Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
November 29, 2004
Blaming the Fans

Nick Peters talks to a few Giants players about the recent fights with the fans. The players think they are in a no-win situation, and decry the abuse they've been hearing.


Snow said when fans get personal, that crosses the line. And in this age of the Internet, there's more information out there for people to look for weaknesses.

"Players' families don't want to go to some games on the road because fans are so abusive," Snow said. "That was the case in Anaheim during our World Series."

Teammate Jason Schmidt echoed those sentiments.

"The fans don't have a right to say anything just because they bought a ticket," he said. "They get away with too many things. I mean, people yell things in the stands that you wouldn't get away with at a grocery store or in a bar.

"When fans pop off and nothing is done about it, they think they can get away with anything. I've seen ushers stand around and do nothing. Players are at the mercy of everyone. Good-natured stuff is OK, but they have to draw the line."


Maybe professional athletes should be forced to watch Spencer Tracy in Bad Day at Black Rock. There was a character who could take some taunting.

And Felipe Alou does his best to reinforce cultural stereotypes.


Giants manager Felipe Alou, providing the perspective of experience and ethnicity, called it "a very difficult and dangerous situation. It's easier to control the players, but who can control (fans)? There are so many. Players are expected to tolerate a lot, but don't ever mention mother or family to a Latin."

I suspect Felipe will be hearing a lot of comments about his family on the road this year.


Posted by David Pinto at 09:39 AM | Baseball Jerks | TrackBack (0)
Comments

I feel on the other side of it. A few years ago- under the Disney regime, I attended a game at Anaheim where the ump blew a call at 1st base. BIG TIME. Visiting fans were yelling at the ump - the usual. Blind, glasses, etc, very vocal. The Disney security goons made a guy leave! for yelling at the umpire! And when I questioned security standing next to me, about 6 rows back, he got right in my face and I wanted to watch the game so I just glared at him. I'm all for tossing the drunks and the overly abusive, but yelling at the ump is one of my firm beliefs that comes with the price of a ticket.

Posted by: Dan at November 30, 2004 12:20 AM

Considering what Jackie Robinson went through, for what today is meal money, I think the players should just ignore it. Though I do think fans should come up with interesting taunts, not the "you suck, you're shit" type of stuff.

Posted by: Robert at November 30, 2004 12:57 PM

yes, the players hafta ignore everything they hear.

but what is the reason that "fans" (as far as i know, just male - i have NEVER heard a female scream at some ballplayer that he rapes babies or some such thing) feel that they have a right/duty to tell some man they don't even know who can't fight back that their mother is a whore or worse? it's the cowardly action of the anonymous jerk in a mob. i'd bet that not a single one of those #$@! would have the nerve to go up to a ballplayer in the parking lot and say to his face what they scream from the protection of the stands.

and how is it "part of the game" to accuse a player of incest, baby raping, etc? it is NOT the same as booing a guy for lousy play or booing an ump for missing a call. which IS appropriate. and please don't tell me there's no difference whatever between telling a player that he can't catch a cold and telling him that his wife is a slut.

so do you guys think that players deserve to be told that they are (racial slur), criminals or whatever because they make more money than you do? oh really? so you think you have the same right to go into a company headquarters and scream this stuff at any rich executive whose products you buy? you think you have a right to scream this kind of stuff to your professor in college in the middle of class because you "bought" the right to be in class and he/she makes more than you do? i don't THINK so. (can you say jail, lawyers)

but, with a ballplayer, oh, that's different, you have EARNED the right to torment him with vicious verbal abuse? nah, it's just because he can't fight back with fists or lawyers and you betcha anyone else in any other situation would.

as a fan in the stands, i don't wanna hear that outpouring of hatred, cruelty and hurtfulness. and neither do most of the rest of us.

Posted by: lisa gray at November 30, 2004 02:31 PM

Felipe Alou should be able to let such taunts roll off of him like...well...like urine off of his son's hands.
Seriously, though, do these guys think they take more abuse than a player in 1910? I wouldn't like it either and I hate to think of myself as sharing the same race with many of the goons that fill the stands at sporting events, but it happens and they oughta be prepared to deal with it professionally.

Posted by: David M. Beyer at November 30, 2004 05:38 PM
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