, they go like this (source: MetroLyrics):
“Change my pitch up
Smack my bitch up
Change my pitch up
Smack my bitch up
Change my pitch up
Smack my bitch up
Change my pitch up
Smack my bitch up
Smack my bitch up
Eaaaheeyheeaheyyyee
Aaahaaahaaaaaaaaaaahha
Eaaaheeyheeaheyyyee
Aaahhaaaaa
Aaahhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa”
The Prodigy track, from 1997, is actually pretty well known in 2016 (it’s also pretty cutting edge given EDM’s current surge). Either way, the lyrics are pretty recognizable even if you’re hearing it for the first time, which led to the immediate fallout on Twitter and other channels.
The Cubs have now reacted, apologizing for the “irresponsible music selection” while “terminating [their] relationship with the employee responsible.” Here’s the full apology issued:
“We apologize for the irresponsible music selection during our game last night. The selection of this track showed a lack of judgment and sensitivity towards an important issues. We have terminated our relationship with the employee responsible for making the selection and will be implementing stronger controls to review and approve music during public broadcast of our games.”
Wrigley Field image by atalou, CC by 2.0.