Adams¡¯ big reason for ¡®All the Small Things'
Rookie catcher: 'Blink holds a special place in my heart'
Jessica Camerato
@jessicacameratoMILWAUKEE -- The moment the familiar beat blares inside Nationals Park, there¡¯s no mistaking who is coming to the plate.
The catchy notes are for catcher Riley Adams, whose walk-up song selection of Blink-182¡¯s 21-year-old smash hit ¡°All the Small Things¡± has quickly become a crowd pleaser since he was acquired from the Blue Jays last month.
¡°I¡¯m a diehard Blink fan,¡± Adams, 25, said with a big smile.
The San Diego-based band wasn¡¯t just a local influence for Adams growing up in Encinitas, Calif. The connection hit much closer to home -- literally. Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker lived in Adams¡¯ neighborhood in the early 2000s. When the band would get together at Barker¡¯s house, Adams would go outside and hear the sounds of them performing nearby.
¡°Blink would just be playing backyard concerts, so we could just sit in our driveway and listen to them play,¡± he said.
After Adams moved to another area growing up, a new neighbor coincidentally had a studio where the band had recorded music. Adams toured it and basked in the coincidence.
¡°It was just the ultra-small world,¡± he said. ¡°Like, I can¡¯t escape Blink.¡±
As the time came for Adams to pick a walk-up song at the University of San Diego, the decision was a no-brainer. He¡¯s carried it with him throughout his rise to the Major Leagues, where one of his favorite memories occurred in his first short season in Vancouver.
¡°It got to the point where when I would come up to hit, [and] once the song stopped because the at-bat was starting, the fans would keep singing it,¡± Adams said. ¡°They would keep going, and it would be a couple pitches into the at-bat and they¡¯re getting to the chorus and everything. I¡¯m like, ¡®This is cool.¡¯ That was pretty special.¡±
Of all Blink-182¡¯s hits, Adams¡¯ favorite actually is ¡°First Date,¡± which coincidentally was played at American Family Field between innings on Saturday as part of the Brewers¡¯ ¡°2000s Weekend¡±-themed series. He enjoys ¡°All the Small Things,¡± though, for its connection with the crowd.
¡°It¡¯s easily their most popular -- it¡¯s kind of an anthem,¡± he said. ¡°You hear it and you go, ¡®Oh yeah, I know that song. I remember listening to that.¡¯ At some point, I feel like everyone had a moment there. It¡¯s just kind of fun, and I¡¯ve enjoyed that.¡±
Adams has put meeting Blink-182 on his bucket list, and he would have ¡°a million¡± questions he¡¯d like to ask after watching ¡°way too many documentaries¡± about them. Until that happens, he is bringing the happiness of one of their greatest hits to fans at Nationals Park.
¡°Blink holds a special place in my heart,¡± he said.