Spending the day at the ballpark and taking in a game is something many people enjoy during the summer. Whether it’s your first game or approaching your hundredth, a fan must abide by a code of conduct. You shouldn’t commit any of these fan faux pas at a baseball game.
Keep the Waves in the Ocean
Let’s start with a contentious fan faux pas first, and that’s whether doing the wave is acceptable at a baseball game. The short answer is—it depends. There is an etiquette for the wave that you and your fellow fans should follow.
For starters, never start the wave when your team is batting. If Mookie Betts is at the dish, the only time you should rise from your seat is when he hits a home run. Furthermore, understand the context of the game. If it’s in the later innings of a one-run game, use your hands to clap rather than wave your arms.
Don’t Interfere With Your Team
Steve Bartman preventing Moises Alou from recording an out in the 2003 NLCS will live in infamy forever. From that point forward, fans understand the notion that they shouldn’t interfere with the play if your team is on defense. Luckily, umpires can rule someone out if there is egregious interference, but it’s still wise to keep every part of your body behind the wall.
Leave the Mitt Behind
Considering you’re not bringing your baseball bat to a game, why would you bring your mitt? Of course, it’s nice to have a mitt for tailgating to have a game of catch. But feel free to leave the leather in the car before stepping through the gates. You aren’t going to play the field. You look silly acting like you’re about to handle the hot corner.
Make a Kid Happy
A baseball game has its own set of unwritten rules they follow, like never bunting when you’re being no-hit. The primary unwritten rule as a fan is that if you snatch a souvenir, give it to a child nearby. Also, do not block a child from making a catch. Catching a ball is a thrill, but what will you do with it after the game? If you give it to a child, they will cherish it forever.
Don’t Be an Instigator
Imagine sitting in the bleachers for a Dodgers-Padres game, two bitter rivals in a division showdown. You already have vitriol in your heart for Manny Machado and company. But then you see a fan walking to their seat in a San Francisco Giants jersey. Don’t be an instigator and wear a rival’s apparel when they aren’t playing in the game.
Avoiding these fan faux pas at a baseball game won’t make you public enemy number one in the eyes of some fans, and you can quietly enjoy the game without any complications.
