Things Baseball "Fans" Need To Stop Doing (Part 2)

Welcome to the sequel to my semi-popular post "Things Baseball Fans Need To Stop Doing" because let's face it, there are too many annoying things that fans do and it can't be contained in just one blog entry.

1. Wearing the wrong team attire at a game. If you're going to attend a baseball game, whether you're rooting for the home team or the visiting team, wear the right attire. It looks incredibly stupid to wear a an Angels hat to a Red Sox vs. Yankees game. It doesn't matter if you're an Angels fan - if they're not playing at the game you're at, what's the point of wearing the hat? If you're at the game because you were invited, understandable - but don't wear a hat (or jersey) of a team that's not playing. If you hate both teams, just wear regular clothes.

2. Being arrogant. I don't care if you've been a fan your whole life or a fan for only a couple of years - a fan is a fan. I've been watching/following baseball since I was 5. 20+ years of watching games, tracking stats, ect. For as long as I've followed the game, I will never be arrogant to think that I know everything or look down on a fan who's only been following for a few years. Baseball fans need to stop looking down on fans who have less experience with the game. If someone's a new fan with a genuine interest/love for the game, you should welcome them to the greatest sport on the planet.

3. Fan bashing at games. Not every fan that's at the ballpark is rooting for the home team. That doesn't mean they deserve to be verbally unfortunately sometimes physically assaulted for that. They're there to enjoy a game, just like you. Who cares if they're wearing a hat or jersey of the opposing team? If I'm at AT&T and I see a Dodgers fan, I'll say some jokes here and there but I'm not going to spend the entire game harassing them. In my mind, they're a fan that doesn't get to see their favorite team unless they come to the city they live in. They're there to enjoy the game and they have the right to. You can still have from friendly banter during the game, but be respectful. 

4. Cleat Chasers. You give female fans (who actually care about the game) a bad name. You wanna sleep with baseball players, that's your business but get i under control. No one wants to hear it. Your desires are like needles - don't share them.

5. Not knowing when your team is playing. We all have busy schedules, jobs, obligations, commitments, ect. but thanks to MLB.com and baseball apps, there is no excuse for tweets like "Did the A's win today?" when it's an off day. If you're a fan, you should know when you're team is playing. I can't count how many times I've seen "#LetsGoOakland" or "#BeatTheSox" on Twitter when neither team is playing that day. There are plenty of free apps to have on your phone and/or iPad (or iPod) to keep you up to date with team schedules - use them.

Thanks For Reading,

Jordan

"You Play Ball Like A Girl" - Sexism In Baseball

I know this won't end the problem of sexism in baseball, but I figured maybe it'll get a few people to think before they speak/act (I know, it's a stretch):

Dear Sexist Baseball Fans,

Just because women have different parts than you, it does not give you the right to look down on them. It does not give you the right t stereotype them. It does not give you the right to assume that you know more about the sport of a baseball than they do. Just because they're female, it does not make them any less of a fan and it does not make them any less educated on the sport of baseball. Just because you have a penis, it doesn't mean it makes you better than them.

Stop calling every female baseball a fan a "cleat chaser". First off, it makes you sound like a moron. Secondly, not every female fan's goal in life is to round the bases with every player they see. Thirdly, as with any word/term/phrase, LEARN what it means BEFORE you use it.  I've had a lot of conversations/discussions with female fans in regards to baseball. And honestly, the know more about the sport than most guys. I see a lot of them going on to become great sports journalists/reporters (hopefully one of them takes Amy G's job…like tomorrow).

Accept the fact that there are female baseball fans. They love the sport, just like you. When they watch at home or at a ballpark, they want to enjoy the game just like you. They have opinions about the game, just like you. They will root for their team just like you root for yours. Will you always agree with their opinions? Of course not, and they won't always agree with yours (and if you're a sexist baseball fan, they're better of acting as if you don't exist). But that's one of the great things about being a baseball fan - you don't have to agree all the time and you don't even have to like the same team but you can find common ground in the fact that you love the greatest sport on Earth.

In closing, being a sexist does not make you a better fan or add to your "equipment" (or whatever "clever" name you have for your male sex organ). Sexism is a disgrace to baseball (and it shows how a little of a man you are). Instead of looking down on them or attacking them via social media (I'm calling you out, "keyboard warriors"), accept that girls love baseball, too. Baseball is too a great of a sport to let sexism poison it.

Sincerely,

Jordan

Things Baseball "Fans" Need To Stop Doing

They invade ballparks. They invade social media. They're easy to find, hard to get rid of. They claim to be "baseball fans" but really they should be banned like PEDs.

These are the things that baseball "fans" need to stop doing.

1. Freaking out of everything. I tend to loop this in with being a bandwagon fan. This is ever so apparent on Twitter during a game. These "fans" literally lose their minds of everything little things that their team does wrong. A pitcher could stand a certain way that they don't like and they're running with a cross and nails ready to crucify him on the mound.

No team is perfect. It's ok to get upset when they're not playing their best. But blowing up after every little thing (especially when it's early in the season/game) is ridiculous. If the team gives up 10 runs and 5 errors the 7th inning, there's reason to get worked up. If they give up a run in the 1st inning, there's no need for "I give up! I'm done with this team!".

If you can't stick with your team when they lose, you don't deserve to cheer when they win. Simple as that.

2. Touching a ball when it's in play. There's no better way to piss of your team and it's fans simultaneously in less than 5 seconds than to touch a ball that's in play. I understand catching a game ball is exciting, but unless it's a foul ball or a home run - don't touch the freakin' ball! If you love your team as much you deck yourself out in their shirts and hats, you'll keep your hand to yourselves.

3. The wave. I'll be nice on this one. Frankly, the wave is annoying. It's distracting. It annoys the players and fans. I get that fan interaction is big and I'm all for it, but you paid to watch the game - so watch the game.

4. Being sexist. This pisses me off more than bandwagon fans. I get extremely annoyed when female fans - legitimate female fans - are looked down upon and/or referred to as "Cleat Chasers". A fan is a fan. Half of the fans that I talk to regularly are female and know more than male fans. Like I said, a fan is a fan - regardless of gender.

5. Wishing harm on opposing teams/players. It's ok to not like a team or player, but wishing that they would get injured is just plain stupid and makes you sound like an idiot. These guys - whether you like them or not - are living their dream. They're playing a sport that they love. Wishing an injury on them is wishing for that to be taken away from them.

Imagine if you're dream was to play baseball and people were wishing that you'd get injured. There's nothing wrong with trash-talking, just don't be malicious about it.

6. Booing former players that used to play for your team. Not every player wants to stay in the same place for their entire career. Some want to move on, explore other possibilities. Booing them for that makes you sound like a bitter ex-girlfriend/ex-boyfriend. Let go and move on (this especially goes out to Giants "fans" who STILL boo Cody Ross).

7. Verbal abuse towards girlfriends/wives of players. This is another thing that pisses me off about baseball "fans". These women have to deal with their guy being on the road and away from home for weeks and months at a time. Some have children to raise. Some are on the road. They have demanding lives and the last thing they need is idiotic trolls spewing hate towards them for no reason. 

They're human beings just like you. They have feelings. They're trying to be supportive of their man while having a life of their own. Stop being a tool and leave them alone. Seriously.

I could go on for a long time with the annoying things that "fans" do, but I think you get the point. If you're guilty of any of these - do the sport a favor and either stop or get out.

Thanks For Reading,

Jordan