How Garrett Stubbs Became The Phillies’ Clubhouse DJ

In his two seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, catcher Garrett Stubbs has performed in simply 87 of a doable 324 video games — par for the course once you’re backing up J.T. Realmuto, generally referred to by Phillies followers because the “BCIB” (Greatest Catcher in Baseball). However regardless of his restricted time on the sphere, Stubbs has turn out to be one of the beloved and recognizable Phils for his function because the group’s preeminent Clubhouse Man — in addition to their anointed post-game DJ.  

With the Phils’ locker room turning into Philadelphia’s hottest membership over their 5 playoff collection victories throughout 2022-23, Stubbs has additionally turn out to be one of many metropolis’s most influential aux-cord wielders together with his celebratory alternatives, collected in his publicly out there “Phils Win” Spotify playlist (practically 30,000 likes). Probably the most well-known of the bunch, Tiësto’s remix of Calum Scott’s cowl of Robyn’s “Dancing on My Personal,” caught a lot native warmth after it grew to become the Phils’ unlikely postseason anthem in 2022, which propelled the track again onto the Billboard charts, making the Digital Tune Gross sales high 10 final October.  

Under, Stubbs talks with Billboard about how he grew to become The Man for soundtracking the group’s champagne-soaked celebrations, in addition to why his membership loves an excellent dance remix, and whether or not they’ll ever be capable of get away from “Dancing on My Personal.”  

How did you turn out to be the type of official group DJ/Spotify playlist curator right here?  

Any person’s gotta do it, and I’d say as a result of my function on the group so far as enjoying time goes is restricted, I simply grew to become the man who got here into the locker room after the video games to activate the music. As guys began to love sure songs, I simply began to build up those that everybody favored and put them right into a playlist. After which slowly however absolutely, there ended up being 1, 2, 20, 50, 100 songs on the playlist.  

Over the previous couple years, who else on the group have been your supporting curators? 

Schwarbs [Kyle Schwarber] is an enormous one. He’s actually a man that brings good vibes to the locker room. [Nick] Castellanos is one other one. He’s received very eclectic style in music — he’s an enormous J. Cole fan and likes to play something from rap all the way in which to ODESZA. And he’s an enormous fan of these two — in the event you stroll into the locker room and both a type of two is enjoying, he undoubtedly received ahold of the sticks.  

Do you want a type of quorum of group approval to place a track on the playlist? Are there any instances that you just attempt to sneak one on that you just like — or do that you must have, like, a pair co-signs earlier than you set one on the official group playlist?  

No, I put random songs on there on a regular basis. [Laughs.] So I typically will identical to a track and put it on there, after which it’ll play within the locker room at sure instances of the day, or after the sport, and when the track comes on, I’ll simply across the locker room and see what vibe I’m getting from all people. And if it’s good, it stays, and if it’s not good, it will get taken off shortly.

Do you bear in mind any instances you bought a very dangerous response to a track you have been enthusiastic about? 

Not a lot a foul response — I imply, generally guys recover from songs. Like now we have Waka Flocka [Flame] on there — Schwarbs is an enormous Waka Flocka fan, so he’ll put Waka Flocka on there. And at instances, if we get an excessive amount of Waka, it will get worn out shortly. However there are different songs on there that come and go as post-game music. However the high 4 songs are at all times [Shouse’s] “Love Tonight,” [Calum Scott’s cover of] “Dancing on My Personal,” [Trey Lewis’] “D–ked Down in Dallas” after which [Alabama’s] “Dixieland Delight.”  

However we make trades through the 12 months, proper? And we attempt to make guys really feel comfy as quickly as they recover from. And that’s how “Dixieland Delight” received on there. We received D-Rob [David Robertson] traded over from the Cubs, and he was an Alabama man, so we shortly placed on “Dixieland Delight.” And it ended up sticking in 2023! But it surely’s simply a great way of getting guys linked — particularly, like, Latin gamers who there’s a language barrier with. So now we have Latin songs on there as effectively, for individuals to take pleasure in.  

Do you add to it within the offseason?

No, I’ll hearken to new music on a regular basis. Sadly I really feel like there hasn’t been a ton of nice music popping out. I don’t understand how you are feeling about that, however… 

Effectively, you’re working for a really particular objective — perhaps individuals like the brand new Lana Del Rey album, however I’m positive that’s not gonna make it onto the post-game playlist.  

Little doubt. Yeah. I’ve been listening to — there’s numerous good nation music that comes out, however such as you mentioned, it’s not essentially the vibe after a win to hearken to friggin’ Chris Stapleton or like, a gradual Morgan Wallen track or one thing. However we had huge Dua Lipa love in 2022, beginning with Kyle Gibson. And so the “Chilly Coronary heart” track received placed on there. And that’s sort of the vibe we wish to go along with.  

Do songs ever get nixed for being dangerous luck? Like in the event you hear a track earlier than an enormous loss, or it’s the primary track that will get performed after an enormous loss, are you ever like, “All proper, that track’s not a part of the vibe, we gotta get it out of right here?” 

Effectively, so final 12 months, we tried to eliminate “Dancing on My Personal.” Which didn’t go very effectively at the start of the season. And so we ended up placing that again on. However we went by way of plenty of completely different songs. I do know that Juicy J was at one level getting performed. I placed on “Erryday” by Juicy J after wins. That shortly received axed. There was one other J. Cole track that received performed after wins — that was just a bit too gradual. And like, you’re wanting across the league, there’s most likely songs that get performed which might be in a number of locker rooms. So we attempt to hold it unbiased to ours. I’m positive at one level “All I Do Is Win” was identical to the track that everybody performed.  

We attempt to avoid the superstition half. Like, enjoying “Dancing on My Personal” after wins isn’t a superstition for us — it’s only a good vibe. Everybody appears to be having a smile on their face. But additionally the connection that we received to have with the followers throughout that was fairly cool.  

So I’m positive you’ve talked about it one million instances by now, however when do you know that “Dancing on My Personal” was connecting in that method?  

Effectively, the humorous factor is that every one the music that received performed within the locker room, not that it wasn’t alleged to get out of the locker room, however that was actually not the intent at first. We mainly have been simply enjoying sure songs, I began curating a playlist truthfully simply to make it straightforward to play the songs after the sport — we might simply click on play on the playlist after which it will run by way of all of the songs. At no level did I believe your entire metropolis was going to seek out my Spotify! After which understand that there was a “Phils Win” playlist. After which subsequent factor I do know, there was 1,000 individuals liking it, 5,000, 10,000, I believe it’s as much as like 20 or 25,000 now… 

You’re nearly as much as 30 now.   

OK, yeah. In order that wasn’t the intent out the gate. However I believe it’s a cool method for followers to kinda get a style of what goes on within the locker room. I believe followers take pleasure in seeing that aspect of our group. I believe additionally they see that outdoors of the music, simply how we work together with one another on the sphere. And now we have a really distinctive, enjoyable method of connecting with the individuals of Philly.  

That track particularly, although — when do you know that that was going to be the track that individuals most related to you guys? 

I don’t assume we ever thought that individuals have been going to affiliate themselves with it outdoors the locker room. I believe we simply kinda felt prefer it was an excellent vibe after we have been listening to it contained in the locker room. After which, in a short time, individuals discovered that that was our track contained in the locker room, after which they began connecting with it. That sort of simply occurred organically, which — I believe that’s how the perfect issues in life occur, proper? You don’t actually intend for them to be a sure method, however simply over time, individuals simply get drawn to a sure factor.  

Typically, simply the vibe, the sensation that you just get once you hear the track, is upbeat — Tiësto did an excellent job remixing it as a result of clearly the unique is slightly slower. So I believe the remix provides an excellent vibe, and hastily you kinda get your head bobbin’, and it provides you good emotions inside, with the affiliation of the profitable a part of it, together with simply the sound that you just get from listening to the track, is at all times optimistic.  

I did discover, skimming the highest of the playlist — and I’ve heard it within the locker room too — there’s numerous dance remixes of non-dance songs. That appears to sort of be a candy spot for you guys.   

Yeah, I personally love bringing slightly little bit of home vibe to an outdated track. Seeing a few of these new artists grabbing actually nice classics, after which remixing them with slightly extra fashionable home sounds that you just weren’t essentially in a position to make once they have been making these songs, I actually take pleasure in it.  

So with 30,000 individuals following this playlist, do you ever hear it outdoors the locker room?   

Effectively, after we might win we might go over to Xfinity Stay, and instantly the DJ would begin enjoying each single track from the playlist. We might have fun within the locker room, after which afterwards we might go to Xfinity and have fun once more, and they might deliver out those self same songs. It was at all times enjoyable watching the response of the followers to sure songs. My favourite track on the playlist [laughs] to have enjoyable with is “D–ked Down in Dallas.”  

I imply “Dancing on My Personal” is clearly an unbelievable track, and related to the entire metropolis. However “D–ked Down in Dallas” is simply such a enjoyable track for all of us to have enjoyable to, and at any time when we’d go to Xfinity and watch everybody else sing together with it, it was hilarious to us.  

Have you considered what the subsequent in line track can be if “Dancing on My Personal” wasn’t working anymore? 

I imply, we’ve thought of it lots, proper? We tried to eliminate it this final 12 months. And I don’t even wanna use the phrases “eliminate,” however we tried to maneuver on from it and discover one thing new and recent. And we ended up reverting again to it. I believe the followers have sure emotions about bringing it again in 2024, which I completely perceive — once you don’t win the World Sequence, numerous followers really feel prefer it’s not successful. And us gamers really feel the identical method, too. However there was numerous success — not simply with the track, however with the group for the previous few years — so we do have numerous actually good recollections, and I hope that finally we simply do discover a new track that provides us an excellent vibe and a brand new good vitality that individuals can join with.