Here’s another guest post, this one from Tom. Â Since the booing epidemic has spread to the Bronx, it seemed like a good topic.
Shannon,
In regard to the growing problem of booing (viciously) at games, particularly the home team, I’d offer these varieties that I believe have surfaced in the past decade and a half, those which have not been around forever, as some of their ilk would try to claim:
1) Uneducated. Booing a player every time they make an out.
Sure, certain players have been booed in the past, but what happened recently to guys like Roger Cedeno and Kaz Matsui, and now happens to Luis Castillo, is simply stupid and shows that you have no grasp for the game.
Remember, 3 for 10, a .300 average, is considered great in baseball, so resigning yourself to booing someone every time they make an out is beyond being oblivious to what you are watching. Matsui, in particular, was – and still is – a good Major Leaguer, but he was not the superstar here that they thought he’d be. So what? He should never have left here, but the Mets had to let him go, for his own good.
2) Unenlightened and/or unoriginal. Booing someone simply because others in the crowd do, or because factions of the media are harsh on said player.
These people – the followers – are the worst, since they have no mind of their own.  These are the ones who also throw back a home run ball from a visiting player, the absolute most idiotic thing done by spectators at any sporting event. Cub fans in the bleachers at Wrigley started the nonsense of throwing back visitors home run balls decades ago, proving how bitter they had become at not having won since the Dead Ball Era. Those in all other parks who do this now are not only dumb, but unoriginal, as well. Any ball from a Major League game is a treasure for a real fan. Nobody who understands the special skills on display at any MLB park would throw a game used baseball back.
3) Disrespectful. booing great players, simply because they are on the other team.
I’ll gladly give you booing players on Division rivals, like Chipper Jones or Jimmy Rollins (although those guys do generally play better when you goad them). But, the nasty booing of Albert Pujols and Ken Griffey, Jr. particularly in recent years, is what I refer to. You don’t have to cheer the other team’s stars, but you should at least respect the game by quietly acknowledging the greats you are fortunate enough to see. No one at Shea in its first decades would ever have booed Mays, McCovey, Aaron, Clemente, etc. We respected the game.
4) Cowards – booing anyone who comes from Japan.
A personal one of mine, which obviously also includes Matsui. To those who boo a player from Japan, I challenge you to go to the other side of the world and perform a very difficult craft (which you probably don’t have anyway) in front of millions, in a land where you don’t speak the language or know the customs.
I understand booing someone you think is not hustling, but overall, booing is a self-serving activity, which when done to your own team, can only hurt the team. When Fernando Martinez was booed mercilessly for not running out a pop-up in his debut last year, it was way over the top. He made a mistake, a bad one, and he’d hear about it from teammates, coaches and the manager. But the booing that night was typical of the loud, nasty booing that has surfaced and festered in the past 15 years, from what is a much less intelligent crowd, overall.
Think I’m wrong? Consider this: At the beginning of every sporting event these days, the PA announcer says “Please rise and remove your cap for the singing of the National Anthem.†Why is that? Because they know how dumb a large portion of the fantasy/rotisserie crowd is now. You never had to announce “’remove your cap†in the past – that was a given. All-in-all, the mean-spirited and nasty booing that has become the norm in so many ballparks, especially both New York ones, shows an ignorance that is beyond anyone who knows or loves the game
Shannon’s take: so far I have been to three games. Â I found the Opening Day crowd stupid when they booed Ollie, the game I went to with Media Goon in the 400s was the worst – he had to ask the Mets to change his seats. Â When we sat in $136 seats everyone was well behaved – well except for the large gentlemen a little too obsessed with the beer man. Â Sit down fellas. Â One beer, cool. Â Two beers, fine. Â If your whole day is about the beer man….
I also noticed a lot of people who dont take their hats off during the national anthem. I don’t get it. The last game I went to I saw quite a few people who didn’t stand or take off their caps…they just sat and ate and drank while the anthem was sung.
Most of this is good stuff, but I just wanted to mention that times have changed. Just because things were different in “the good old days” doesn’t mean they were better. Guys like Chipper get it. His being booed by Mets fans is (mostly) a sign of respect. Guys generally ‘earn’ boos by doing well against the Mets. It’s part of the rivalry, the interaction, the reason fans at baseball games are so close. Pujols, one of those greats, has hurt the Mets, has made negative comments about our pitchers, so we boo him. We want him to fail. That’s how it goes.
Yeah, coming from Japan is hard. so is Cuba. But, big deal. Their heritage is notbeing booed, or they personal situation, but their identity as an opposing baseball player. Booing isn’t (shouldn’t be, often isn’t) personal.
As far as the Anthem goes, the world of hats and caps and that sorta thing was a different place back then. And don’t get me started on God Bless America.
What’s the reason for removing the cap for the Anthem anyway? Most people probably don’t know, hence not understanding why they should. I’ve never been a fan of doing things “just because it’s what we do” I thought it was related to a way of life that’s mostly defunct these days.
Quick couple of searches seems to reveal that it’s related to the public/private idea of wearing a hat in public and removing at as a sign of respect/reveal to people you respect/when you enter a home, etc. Similiar to bowing, knights flipping up their helmet to show their face, etc.
The only ‘reason’ I’m finding right now for the Anthem is related to the flag.
I was with you until this line:
“Because they know how dumb a large portion of the fantasy/rotisserie crowd is now.”
I don’t see what fantasy baseball has to do with anything else in this post. Most of the people that I see booing in the stands are people I would find surprising that they play fantasy.
Also, ever since I can remember (I’m 24) the PA has always said “rise and remove your caps” so I don’t get the bitching about that either. The other thing I don’t get is saying “rise and remove your caps” for God Bless America, it’s not the national anthem so I never remove my cap for it.
I’m not getting into the National Anthem debate, because if you want to be technical, you should also not walk around during the National Anthem AND you should not clap until the song is over and the PA announcer recognizes the performer, as in, “Ladies and gentleman, Carrie Underwood.” Anthem ettitque can be a post all to itself.
Here’s what I want to say about booing. Zach’s right. It has nothing to do with being young or playing fantasy baseball. (I’m 25 and have been playing in my family roto league since I was 9.) I don’t boo. I only boo a blown umpiring call or opposing players. The only time I ever booed a Met was Glavine in the ’07 finale. I don’t see the point. Because I love this team. I like for April-September and hopefully October and I want them to feel comfortable and succeeed, especially at their home ballpark.
The new breed of fan that boos everything that walks knows no age, no income or intelligence level. Quite frankly, it’s the spoiled fan. The instant gratitifation fan. The “I want my championship and I want it NOW” fan, who truly believes these guys either live to serve him or should be resented because they make a ton of money or just because their life isn’t good enough and they need an outlet to vent their frustations. No matter the case, I’m against it. I understand we all pay our money to go to these games and freedom of speech and all that. But ask yourself this: Going to games isn’t cheap. With the economy the past 2 years, you really have to cherish baseball and WANT to spend your disposal income on going to the ballpark. So if all you want to do is go, get drunk and then scream and boo at guys who are trying to perform at the highest level of athletism in the country…I have to ask…do you enjoy it? I mean…really? I have to believe that if that’s your goal at the ballpark, your time and money can be spent on better things.
that should be “I live for April-Spetember.” fast and furious typing does me in every time.
I’m glad your post touches on the “respectful” booing of certain division rivals. These are the big bats that can hurt the Mets, and the heary booing that greets a Jimmy Rollins at the plate is a sign of respect.
A classic moment at Shea occurred when Mike Piazza returned with the Padres. Fans may recall that he received a standing ovation and was called out for a curtain call after hitting a home run against the Mets. When he hit his second homer in the game he was booed enthusiastically and respectfully as a dangerous rival.
Removing the cap during the National Anthem, yes. But for God Bless America at Yankee Stadium?! An Army Camp Song by Irving Berlin. If it wasn’t for Kate Smith and the Flyers, who’d remember it?
I was at the Yankees game yesterday and it was refreshing to hear stupidity from people other than Mets fans. People were riding Vasquez all day and I’m not sure why? He didn’t pitch great but after a rough start he settled in and gave them a quality-ish start. It was not pretty, but it wasn’t horrible either. Not to mention that with the Yanks lineup they should win those types of games. They just didn’t hit yesterday.
My next trip to Citi will be Monday. Curious to see if any idiots boo Jackie Robinson.
@randy you’d have to be a complete idiot to boo Jackie Robinson. I was at Yankee last night, Matsui got a nice hand (including from me) but after he homered he also got a nice hand which confused me. Didn’t he just score against the Yankees. I am told the same happened with Piazza.
I get it pre-game, but if Tom Seaver is wearing a Reds uniform I’m rooting for him to take the L. (Well maybe a no-decision in Tom’s case.)
Great post. I’m on board with just about all of it. I agree that the fantasy/rotisserie line doesn’t hold water, and I must say, while Mets fans certainly do an inordinate amount of booing (Ollie on Opening Day was stupid; the training staff, I felt, was a bit clever), I mostly thought of Yankee fans while reading this. Your team won the freakin’ Series last year and made improvements over the winter. You have little ground to stand on to justify any booing this year. Certain isolated incidents — a player not hustling or doing something stupid — might warrant it. But not “just because.” Like for Vazquez. Just because he was bad in his one previous year and has had two rocky starts to begin 2010? Not enough to bring the booing.
As for the national anthem, the standing and removing the cap is for the presentation of the flag, not for the song itself. And yes, it’s more than standing and taking off your cap — as a sign of respect, you should also stop walking. Concession stands should not conduct business. If you’re already at the urinal, you’re gonna have to finish, I guess. (I haven’t looked this up; it’s what I remember from Boy Scouts or some history class in 4th grade or something. The possibility remains, however, that I remember it wrong.) I was at the Acela Club last Friday eating dinner when the anthem was sung. Everyone in the restaurant — patrons and staff — stopped and stood for it, even if we weren’t near the windows to see it live.
As for God Bless America, it’s just a song. A song released in the late ’30s in response to Hitler’s rise in power, but written by a popular music composer. A pop star. When it is played at games these days, there is no presentation of the flag. Standing and removing caps is not required or necessary (except, apparently, in the police state in the Bronx), and I usually don’t.
Shannon: I was at the Piazza game. It was different because the HR didn’t really matter. (Did for the Yankees) The Mets were up something like 6-2 and it was a solo shot. His second home run still didn’t even put the game close. When he flew out to the warning track for what would’ve been a game-tying home run, we all breathed a sigh of relief.
With Seaver, you’d have rooted for the ND, 8innings, and the reliever to give it up.
I actually like America the Beautiful maybe to be played at 7th inning.
Shannon – Mets need a better main flagpole for the American Flag. Does anyone know what that area is behing the Bob’s ad that is kind of flat? Great place for the flag.
And why is everything an issue. The the anthem is played, stand up, take your hat off and cover your heart. Plain and simple. Problem is most in the stadium never lived during a real world war. Most it seems are spoiled and take everything for granted. I bet there grandparents if they went to Yankee Stadium, Polo Grounds and / or Ebberts Field took their hat off.
@jesse i have heard the flagpole suggestion from a few people. I never got fired up into posting, but feel encouraged to write a guest post.
I have attended numerous games outside out west, Las vegas (minors) and San Diego (glorified minors). These cities have LARGE military bases, when the tape recording of the Banner or the Beautiful start…everyone is up singing along with cap in hand. They also tell people to stand and remove their caps.
I disagree strongly with your opposition to booing. How does an organization measure the fans..empty seats. Nope once they are paid for they are full. The Asian player booing is simple racist behavior and pathetic. I have no problem with a guy who bought 10-20 game package, realizing 5, 50, or 100 games in that the product(individual player or team) he is backing is showing no effort or is simply bad. Letting the world know he will not accept this is his right. As long as he is not ruining the ball game for the other patrons…express yourself all day.
Last August September this board was booing the Mets daily and eating their 25 dollar tickets, some other fans used those tickets and booed in person…any difference?
The Jerry Manuel experience has exactly 2 weeks to go, enjoy the ride.