Cheerleaders at the ballgame

[Mattingly]

They did indeed. I guess you could say they were dressed like the ballgirls you would see in certain parks. Not really a uniform, a top (probably Indians-related) and shorts. They probably were college students. It would seem to be an easy part-time/summer job, of which a college student would be ideally suited.
In reference to what I mean, why does it have to be one thing only like a sausage race and nothing else besides that?

As to the outfits in the young ladies atop the GABP dugout, as seen in tros' post #43 here, I'd say they are too skimpy. If it's NCAA football, the Radio City Rockettes, that's fine. But in baseball, I think it's a bit showy. I could be a bit conservative in this way, but that's just me. Something other than miniskirts would be fine by me.



As to Sausage Races, that's one of the things I've known to be out there. I'd asked if anyone knew of anything similar. At the SI Yanks (AA, I think) game I'd seen last June, the kids had some "Big Wheel" races for those plastic toy tricycles with the huge front wheel.

When I said that sausage racing was OK, I'd meant something that I could at least see being at a baseball game. Cheerleading, to myself, doesn't fit into that category. At least it hasn't gotten too HS/NCAA with batons, twirling things, then the girls standing on the guys' shoulders. I think I'd just turn off the boob tube if that ever happened.

I just noticed after looking at the cheerleaders again that they're holding pom-poms. Am I the only one who says that neither crying nor pom-poms are allowed in baseball? If they'd dressed in something baseball-related, like a uni, even one of those "New Age" unis, I'd be OK with it. However, if they said that "Gimme an A", or "Who do we Appre-ci-ate" thing, I'd balk.

Hey, certain games were made for radio!

[grizzly451]

Honestly who goes to a ballgame to look at cheerleaders? As much as ballgames are nowadays? If you want something to look at during inning changes go buy a Maxim/FHM/ [insert generic 'mens' magazines of that type].

Or go buy a pair of binoculars.

Even in other sports the cheerleaders are normally only doing things when most people are buying snacks or using the bathroom.

That's what matters. It's the actual fans who ATTEND games whose opinions matter. If they like the promotion then it's OK. If they don't like it then it should be stopped.

Free Beer night was always pretty popular too, but I haven't heard any stadiums doing that in years and years. Didn't they have a Disco Demolition night too?

[Cubsfan97]

Well this could bring up the argument of MArla Collins. The Cubs ball girl form the 80s who was fired after appearing in Playboy. I don't think she shoudl have been fired. If the had Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders in there should they all be fired?

[Solair Wright]

lol, it seems like the Cubs are getting really annoyed at the constant thumping on their dugout. As I said, cheerleading is a major disgrace to baseball, because they're drowning the fun for nearby fans, and constantly obstructing their view. It's in my opinion, vestigial. But in football and basketball, it's different.

I know somebody would get a big enough headache for their cheering (especially to those that spent a LOT of money at GABP) and eventually throw a soda at them. American Baseball cheerleaders, go back to football and basketball, a lot of seasoned baseball fans (especially baseball fans for 10 or more years) don't like you.

Note: it's kind of Oddishing (don't want to swear here) rediculous

[2Chance]

lol, it seems like the Cubs are getting really annoyed at the constant thumping on their dugout.

....and adding insult to injury, the Cubs players couldn't see the girls from here if they wanted to.

[Elvis]

Before WWII, organ music in a ballpark was "out of place" as well. Baseball traditions have always been an evolving animal. For the record, the PCL's Hollywood Stars had cheerleaders at Gilmore Field in the 50s.

And besides that, they're just hot!

[redlegsfan21]

This may be a contibuting factor as to why the Reds management made the decision to go this route.

2005 attendance figures

Reds fans are really picky about going to games, a "if they ain't winning, we ain't coming" attitude. Plus, many fans were mad at Reds management such as O'Brien and Miley, Graves flipped off a fan, and the Reds lose. This year could have been bad since fans were mad that Casey was gone but all it did was bring 10,000 fans to stay during a 2-hour rain delay against the Pirates on a Friday night. How often will that happen?

[Call Me Genius]

I dont believe cheerleaders are needed or should be in baseball, the atmosphere and experience at a baseball game is different than a football or basketball game. I always saw baseball as more of a mascot sport, mascots are by far used much more in baseball than in any other sport, other than perhaps college football, but baseball definantly isnt the place for cheerleaders.

[Yankeebiscuitfan]

I'm a guy, so I don't mind to watch some nice looking women. But I really don't see what cheerleaders have to do with baseball.

Let them stay with football. Baseball is already bothered by some silly mascots. That's bad enough.

We don't need any cheerleaders!!!

[Mattingly]

....and adding insult to injury, the Cubs players couldn't see the girls from here if they wanted to.

I see you've failed to notice the upward-pointing mirrors on the dugout floor, haven't yet? Look closer.

[2Chance]

Boy, these newfangled ballparks got EVERYTHING.

[Mr. Red]

No and I've seen the Reds cheerleaders in person as well. Not a good idea... Plus, its these kind of gimmicks that tend to stretch games longer and longer every year. Bill James is right, baseball could and should be more fast-paced, like it was decades ago.

[diebelk44]

First of all lets get one thing straight. These lovely ladies are not CHEERLEADERS they are considered a Dance Team. I am sure most of you went to high school and college, not saying many of you graduated, but still there is a huge difference between cheerleaders and dance teams. Cheerleaders as the name says do cheers and cheerleading type of activities. A dance team performs different dances that they spend hours and hours choreographing. So get your facts straight.

Secondly they peform an on the field dance 45 minutes before the game starts, then they do 2 dances between innings. thats it. they are not on the field making a huge distraciton as most of you think they are. they hop on the dugouts between 2 innings of the entire game and they do a quick 90 sec dance. Then the rest of the game they work with the Reds MDX crew doing promotions all around the ball park.

Thridly their uniforms are not scandalous. I go to a LOT of games, and believe me, there are thousands of women who come to the ball park dressed in less clothing than the reds girls have on. Next time you are at the game look around at the girls wearing skimpy skirts and heels to the games or the girls wearing shorts so short that it leaves little to the imagination.

Finally i have read a lot of posts talking about how dumb these girls are and this and that. are you guys serious? do you have nothing better to do with your lives?? I am good friends with a good amount of the girls on the team and i know them personally to be very intelligent women and not "whores" as some of you like to refer to them as. I am sure if you ever talked to them in person you would realize that they are much more successful in their careers than you are. But i am sure you will just fire back some stupid message about how skanky they are and how good and righteous you are and how they dont have a place in baseball. Thats nice. WEll you probably dont have your facts straight there either. the florida marlins have a dance team in place that has become very successful for their organization and the city. THey have made over 250 appearances throughout the year down in south florida raising money for various charities and doing various other activies around the city to help people. I could very well see the reds girls doing much of the same thing up here.

and if anyone else has any more personal attacks they would like to make against these girls please let me know, we can talk offline.

[brewcrew82]

First of all lets get one thing straight. These lovely ladies are not CHEERLEADERS they are considered a Dance Team. I am sure most of you went to high school and college, not saying many of you graduated, but still there is a huge difference between cheerleaders and dance teams. Cheerleaders as the name says do cheers and cheerleading type of activities. A dance team performs different dances that they spend hours and hours choreographing. So get your facts straight.

Secondly they peform an on the field dance 45 minutes before the game starts, then they do 2 dances between innings. thats it. they are not on the field making a huge distraciton as most of you think they are. they hop on the dugouts between 2 innings of the entire game and they do a quick 90 sec dance. Then the rest of the game they work with the Reds MDX crew doing promotions all around the ball park.

Thridly their uniforms are not scandalous. I go to a LOT of games, and believe me, there are thousands of women who come to the ball park dressed in less clothing than the reds girls have on. Next time you are at the game look around at the girls wearing skimpy skirts and heels to the games or the girls wearing shorts so short that it leaves little to the imagination.

Finally i have read a lot of posts talking about how dumb these girls are and this and that. are you guys serious? do you have nothing better to do with your lives?? I am good friends with a good amount of the girls on the team and i know them personally to be very intelligent women and not "whores" as some of you like to refer to them as. I am sure if you ever talked to them in person you would realize that they are much more successful in their careers than you are. But i am sure you will just fire back some stupid message about how skanky they are and how good and righteous you are and how they dont have a place in baseball. Thats nice. WEll you probably dont have your facts straight there either. the florida marlins have a dance team in place that has become very successful for their organization and the city. THey have made over 250 appearances throughout the year down in south florida raising money for various charities and doing various other activies around the city to help people. I could very well see the reds girls doing much of the same thing up here.

and if anyone else has any more personal attacks they would like to make against these girls please let me know, we can talk offline.

Thanks for chiming into this topic and giving your knowledge on the situation is more than probably anyone on here and your post indicates that many here had the wrong impression of what the "dance team" does based on a knee jerk traditionalist view of the game.

In regards to calling the girls dumb, I just re-read tis thread and I didn't see any instance where a member made disparaging personal comments about one of the ladies. The closest was "cheerleaders are dumb and I dont particularly care for them. but they sure are nice to look at, and thats gotta count for somethin", which I took more as a swipe at the act of cheerleading rather than those who participate.

BTW, welcome to BBF Diebelk44.

[geezer]

I dont see cheerleaders a bad idea, maybe it will attract more fans, in the Caribbean is common to see them, it works fine on football, why not baseball.

[2Chance]

I doubt anybody else here knows them personally, and if you've read anything at all on this site, you would know that we wouldn't refer to their intellectual abilities or their sexual proclivities. We leave that junk to the other, lower-class sites.

We are just answering the question, do you like the idea of cheerleaders at major league baseball games. And I DO have a life, and don't want to spend a whole lot of it discussing this subject.

That said, welcome to Baseball Fever.

[CuriousBoston]

I am a female, good to see another female join BBF. This is one baseball site where a female can discuss baseball, knowing she will be treated as a male would be.

I was in a DCI drum corps. Not a band. It was almost impossible at the time to describe the differences to people. Some time ago, I saw a promo/documentary of the New England Patriot cheerleaders; I haven't seen any baseball cheerleaders, so didn't know how they compare.

At baseball-fever, you have to remember, most of the members grew up wanting to be like a certain player. There are a few of us who remember the day we asked, "Why aren't there any girls?", and our complex feelings at being told we could never play baseball.

People did not post in this thread to be mean. Commenting on education is not needed. Some are in junior high school. Others have a couple of degrees.

What we have in common: we love baseball. We count down to spring training. We know who is on the disabled list. We try to keep track of who is in AAA. People around us shake their heads. We know who the radiocasters and broadcasters are, have very firm opinions about their ability. New Years starts at spring training.

Facts are corrected. Opinions are discussed, sometimes very "loudly". If you object to a post addressed to you, PM-private message one of the Moderators, or you can PM me. Sometimes I just post back, depending on my mood; it depends on the people, too.

If you go back in the thread, you will find I posted in favor of male cheerleaders, if there must be cheerleaders. Please don't judge us by one thread.

Welcome to BBF. Now I must go to the Bitter Rivals thread, where just about anything goes, and see how Matt, a Mod, a Big NYY fan, is doing in the root cellar, after the Y's ended last night 7-8 in the standings, with their superstar outfielder out on strikes. LOOKING, WITH THE BASES LOADED!

[Go Bravos!!!#1]

Nope, baseball has gotten along fine for 100+ years without cheerleaders. Nows not the time to trashen up baseball.

[SoxSon]

...and if anyone else has any more personal attacks they would like to make against these girls please let me know, we can talk offline.

Is this a threat?!

Welcome to BBF. I enjoyed your post for the most part, but tone it down if you want to change some minds here. If you don't want to change some minds, then there's really no point in posting.

[tigers527]

I got on here and I voted NO! I dont need any cheerleaders at the ball games. But then I started thinking about the plethora of junk I really dont need but it is still there at the game. They play FREAKING commericals on the Jumbotron, before the game between innings etc. in Detroit. We pay to watch Coke commericals . I would think that every stadium has some sort of foodstuffs racing or maybe dots (if not on the field as in the sausage/kelbasa/hotdog, at least on the jumbotron). We have dashing doughnut, biggie bagel, and cuppy coffee . With that said, I guess I would not mind being distracted by dance teams of cheerleaders, flagbearers, majorettes, and a drum line with midgets and tigers jumping through flaming hoops (hey it is Detroit) while passing out Osama Bin Landen bobbleheads.

After seeeing the long lived XFL put women in hot tubs wearing next to nothing in near zero temps., I guess we should count our blessings.

BTW- The "hey it is detroit" line is in reference to the tigers part and nothing else.

[Mattingly]

First of all lets get one thing straight. These lovely ladies are not CHEERLEADERS they are considered a Dance Team. I am sure most of you went to high school and college, not saying many of you graduated, but still there is a huge difference between cheerleaders and dance teams. Cheerleaders as the name says do cheers and cheerleading type of activities. A dance team performs different dances that they spend hours and hours choreographing. So get your facts straight.

I think that you start off here on the wrong tone. How do you know who here graduated from high school or college? It's as if you're countering what you perceive has been written here by saying the very same thing about the forumers here. What if someone doubted that these ladies had graduated from HS or college?

As to getting our facts straight, where have they been listed as a dance team? Since I saw them holding pom-poms in the picture here, then what other than cheerleaders could I possibly think of? This story from the Sat Apr 15th Cincinnati Enquirer:

Cheerleaders in baseball?
Reds give them a try

(Please click here for photo in article)
THE ENQUIRER / GARY LANDERS

Fans may have been startled on Opening Day
by something new at Reds games. The team
has added cheerleaders. (From left) Amber
Sterbling, Ashley Cornett and Lauren Fultz
perform before the game.

Secondly they peform an on the field dance 45 minutes before the game starts, then they do 2 dances between innings. thats it. they are not on the field making a huge distraciton as most of you think they are. they hop on the dugouts between 2 innings of the entire game and they do a quick 90 sec dance. Then the rest of the game they work with the Reds MDX crew doing promotions all around the ball park.

I'm glad that you can point out what the routine is. However, how do you know what most of us think of them re the "huge distraction" you'd mentioned?

What kinds of promotions do the Reds MDX crew (the name of the dancers) do? For relevance, from the Enquirer article:

The new MDX Reds Crew, all-female cheerleading and dance troupe sponsored by Mountain Dew's new energy soda, formed this spring.

I was also given this link entitled The Professional Cheerleader Blog, which is an article explanation both the dancers and their intention, as well as photos of the MDX Reds Crew.

Back to your own quotes:

Thridly their uniforms are not scandalous. I go to a LOT of games, and believe me, there are thousands of women who come to the ball park dressed in less clothing than the reds girls have on. Next time you are at the game look around at the girls wearing skimpy skirts and heels to the games or the girls wearing shorts so short that it leaves little to the imagination.

Actually, I could see more at the beach. I'd prefer to leave the female fans at the stadium out of this, since that varies by stadium, as well as stadium policy re dress code. Since these ladies are being paid for what they do, as well as being there in an official presence, that's what we were discussing.

Finally i have read a lot of posts talking about how dumb these girls are and this and that. are you guys serious? do you have nothing better to do with your lives?? I am good friends with a good amount of the girls on the team and i know them personally to be very intelligent women and not "whores" as some of you like to refer to them as.

Can you just please go back to posts calling these dancers "dumb"? I would also like to see where they're called "whores" here, which is a term that I would definitely not allow to remain here. Please provide post number, as found on the far right of each post for each, and I'll definitely look into this. This, for example, is post #71 in this thread.

I am sure if you ever talked to them in person you would realize that they are much more successful in their careers than you are. But i am sure you will just fire back some stupid message about how skanky they are and how good and righteous you are and how they dont have a place in baseball. Thats nice. WEll you probably dont have your facts straight there either.

Again, you're making negative presumptions upon what you think the forumers here would do. How would you know what anyone here would think if they'd met these ladies in person? Between "whores" and "skanky", this is unfortunately lowering the intellectual level, I must unfortunately say.

How do you know whether or not the forumers--not all of whom are male--would make negative comments about the ladies?

the florida marlins have a dance team in place that has become very successful for their organization and the city. THey have made over 250 appearances throughout the year down in south florida raising money for various charities and doing various other activies around the city to help people. I could very well see the reds girls doing much of the same thing up here.

Please provide more information on the Florida Marlins' dance team, including their name and the appearances throughout south Florida.

and if anyone else has any more personal attacks they would like to make against these girls please let me know, we can talk offline.

I would simply prefer that we not have any personal attacks here at all. In fact, all discussions of the non-attack variety can be kept right here online.

Thx.

Welcome to BBF. I enjoyed your post for the most part, but tone it down if you want to change some minds here. If you don't want to change some minds, then there's really no point in posting.

Agreed.

[Go Bravos!!!#1]

I was just thinking about cheerleaders in hockey wearing thick coats etc.

[1doug]

Baseball doesn't need the cheerleader thing, leave it for the other sports that do.

[Mattingly]

I was just thinking about cheerleaders in hockey wearing thick coats etc.

Don't be silly. Isn't it obvious they could dance on ice?

[diebelk44]

"As to getting our facts straight, where have they been listed as a dance team? Since I saw them holding pom-poms in the picture here, then what other than cheerleaders could I possibly think of? This story from the Sat Apr 15th Cincinnati Enquirer"

So do you believe everything that the media says? Obviously the writer for this article is mistaken on the terminology as well. Let me ask you this mattingly have you ever been to a game and seen these girls in person?? they are NOT leading cheers. In fact they dont even speak one word. They simply dance. And many dance teams hold pom poms while doing routines. FYI



"I'm glad that you can point out what the routine is. However, how do you know what most of us think of them re the "huge distraction" you'd mentioned?"

Many ballparks offer entertainment between innings. THere is nothing going on the field between innings, so how is it a distraction?? how is it any less of a distraction as the guys who throw shirts into the stands or the commercials you see on the jumbo tron?? The distraction you reference is in the eye of the beholder. Just becuase you have posted close to 15,000 posts and obviously dont get out much, doesnt mean those of us who do have social lives cant enjoy a dance routine between innings....

"What kinds of promotions do the Reds MDX crew (the name of the dancers) do? For relevance, from the Enquirer article:"

Pepsi sponsors the MDX crew and they do various give aways between innings, the reds "make a deal" promo, the reds community fund, hamilton county fire deptartment charity gala, etc. If you are really that curious, look into it, you obviously seem to know your way around online...


"Actually, I could see more at the beach. I'd prefer to leave the female fans at the stadium out of this, since that varies by stadium, as well as stadium policy re dress code. Since these ladies are being paid for what they do, as well as being there in an official presence, that's what we were discussing."

Well it does vary by stadium, but since we are talking about the REDS dance team and since they only dance at HOME games, then it is very relevant as to the girls who attend the games and what they wear.


"Can you just please go back to posts calling these dancers "dumb"? I would also like to see where they're called "whores" here, which is a term that I would definitely not allow to remain here. Please provide post number, as found on the far right of each post for each, and I'll definitely look into this. This, for example, is post #71 in this thread."

Have been to various other message blogs in the past few days as i have heard some people have been badmouthing my friends. Maybe this site doesnt have the vulgar words i thought it did, must have that mistaken for Socalsportsfan's blog and bleed cubbie blue blog. and actually just looked back at the socal site and here is a quote from one of their posters...."near naked ho bag" but agian my mistake if those type of remarks arent on this particular site.


"Please provide more information on the Florida Marlins' dance team, including their name and the appearances throughout south Florida."

https://secure.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/fl...um/history.jsp

The Marlins Mermaids dance team debuted prior to the Marlins' World Championship 2003 season. The Mermaids, which will soon begin their fourth season, perform in front of thousands of fans on the field and on the dug outs during all 81 Marlins home Games and participate in interactive promotions around the stadium.

Because of their originality in Major League Baseball, the Mermaids have gained local, regional, and national exposure over the past few seasons and have been featured in such television shows as Marlins Semanal, Marlins Weekly, Marlins Strike Zone, Deco Drive, Maximum MLB, The Best Damn Sports Show, The Wedding Story, Miami Ink and more. The Mermaids actively participate in many charity events throughout the year, such as FIU's Dance Marathon benefiting the Miami Children's Hospital, Alonzo Mourning Charities and Zo's Summer Groove, Amigos for Kids, and events benefiting The Florida Marlins Community Foundation.

The Marlins Mermaids are also Spokespersons for the new "Get Hooked on Reading" program for kids. The Mermaids go to various local elementary schools to promote reading.

The Mermaids were featured in many stadium giveaways in 2005, their own television commercial, and debuted the first Mermaid Calendar Poster.

ONCE AGAIN MATTINGLY, YOU OBVIOUSLY KNOW YOUR WAY AROUND THE WEB, SO LOOK THIS UP YOURSELF. ITS NOT HARD TO TYPE "florida marlin dance team or florida marlin mermaids" into google.


"I would simply prefer that we not have any personal attacks here at all. In fact, all discussions of the non-attack variety can be kept right here online."

No personal attacks sir. But if i was to meet one of these people who called my friend a "ho bag" we would have problems.


thank you.


Also one last thing, i have seen a few pictures on here of the cubs underneath the dugout and they look to be annoyed or at least some of you make that assumption. Again as i said before the girls are only on the dugouts between innings, not while the game is going on. and secondly they are not dancing on wood, its solid concrete between the girls and the players underneath. Before their dancing location was even approved, they tested out the routines and found that becuase of the solid concrete in the roof of the dugout ABSOLUTELY NO SOUND OR VIBRATIONS OR ANYTHING AT ALL is heard or felt below.

Get your facts straight and have a lovely evening!

GO REDS!