Monday, June 29, 2009

Baseball Stadium Traditions

The Giants were in Milwaukee this weekend and in between furniture-breaking losses and solid wins, we were able to take in the Brewers' (and County Stadium's/Miller Park's) fantastic traditions. Naturally, that got us thinking of baseball's best stadium traditions.

Disclaimer: We've only been to about half of the Major League parks and clearly don't know the teams' traditions as well as the locals. While this list is designed for stadium-led (opposed to fan-led) promos, all traditions are welcomed. Help us out with your favorites in the comments.

5. The Rally Monkey


This is really a horrible tradition and the Rally Monkey is actually related to that monkey in Outbreak who brought a deadly airborne virus to California. This is only on the list because a list of four things is pretty weak and five is better. But the Rally Monkey totally sucks and is responsible for war, famine and poverty. Bitter? Not us.

4. The Home Run Apple


A staple at Shea Stadium, the Mets' Home Run Apple has made its way to Citi Field. After every Mets homer, the shiny red apple comes out of the magic hat. (If that doesn't sound suggestive, we don't know what does.)

3. Bernie's Dugout


After every homer and Milwaukee victory at Miller Park, Bernie the Brewer slides down his slide onto a platform. In the 80s, shit was cooler when he would plunge himself into a vat of beer. That was awesome. Bernie the Brewer could drink any mascot under the table.

2. Take Me Out to the Ball Game at Wrigley


Harry Caray brought this wonderful tradition to Wrigley Field in the early 80s when he led the crowd in the song during the Seventh-inning Stretch. After Caray's passing after the 1997 season, the Cubs now have a special guest lead the crowd in song -- most of whom suck.

1. The Sausage Race


Simply a promotion for Klement's Sausage Company, the race between the Bratwurst, Italian Sausage, Hot Dog, Chorizo and Polish began in the early 90s and remains strong nearly 20 years later. Occurring before the bottom of the sixth, the Sausage Race is always a good time for the fans and contestants. Are you the betting type? Our money is always on the Bratwurst.

49 comments:

rstiles said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
rstiles said...

Playing of God Bless America during the 7th inning stretch at Yankee Stadium...especially when Ronan Tynan does it live!!!

Anonymous said...

In Baltimore there's always a big crowd sing along for "O" during the national anthem. I love when other teams' fans do this since it has nothing to do with their team. Dumbasses.

james brown stains said...

The sausage race now has a predetermined winner. Its like the WWE.

matt lipner said...

So un PC but does anyone else remwmber the braves back in the day? Xhief Naka Homa would come out of his teepee in full Native American dress weild a tamahawk and do a dance whenever a brave hit a home run? Racist as hell but a memory none the less

GMoney said...

"Role Call" in the RF bleachers at Yankee Stadium is solid. Getting shot at in Detroit is also a well done tradition.

mmmm beefy said...

The train in Houston after a home run.

And the God Bless America is terrible. It slows down the game and is overly dramatic. I love the song and the sentiment but the Yankees have gone overboard with it ie no leaving your seats etc

Mr. Ace said...

Whenever I am watching the Tigers play I always like to start the "Oh ee Oh, Fagglio!" chant. It's a real winner.

rstiles said...

I forgot about Chief Noka Homa....that dude was great....

Political correctness sucks!!!

Anonymous said...

Red Sox fans singing Sweet Caroline is awful, as are cowbells in Tampa and thunder sticks anywhere. If you have to manufacture noise your crowd is a joke.

Anonymous said...

what about the ringing of the bell at citzens bank park in philly (orginating from the vet)every homerun

Anonymous said...

the presidents race at nationals games is almost better than the sausage races

Munchkin Mania said...

Someone kill the Rally monkey....please.

Anonymous said...

What about John Adams at [now] Progressive Field? He's been a season ticket holder since when the Tribe was bad in the 80s, and he's always there under the Scoreboard in the bleachers with his drum!!!

BLT said...

Instead of the normal 7th inning stretch "take me out to the ballgame" the Toronto Blue Jays do "OK BLUE JAYS". Same principle, getting people out of their seats. Due to pressure from US fans that would visit, they have added "take me out to the ballgame" right after "OK Blue Jays" is done.

A bonus is that no one can ever get all the movements correct.

Brian Doyle said...

I can't stand the God Bless America at the 7th inning stretch. We already do the national anthem. It would have been fine for one season after 9/11 (when it started, IIRC), but it's not a good song and Ronan Tynan sounds funny.

Anonymous said...

Every "tradition" at Yankee stadium sucks. I don't have enough space to comment on all of it, so let's just do a case study on the music. The team that brought you "who let the dogs out", "Mambo #5, and "Sandstorm" has since realized all those songs suck. However, they still insist on doing the incredibly lame "day-o" chant about 300 times a game. And, the piece de resistance, the grounds team dances and sings the very gay YMCA. I don't even care about God Bless America deal, that's the only thing they are doing that is cool in my book. No team has worse music than the Yankees. You know your music sucks when playing an old Will Smith clean rap song would be an upgrade. Don't even get me started on the sell-out Japanese advertising and the fact that only 8% of their fan base speaks English. If they wanted to be awesome they'd just play the scene from Bloodsport where Chun-Li starts hitting his chest and looking crazy every time the team got down late in a game (which is often). That would be infinitely better than the rally monkey.

Bazooka Jones said...

I planned on mentioning the the "O!" during the nat'l anthem, though that is fan based.

But also at Camden Yards and more on point with the description is the playing of John Denver's "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" during the stretch, after TMOttBG. They've been doing it since the '70's. Everyone sings and dances, and one guy has been coming for years, sitting in the same section every game and rockin overalls while he plays the fiddle.

Dude comes to every game looking nuts just so he can "perform" during the stretch.

Anonymous said...

How is the Bleacher Creatures' "Roll Call" not on this list?

matt lipner said...

what about the fog horn blasting at the 'stick after every giants homer (i think they tried to bring that to the new park but it got over shadowed with the fountain blasts, etc) but the fog horn is a fond childhood memory from the 'stick days

Anonymous said...

Jason Giambi said "The biggest thing I miss is roll call. There's no doubt about it, it's the best thing in baseball."

Anonymous said...

Sweet Caroline at Fenway Park is the greatest.

The Fan said...

The "O" during the National Anthem isn't disrespectful. Besides, the song was written in Baltimore, Baltimore can do what it wants with it. What IS disrespectful is the idiots who say other things during the anthem, e.g., the guy that yelled "Go Yankees!" during the anthem at a game I was at in B'more in May. Appalling.

Another nice tradition that always makes me choke up is when they acknowledge soldiers in attendance from the VA hospital during Nationals games. Big standing ovation every game. It's great.

Nick said...

How could you forget the foghorn at AT&T Park in San Francisco after every Giant Home Run? Classic.

Anonymous said...

I'm a lifetime Cubs fan, but I cringe every time I hear the crowd sing "Go Cubs Go" at the conclusion of a win. Cheesy. Horrible.

Anonymous said...

Pittsburgh Pierogi Races

Unknown said...

The "O" is awesome. Even at MD basketball/football games its there...even the Raven's games, too. No disrespect at all....remember that is where the National Anthem was "born". Yeah I remember Naka Homa, too. Remember they got rid of him to add more seats and back then the Braves were far worse than "today's" Nationals. Been to a less than 3000 attendance Braves game.

The Big Picture said...

naive giants fan here who sort of thought that every team had something similar to the fog horn.

Anonymous said...

The sausage race DOES NOT have a predetermined winner. The racers are most often chosen through random drawings or purchased as an item at charity auctions put on by the brewers. They are always the person who won/bought the right, and four of his/her friends.

Unknown said...

One thing I miss from The Kingdome that doesn't happen at Safeco Field was when a relief pitcher was warnming up for the opposing team, sometimes from the stands you'd hear, "ooowoop?" as the pitcher threw to the catcher, and "eeeyoop!" when the catcher threw back to the pitcher.

goforpurple said...

Rally [Garlic] Fries taste good and are kind of amusing sometimes, even if it's another Seattle thing that says 'We're know we're losing so we need a distraction...'

Anonymous said...

No White Sox "Na Na Na Na Hey Hey Hey Goodbye" after an opposing pitcher does poorly and is taken out?

Anonymous said...

Since last season, Los Angeles de Anaheim have been playing "Build Me Up Buttercup" by The Foundations during the seventh-inning stretch, after "Take Me Out to the Ball Game". Few fans have noticed, and even fewer care.

Anonymous said...

What difference does it make that the national anthem originated in Baltimore? It's the national anthem not the Baltimore anthem. If anyone in the stands was at Ft Mchenry during the War of 1812, they can sing the anthem how theu wish, everyone else should sing it the right way.

Anonymous said...

The diamondbacks have a lady who sits in the upper deck and waves homemade flags during the game. She has a very intricate and thought out system. I don't care enough to know how it all works, but she has different flags for each player. The designs have some kind of meaning to her. She has been at every game I have ever attended.

Rob said...

What's wrong with the yelling of the "O" in Baltimore? I'm not an Orioles fan, but it's not a bad way of being unique. Heck, it reminds me of fans cheering during the national anthem at Blackhawks games.

As for baseball traditions, I gotta go with "Take me out to the ballgame" at Wrigley, the sausage race in Milwaukee, and "Na na hey hey" song for the White Sox.

Check out Wait Til Next Century!

aaronsinger said...

The "Take me out to the ballgame" tradition begun when Caray would sing the song during the 7th inning stretch in the booth during the commercial breaks. One day, the owner turned on the mic, and a tradition was born.

While this tradition was born in Chicago, it did not start at Wrigley. The owner was Bill Veeck and occurred back when Caray was the announcer for the White Sox.

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Luzinski said...

NOTHING beats Harry singing "Take me out to the ballgame," ESPECIALLY when he sloshed the beer he was drinking/conducting with on those below the broadcast box!

EXCEPT MAYBE when he broadcast from the bleacher showers Comisky Park! Yeah, they were real showers--

Dinur said...

I was always partial to the drummers and flag wavers in left field at A's games

viagra online said...

Red Sox fans singing Sweet Caroline is awful, as are cowbells in Tampa and thunder sticks anywhere. If you have to manufacture noise your crowd is a joke.

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Anonymous said...

The bullpen band at Fenway is pretty cool!!!!

Sidik Beckley said...

The train in Houston after a home run. And the God Bless America is terrible. It slows down the game and is overly dramatic. I love the song and the sentiment but the Yankees have gone overboard with it ie no leaving your seats etc

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