As I watch the Red Sox v Tampa Bay game on ESPN, I can hear a heckler within ear shot of one of the microphones. He’s yelling quite loud and seems awfully consistent, although I can’t make out what he’s screaming. He sounds like a raving lunatic. This doesn’t seem to be all that uncommon at baseball games. Whenever I hear this type of heckler, I always wonder what the poor fans next to him must be thinking. (Actually, I’m pretty sure I know what they’re thinking) So, do these fans have any [legal] options? I know that if I ended up next to one of these guys while trying to enjoy a game with my family, I’d be pretty pissed to say the least. Can the stadium personnel tell the guy to shut up or face ejection? It seems to happen so often for so long that I wonder.
Uhh…No.
I take it you have never been to a Yankee Game. Back in the furthest bleachers from the players, stationed far, far away, are the Bleacher-Creatures a rogue group of die hard Yankee fans known for outbursts, violence, beer spillage, and many other forms of hecklery… Most unsuspecting people don’t sit there. Bleacher seats are inexpensive, and sometimes there is the occasional visitor that take the rath of the BC’s right in their face,.
AFAIK, baseball stadiums are owned and operated by private entities and so can eject any fan at any time for any reason. So yes, they could.
Does another fan have a legal right to make the stadium eject a rowdy fan? Not that I’m aware of.
Nope, never been to Yankee Stadium. However, I used to be a bleacher bum at Wrigley Field, where right field sucked. These things I understand. The hecklers I’m referring to are the ones who shout long and hard every inning, all inning in an reletively quieted stadium. They aren’t a part of the noise, they seem to be the only noise at times.
Reletively, relatively - it’s all relative.
Ok well legally they can eject a fan…
Awwwww, bless.
I consider my visits to a sports stadium to be ruined by the quiet people.
Well what did you think the OP was asking, whether or not it was polite?
I saw this happen. I was at an Angels-Devil Rays game and the Devil Rays had a player named Cox. So one guy thought it funny to yell “You suck Cox!” everytime the player came to bat or was in the batting circle. It was obvious he was amused at his own wordplay, but the attendants, probably from some urging of those nearby, were not amused and asked him to refrain. He didn’t so they tossed him.
I guess what I’m asking is what is customary, if anything. I think I just worded the question badly.
And I’m not talking about the run of the mill hecklers. I’m talking about those guys around home plate that are yelling at the top of their lungs for the entire inning, or the entire game. The “super hecklers”.
It seems that people just deal with it. I wouldn’t be inclined to overlook some guy shouting his loudest over my shoulder for 2 hours. I guess what I’m asking is: Will stadiums normally deal with these people if others complain? Or does it just depend on the stadium? Anyone ever see someone warned or ejected under these circumstances?
Certainly seen people warned. But the life blood behind Baseball is the fans - like my own uncle who’s blood pressure goes through the roof at Yankee games. It appears as if he’ll certainly have a coronary if the yankees make stupid mistakes. It makes the games fun! To watch these guys and gals busting blood vessels at tema players they love or hate! Customary? MAybe. Instinctual for die hard fans, certainly!
That’s what I’m getting at - thanks. 10 years ago, I wouldn’t have given the question much thought. But now that I have young kids, I wouldn’t want to deal with that type of heckling if I had them with me at a game.
I’m getting old. And square. Do hipsters these days still say “square”? :dubious:
You bet, Daddy-O. That’s totally groovy.
If the heckler starts using profane language they are usually ejected.
The Red Sox have said they will take steps ranging from ejection from the ball park to revoking the season tickets of the offender. This articlefrom the May 11, 2005, focuses on drunken behavior, but I imagine that can apply these standards to anyone inside the park.
In these parts that means they’re season ticket holders… we’re pretty happy when people don’t hit or throw batteries…
Take it from someone who goes to a lot of baseball games …
The worst experience at a ball game is to sit next to or in front of an obnoxious fan of the other team and that team is whomping your team! It’s unpleasant, but if there’s no profanity, it’s certainly just part of the game. “You pays your ticket, you yells all you want.” If there are small children around, the ushers might come by to ask the obnoxious fan to cool it, and that usually slows them down a bit. Yeah, they can kick anyone out if they want. And they have some pretty large fellows to drag out the idiots. The back of my ticket clearly states: *The team has the right to eject holder from the event to which this ticket grants admission or revoke any and all ticket rights if holder fails to comply with applicable policies and regulations or acts in an unruly or disruptive manner. *
As to your worry about your young kids, most stadiums have a ‘family friendly’ section. I would assume most loudmouths would stay out of that section, as it usually doesn’t allow any beer.
At Pirate games, obnoxious fans that are booted are usually tossed due to inebriation, not heckling. At Pirate games, they are probably doing the heckler a favor throwing him(her?) out
I often wonder about some fans like me though. If I am saying, “That curveball couldn’t get my grandmother out.” to a pitcher warming up in the bullpen, would you toss me out of the park? I never use profanity at a game, because children are around. However, some of my best memories of early ball games come from fans who would tease the opposing players. I’d say, if things are kept withing decent limits, let the fan stay.