{"id":79168,"date":"2019-04-20T21:31:06","date_gmt":"2019-04-21T02:31:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=79168"},"modified":"2019-04-20T21:31:06","modified_gmt":"2019-04-21T02:31:06","slug":"tuned-up-whats-behind-northwestern-baseballs-air-guitar-craze","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/tuned-up-whats-behind-northwestern-baseballs-air-guitar-craze\/","title":{"rendered":"Tuned up: What’s behind Northwestern baseball’s air guitar craze?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Andre Toran<\/strong>
\nMedill Reports<\/em><\/p>\n

Baseball, more than any major sport in America, is all about its unwritten rules.<\/p>\n

Its traditionalistic nature doesn\u2019t carry the celebratory flair basketball or football does. There aren\u2019t pre-planned touchdown celebrations. No, \u2018And one!\u2019 screams or arms extended in celebration, as the pointer finger and the thumb meet to form a three. And no, there\u2019s no Lance Stephenson-esque air guitars.<\/p>\n

Instead, the celebrations baseball fans usually see occur at the close of a game (a mosh pit at home plate after a walk-off, or outfielders meeting in center field after the game\u2019s last out for a celebratory handshake), but rarely within the game\u2019s confines.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

For baseball traditionalists, that would cross the line. Don\u2019t show up a pitcher with a bat-flip or admire a mammoth shot. Don\u2019t do this, don\u2019t do that. But in today\u2019s modern game, players are ignoring what traditionalists believe \u2018have no place in the sport.\u2019<\/p>\n

For many players, it\u2019s simple: If a pitcher is going to miss his spot or hang a breaking ball, then he is pitching at the risk of being taken yard or getting a ball crushed deep into a gap, warranting celebration.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s exactly what Northwestern catcher, Michael Trautwein did Saturday.<\/p>\n

On an 0-2 count on April 6 at Ohio State, Trautwein sat on a breaking ball and drove a slider in to the right field gap, rounded first and slid into second with an eighth-inning RBI double.<\/p>\n

What followed? An air guitar.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/NUCatsBaseball\/status\/1114638641752571905<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI brought it to life, and he gets one little double and now it\u2019s all on twitter and stuff,\u201d said Jack Dunn, the Big Ten\u2019s leading hitter (.383) and creator of NU\u2019s air guitar celebration, of Trautwein\u2019s celebration.<\/p>\n

Trautwein admitted Dunn was his muse, saying Jack created and adopted it as his patented celebration during practices, workouts and team competition periods.<\/p>\n

\u201cDunn was the one who invented it,\u201d Trautwein said but, \u201cI was the one who put it on the field.\u201d<\/p>\n

On an off-day in late March, Dunn hoisted up threes in a pickup game in Northwestern\u2019s SPAC gymnasium. After every make, Dunn mimicked the aforementioned Stephenson, extending his left arm, folding his right toward his stomach and began to strum.<\/p>\n

Watching Stephenson\u2019s antics with the Lakers throughout the season, he thought to himself: \u201cThis should be our double celebration.\u201d Meanwhile, eyes of envy fell over Trautwein; he \u201cloved\u201d the idea Dunn said.<\/p>\n

Before the OSU series, the two discussed when they\u2019d break the guitar out.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe and I actually had a conversation and he was like \u2018Man, I want to hit a triple so I can hit the air guitar.\u2019\u201d Trautwein said. \u201cAnd I was sitting there thinking, \u2018If I get a double, I\u2019m doing the air guitar.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

In humorous spite Dunn added: \u201cHe hit a double first, so he got the first chance to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trautwein stuck true to his word, and there the trend began. Hit after hit, swing after swing, the Wildcats tuned up their guitars, drawing inspiration from a sport and player known for self-praise.<\/p>\n

\"\"
NU second baseman Alex Erro air guitars after a double of his own, April 7 in a 10-4 over Ohio State University. (Carolyn Katz Photography)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Northwestern scored 30 runs that series and let the Buckeyes know it, feel it and, of course, hear it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think [celebration] makes the game more fun,\u201d Trautwein said. \u201cIt encourages energy, it gets people going and you play better.\u201d<\/p>\n

This comes during a high point for the Wildcats (16-16). They\u2019re 7-3 in their last 10 and have exploded offensively, scoring 88 runs during that stretch, and hit .357 in a series sweep at Ohio State; the birth of the air guitar.<\/p>\n

Hot bats and high spirits have become contagious, resulting in success. So why not celebrate?<\/p>\n

\u201cOur team is really confident right now, and when you\u2019re confident you play loose,\u201d Dunn said. \u201cIt\u2019s contagious. You score one, next thing you know everyone wants to score, everyone wants to hit.\u201d<\/p>\n

And everyone wants to celebrate.<\/p>\n

Photo at top: Northwestern catcher Michael Trautwein air guitars after doubling in the eight inning at Ohio State April 6. (Carolyn Katz Photigraohy)<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Andre Toran Medill Reports Baseball, more than any major sport in America, is all about its unwritten rules. Its traditionalistic nature doesn\u2019t carry the celebratory flair basketball or football does. There aren\u2019t pre-planned touchdown celebrations. No, \u2018And one!\u2019 screams or arms extended in celebration, as the pointer finger and the thumb meet to form […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":538,"featured_media":79173,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4741],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-79168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spring-2019"],"yoast_head":"\nTuned up: What's behind Northwestern baseball's air guitar craze? - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/tuned-up-whats-behind-northwestern-baseballs-air-guitar-craze\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tuned up: What's behind Northwestern baseball's air guitar craze? - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Andre Toran Medill Reports Baseball, more than any major sport in America, is all about its unwritten rules. Its traditionalistic nature doesn\u2019t carry the celebratory flair basketball or football does. There aren\u2019t pre-planned touchdown celebrations. 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