It was hard to refrain from dancing upon entering the Milwaukee Brewers Clubhouse Saturday. In honor of the one-year anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death, the locker room was in the midst of cranking MJ tunes at top volume all weekend.
“Always good to have Michael Jackson in the clubhouse going,” says Rickie Weeks. “Everybody grew up with it, everybody loves it.”
When I asked who the largest self-proclaimed Michael Jackson fan in the clubhouse might be, LaTroy Hawkins raised his hand.
“We’ve been playing this a couple of days now,” says Hawkins. “It’s in honor of the anniversary. You’ve got to show some respect, definitely.”
Seeing as though the players spend a fair amount of time before games psyching themselves up, the Michael Jackson music seemed to be a universal player-pleaser above anything I’ve heard yet. Players weren’t moonwalking, but offered up MJ singing impersonations and high-pitched “woo-hoo’s” from all corners of the room.
“Everybody likes it, it’s up-tempo,” says Hawkins. “I had a black jacket I remember and the white glove. I listened to it when I was growing up and I still do.”
No word on whether Hawkins still owns his jacket and glove. However, many thanks to Michael Jackson, because the players seem to wanna’ be starting something.

