14
2012
The Unwritten Rules When Attending Ball Games
An article by 
The season is winding down, and it’s time to point out some of the things that I have seen taking place at Citi Field this year. Some of the things have been getting under my skin. They are my pet peeves. You have heard of a do’s and don’ts list – well this is a dont’s list. A list of things you should not do while at the ball park. I like to call them the unwritten rules when attending a ball game, and everyone should be following them.
Rule #1 – Men should not bring baseball mitts to the ball park.
The cutoff age that someone should be allowed to bring a mitt to the ballpark is twelve…thirteen tops. There should be one of those signs outside the stadium like you see before you get on a roller coaster that says if you are at least this tall, you cannot bring your glove into the stadium. You are a spectator, not playing in the game. There is no need for a glove. If you want to bring your glove to have a catch in the parking lot before the game, that’s fine, but do us all a favor and leave it in the car when you’re done.
One of the perks of working in corporate America
Rule #2 – When you are sitting in seats directly behind the plate like the ones pictured above, act like you’ve been there before.
I hate turning on the television and seeing people sitting behind the backstop talking on their cell phones – waving and talking to the television camera, and on the phone at the same time. It’s embarrassing. It is OK to answer an occasional text message since you are now a television celebrity, and all your friends and family will be giving you play by play on what they see you doing. But please keep the cell phone use to a minimum. And try not to duck when a batter fouls a ball back into the screen – it can’t hurt you, that’s why the net is there.
Rule #3 – Do not drop your $9.00 beer to try and catch a foul ball.
Forget the ball. If anything, you should be doing everything in your power to save the $9 beer. If a ball is coming towards you, run the other way if you have a beer in your hand. Smack that ball away from you if you have to. It’s not that big of a deal to get a foul ball. You can buy a nice, brand new major league baseball in the store for around the same price you spent for that beer in the stadium. Some of the seats have cup holders now, so dropping the beer isn’t as much of a concern as it used to be, but it’s just not worth it.
This stadium needs more cowbell
Rule #4 – Do not bring noise making devices to the game.
You aren’t rattling the opposing team by making a ton of noise with your cowbell or whatever else you brought with you. All you are doing is driving the people around you crazy. Do you really think the people around you want to hear you wrapping on a cow bell for hours? There are only three reasons why fights start in stadiums – 1) guys get drunk and start hitting on other guys’ girlfriends 2) guys get drunk and don’t like when someone has the opposing team’s jersey on in their section 3) someone is wrapping on a cowbell or blowing into some kind of kazoo. The people around you will eventually snap. There is only so much one can tolerate. Unless Bruce Dickinson (Christopher Walken) is in your section demanding for more cowbell, leave the noise makers at home.
Rule #5 – Do not ask the guy sitting in the row behind you to take a picture of you and your girlfriend/wife.
Just don’t do it. Don’t let your wife or girlfriend ask either. Trust me.
These are just a few rules that will make sure your trip to the ballpark is a successful one. Do you have any pet peeves or unwritten rules to add to the list? Comment below if you do.
About the Author: Mitch Petanick
Mitch is currently an Editor and Minor League Analyst for Mets Merized Online. His baseball experience includes being a former All-Conference collegiate baseball player who had numerous professional tryouts, and he is currently a hitting instructor. He has been involved with the game of baseball for over 30 years now as a player, coach, and consultant. Mitch is also a former Featured Columnist on Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @FirstPitchMitch.
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Rule #1: LMAO!!!!!
Rule #2: LOL…. Come on Mitch, we’ve ALL done that!!
Rule #3: LOL, it’s more like insticts take over. Somehow You wanna go after the ball..
Rule #4: LMAO!! Agreed… Jeez, Shut the hell up right!!?
Rule #5: ROTFLMAO!!!! i had that happen to me a few times, i’ve acted like a dickey and said no, i’m busy, unless there were girls
Mitch, this was entertaining, the CORE once again salute you.. It’s good to see entertaining articles like this to make us forget the awful season we’ve had. Good job on this. I feel like a groupie of yours!!!
1. When a fan purchases a seat, IT is the whole seat so don’t use the back of the seat as your footrest.
2. On occasion I have purchased seats where a friend could not go. I use the empty seat to use for “junk” I brought to the game. Please ask for use of this seat. I normally say yes but at least ask.
3. You are not in a bar and profanity is not appreciated. Lots of kids go to games.
4. Don’t stand in the stairwell or stairs and block the view of the game for people in their seats.
5. If an adult and lucky enough to get a foul ball, don’t keept it. Smile and find a little kid near you to give the ball too. The smile is priceless!
6. Baseball is the greatest game in the world. Don’t DISS your hometeam at the ballpark. Yell at the tv all you want at home.
7. Never be impolite to your fellow fans or the ballpark staff and vendors.
8. Enjoy yourself but don’t get drunk. You may have to drive and most drunks turn ugly and stupid.
that’s it. thanks for letting me vent.
Never wear a team jersey with the name of a player on the back who is younger than you are.
That’s getting hard to do for me…maybe if I were a Yankme fan, I’d be OK…but other that RAD, there is no one I’d want on my jersey that is older than me.
How about a jersey with your own name on the back? I was never a fan of that…what about you guys?
No I don’t like that either…I’m not a big jersey guy anyways…I only have a Santana one that was a birthday present. It’s getting hard the way turnover is now a days…who has a Reyes Jersey? What are the odds that your Wright Jersey is going to suck to have after next year?
I say, if you buy a jersey, it has to be of an old school player like Mex, Cone, Carter, Seaver, Straw and such…
Agree…big fan of the 80s throwback jerseys
Don’t wear a jersey with your name on it unless you are willing to take the heckling. My friends and I went to a game a few years ago (where, admittedly, we had a little too much to drink) and a teenager with his name on the jersey was sitting a few rows in front of us. It didn’t help that the teenager was acting a bit cocky and even his friends were telling him to tone it down. However, the Mets were losing badly and when Jerry Manuel came out to make a pitching change, we started yelling, “Put {name withheld} into the game!” This led to other people in our section doing the same. The cocky kid was a good sport about it but most people aren’t.
Rule #6 – DON’T DO THE WAVE!!!
That’s my biggest one. NEVER do the wave. Awful.
people only do the wave when the game is no longer interesting, too bad that happens fairly often at Citi Field
Bingo. You got it. It’s the friggin wave. It drives me absolutely nuts. Nothing is as annoying or distracting, or disconnected from the game of baseball as the wave. There is no place for the wave in baseball, not even the minor leagues.
Yeah, if you’re gonna get drunk and act like an ass, make sure kids aren’t around you. They really need to separate the sections…have family sections and drunken fool sections. that way everyone is happy. Keep family’s on the home side of the field and drunken fools on the visitors side.
I did bring my glove to a game once when I was in my late 20′s, but to my defense, we had my one year old baby girl with us and I needed to keep her safe…i didn’t care that I looked like a tool.
#1 rule, if you’re an adult, if you catch a foul ball, don’t keep it…give it to the nearest kid to you. and if you catch one…don’t act like you made a WS winning catch…it’s a foul ball, not a big deal.
Also, if you are going to sit near the dug out area, watch the game…I’ve heard of plenty of horror stories of people getting hit badly with foul balls because they weren’t paying attention.
I never understood the noise makers or the fighting…if you need to maker noise…yell, scream, clap your hands, stomp your feet or bang on the seats (assuming that no one is sitting in them) But to be ringing a cowbell or what ever else you got when nothing is going on, you just look stupid.
The fighting is worse…why risk getting kicked out of a game, get thrown in jail and never be allowed back in the park? It’s super funny when guys try to fight the security that’s there…dude you’re gonna lose, give it up. I understand loving your team and doing a little trash talking, but throwing fists never prove anything but how big of an idiot you are.
Don’t loudly pretend to be an expert of the game and blab untruths and idiocy. ANNOYING!
Don’t pick arbitrary times to stand up and look around or at the game…WTF?
If you arrive late wait for a break in the action to take your seats. Can I get you something for the holidays…like a watch?
Give up the foul ball to a kid for heaven’s sake you do not collect them.
Enjoy fellow fans and the game together.
Don’tgive fans of the opposing team heck. Looks real dumb if the Mets lose and if they win acknowledge the other team fans in a smug way good enough. Nice try.
Embrace youth at the game, make them fans forever, theysimply cannot be annoying, running around, hot dog eating, laughing, having a blast is what you want fans of the future.
Don’t forget that you were once a kid at a ball game. HAVE A GREAT TIME!