In the 2023 MLB playoffs, the Texas Rangers swept the Baltimore Orioles in the American League divisional series. The Rangers have advanced to the AL championship series, where they will face the Houston Asterisks. The Rangers’ secret weapon? Creed.
Yes, Creed, the ’90s band that, in the pantheon of music history, will be remembered as the beta version of Nickelback and booed as a straight rip-off of Pearl Jam. While Creed may have peaked almost 25 years ago, the band and their hit Higher is having a moment, thanks to the Rangers.
Things could always get weirder, so this isn’t so bad
Just believe it, Creed is the unofficial mascot of the team. The Rangers started out singing Creed songs on the bus like a high school team on the road to an away game, then graduated the band to their warmup routine. The players have gone so far as to come up with special handshakes to go along with the songs. Where are the videos of those? Maybe the fans could grab some footage at the next game for everyone. We want to learn the moves.
We all get to that place in different ways — no judgment — but we can’t give all of their success to the power of 2000s butt rock music. Bringing on shortstop Corey Seager from the Dodgers and pitcher Max Scherzer plucked from the Mets didn’t hurt things. Seager has bragging rights as the MVP in both the World Series and the National League Championship Series in 2020, with Scherzer’s postseason pitching stats posting impressive numbers as well. Creed’s old-school jams might be keeping the mental game sharp for the team, but the talent speaks for itself.
The need for Creed
Whatever works, and seeing as how the Rangers haven’t seen the ALCS since 2011 or the playoffs since 2016, leave their ways alone. Not everyone cranks Started from the Bottom to get in the zone. The Rangers have gone undefeated in the postseason, and if they make it to the World Series, you know Creed will have to make a performance. Target already carries ’90s Gadzooks fashion, so we’ll be ready. If NSYNC can throw us into a frenzy, why not Creed? Just bring it all back and give us something to look forward to.
In the game on Tuesday, the club asked the fans to sing along to Higher, even throwing up the lyrics on the screen so everyone could pretend they didn’t secretly rock out to Creed and already knew the song word for word. The band even heard about the love and tweeted a good luck shoutout to the team on Monday, making #NeedForCreed a thing. It all worked, and the Rangers won.
Nickelback versus Creed, settled
Putting your arms wide open for unconventional music doesn’t always help turn things around. The Angels found that out in 2022, when the coach wanted to end an embarrassing losing streak. Thinking to liven things up, he gave each player their own cool walk-up song. The problem was that it was all Nickelback songs, and the Angels went on to lose 14 games in a row to take home the title of the 50th-longest losing streak in MLB history. So, maybe Creed is better than Nickelback. There’s that feud sorted.
Dust off those old Human Clay CDs and be ready to sing with the Rangers as they continue their playoff journey. Since they’ve already leaned into Higher, maybe we’ll get to belt out bangers like My Sacrifice or Arms Wide Open next.
