Not long after the Arizona Diamondbacks joined major-league
baseball in 1998, the team began a meteoric rise through the
National League ranks, culminating in a stunning win over the
New York Yankees at the 2001 World Series. And from the
start, the D-Backs' "musical mascot," keyboardist Bobby
Freeman, has been there to cheer the team on.
Bobby knows he has an incredible gig. "I've got a great seat,"
he says. "I'm on press level, right behind home plate, and I'm
looking out on the field at all times. I just play whatever I feel
like—standard tunes, classic rock, jazz—for about 40 minutes
pre-game. Then during the games, it's my job to be the head
cheerleader, to lead in the rally chants—things like 'Let's Go
D-Backs,' 'Mexican Hat Dance,' and 'Charge!'"
Freeman relies on a Yamaha Tyros2 keyboard to get the crowd
going. "I use it in various modes," he explains. "For something
like the 'Addams Family Theme,' I'll use one of the traditional
organ sounds. Sometimes I just use the drums or percussion
to get the people to clap along. I've used the Tyros2 in hundreds
of different ways to inspire the crowd to get loud and
support the Diamondbacks as they're up to bat. I just try to
keep the excitement flowing."
In fact, says Freeman, sometimes the Tyros2 sounds almost
too good: "I try to use the organ as the lead voice—otherwise,
people aren't sure if it's me playing, or a CD! If I'm using
Tyros2 voices like the flamenco guitar with the Latin samba
beat in the background, it sounds so good that you don't even
know it's me!"
In a typical baseball game Bobby plays about 30 different rally
chants—but the Tyros2 has tripled his musical options: "I can
do more like 90 different versions," he says. "I can take the
same rally chant and change the voicing. Instead of just playing
the 'Mexican Hat Dance' with the organ sound, now I can
do it with trumpets or guitars. It's opened up a whole new
world for me."
Bobby usually gets to decide what—and when—to play during the
games. "I'll size up the situation on the field," he says. "If nobody's
on base and there's a foul ball, I might play 'Mexican Hat Dance.' But
if there are two guys on base and the batter hits a foul, I'm more likely
to do 'Charge!' or 'We Will Rock You.'"
Freeman also knows when not to play. "There are major league rules
I have to follow," he explains. "As soon as a batter has his foot in the
box, the rules say we have to stop making any sort of audio noise or
visual movement so he can concentrate on the ball. It's a safety
issue."
Before joining the Diamondbacks, Freeman played keyboards for two
seasons with the San Diego Padres, preceded by eight years with the
Phoenix Firebirds, a now-defunct Triple-A team. But he got his real
start as a boy, playing organ in the roller rinks of Cleveland.
Eventually he moved on to ballroom dancing and relocated to
Arizona. "I did it because I appeal to the senior citizen market," he
says. "We have an area here called Sun City and Sun City West that
has over 100,000 seniors. I knew they would like my music, so I
moved out here to perform at the private country clubs and ballroom
dance clubs."
Bobby still plays ballroom gigs—entirely on the Tyros2. "I played a
50th anniversary last week at a country club," he recounts. "And the
guy said, 'I'm selling my 88-note piano—I want to get one of
these!'"
For Freeman, the Tyros2's best feature is its ease of use: "I can just
turn it on and play it, and know it's going to sound good. I'm confident
that when I select a rhythm, whether it's swing, classic rock,
Latin, or whatever, that I'm all set with the proper melody voices and
instrumentation. I can just start playing—I don't have to worry that
it's not going to sound right. You don't have to change anything. The
voicing is the best I've ever worked with. It's just ready to go."
The Tyros2 also accompanies Bobby on his official Diamondbacks
community relations appearances at schools, libraries, and charity
functions around Arizona. "Doing this kind of good work in the community
is one of the number-one parts of my job," he says. "I make
around 100 appearances a year, and the Tyros2 travels with me.
Yesterday I played at a 'cookie walk' with some disabled preschoolers
at one of the spring training facilities. They set up about nine
bases, and the kids walk around the bases with the players until I
stop the music, and then they get a prize. It's just great to bring such
happiness to people, from these kids all the way up to the seniors."
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