It’s tough to go from Little League to The Show. Only around 0.5% of those who play baseball in high school make it to the professional level. But what if we all want to be involved in America’s favorite pastime? We don’t all possess the strength or talent required to throw a ball in the 90s or hit one 400 feet, but we all can come to the ballpark as fans, with our mitts and souvenir cups, and experience the game from the bleachers.
But sometimes we can also get out of line. Of course, many will remember the most infamous incident, when Steve Bartman’s outstretched hand cost the Cubs a chance at their first pennant in almost 60 years. If you’re like me, you may have even participated in some shenanigans from outside the outfield wall. Though it was back in 2021, I still remember yelling things that I wouldn’t dare put in print at Alex Verdugo during his Red Sox days.
Well, MLB’s latest episode of fan interference came in last Sunday’s NLDS game two between the Padres and the Dodgers, and it serves as yet another example of fans needing to come to terms with their role as spectators, not participators, at the ballpark.
It all started in the bottom of the first when Mookie Betts pulled what he thought was the game-tying home run into left field. Curaçao’s Jurickson Profar spent about ten seconds bouncing around and taunting the crowd before revealing that he had snagged the ball through the hands of an expectant Dodgers fan, taking away the homer. It was a fine display of friendly gamesmanship, as was Profar’s later playful gesture of hand-delivering a ball to the fan, only for the fan to toss it back onto the field.
The game turned from mostly fun and games to chaos when other fans began throwing balls at Profar, forcing a pause. The situation was exacerbated as the ever-divisive Fernando Tatis Jr. — who at this point already had a homer, a double, and some choice words traded with pitcher Jack Flaherty after being tagged with a sinker in the top of the sixth — began dancing in the outfield, prompting aggravated fans to throw trash in the superstar’s direction. Despite the disruptions, the Padres won 10-2. In the next game, a fired-up Padres squad took an early 6-1 lead and narrowly held on for a 6-5 victory, energized by a rowdy home crowd. But with their backs against the wall in Wednesday’s game four, the Dodgers wouldn’t go away, routing the Padres 8-0 behind a strong bullpen shutout. On Friday night, they’ll play game five back at Dodger Stadium, and their fans will hopefully have learned from their mistakes.
The Dodgers crowd was clearly out of line on Sunday, raising the question: How far is too far for spectators? Most harmless jabs are generally accepted, and some players even find motivation in being taunted by a crowd. Still, it seems too often that fans go from benign hecklers to rowdy rabble-rousers who want to treat players like zoo animals.
It likely has something to do with the state of spectator sports in general. With ticket prices constantly climbing (even in sports like baseball which used to be known for fan accessibility), spectators are beginning to want something more than the entertainment of the game in return for their hard-earned cash. Combine this with the fact that most players are on social media — with some, like Tatis, being quite outspoken — and you get a new relationship between athlete and fan that is more personal than ever. We idolize these people, and thus we are willing to do whatever it takes to grab their attention, regardless of the repercussions. But we mustn’t forget that these players are not objects, and deserve our respect for exerting themselves to bring us fans the product we enjoy at the highest possible level.
So next time you go to the ballpark, stadium, or even local Little League diamond for your kid’s game, just don’t be that guy.
