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  • #1

    Ballpark Traditions

    This post is inspired by YTown_Tribe_Fan's post about the paper bag gag. I would appreciate it if you can help me out by listing some unique ballpark traditions, i.e Cub fans throwing back HR balls. I'm very curious about this.

    I would like you to list any traditions involving what fans do during the game (like the Yankees roll call) or what happens at the stadium when a HR is hit (like the cheap looking apple popping up at Shea).

    Thanks,
    Mark
    uk::
    Tags: None
  • #2
    RE: Stadium Traditions

    They don't have them any more, but when the Vet first opened, there were these two colonial looking characters named Phil and Phyllis who walked around the stadium. There were also large versions of them beyond the outfield fence and they would ring a large Liberty Bell for every Phils' homer (not often in the early 70's).
    Let's rid baseball of the pestilence of the DH now and forever!

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    • #3
      RE: Stadium Traditions

      Here are some things that I consider Stadium traditions:

      Fenway: rhythmic clapping and sound effects to foul balls rolling on the screen.
      Baltimore: give that fan a contract.
      Yankees: roll call, characters (freddy the tin pan man, scatman, the old dancing postal worker)
      Toronto: ok, blue jays, Lets. Play. Ball.
      Montreal: banging the seats.
      Mets: the apple, by the way, was the brainchild of Al Harazin in 1981. "Let's Go Mets". "oooh".
      Cubs: throwing back home runs and ronnie woo-woo.
      ChiSox: Nancy Faust, playing songs that are cute take offs on player names.
      Phillies: Wolf Pack for Randy Wolf starts.
      Columbus Clippers: ringing the bells.



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      • #4
        RE: Stadium Traditions

        The organist at Three Rivers (and I assume that they took him to the new park whose name escapes me at the moment) had a different song for every player in the majors based on the player's name, nickname or something else about him. He would play the James Bond theme for Barry Bonds, the Dick Van Dyke Theme for Andy Van Slyke, music from the movie "El Cid" for Sid Bream, Strawberry Fields Forever for Darryl Strawberry, etc. He said one time that the only player he could never come up with a song for was Dickie Thon. He said it drove him nuts, but he couldn't think of one appropriate for him.
        Let's rid baseball of the pestilence of the DH now and forever!

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        • #5
          RE: Stadium Traditions

          Does the new Comiskey Park have an exploding scoreboard like Old Comiskey had when players hit HRs?
          uk::

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          • #6
            RE: Stadium Traditions

            Yep, its still there. That's one of the only features that they retained in the new Comiskey.

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            • #7
              RE: Stadium Traditions

              Unfortunately some of my South side breathern have decided that the "throwing the home run back" tradition was cool enough to import to Comiskey Park.
              Nancy Faust (long time Comiskey Park organist) also plays "Na-Na-Na-Na-Hey-Hey-Hey-Goodbye" whenever an opposing pitcher is pulled from the game (along with fan sing along).

              The exploding scoreboard is back from the old park

              Tailgating is getting popular in the parking lot to the southwest of the Park.

              Elvis Appreciation Night has been there for a few years (Beetle's Appreciation night was scrapped for some reason this year)...cheesy...yes, but better than Barney the Purple Dinosaur singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" on the Northside.

              Just after Jerry Reinsdorf took over the team, the Sox got their first mascots that I can remember.....a pair of oversized alien looking muppets named "Ribbie" and "Roobarb". They didn't last too long.

              At Olde Comiskey Park during the Bill Veeck (God rest his soul) years, many of the ethnic communities had their own day at the Park (Greek Day, Irish Day, Italian Day, Lithuanian day, etc.) There was a Fun Run that was run through part of the neighborhood, with a finish line at home plate held every year at the beginning of September.

              And of course, there was Andy the Clown at olde Comiskey Park. A guy just showed up one day dressed as a clown and started shouting "Goooo...youuuuuuu Whiiiiite Sox.....and made baloon animals for the kids......regretfully the current regime ended his stay shortly after they took over.

              "...and when it comes to baseball, we root for just two clubs,
              the Go-Go White Sox and whoever plays the Cubs"
              from: "Ballad of the South Side Irish"

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              • #8
                RE: Stadium Traditions

                I remember Philadelphia Phil and Philadelphia Phyllis ringing the Liberty Bell. Plus, the Phillies always came up with a gimmick for opening day to deliver the first ball. Anybody remember Kite Man?
                A nineties tradition was to buy cheap tickets and work your way down to the field seats, which were always empty. Ahh, the Vet...
                Country::

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                • #9
                  RE: Stadium Traditions

                  At Comiskey Park, in another of the corporate "tie-ins", has a mini-UPS truck that delivers the baseballs to the umpires at the beginning of each game.

                  It brought back some other memories of the olde Park. There used to be a small sack of bseballs on an "elevator" that was located behind and to the side of home plate. If umpires needed new baseballs, they would signal someone, and the sack of baseballs would rise out of the ground, and the umpire could get what he needed.

                  Olde Comiskey Park used to have a barber's chair for haircuts during the game, and a shower. The New Comiskey has recently added showers for fans on hot days.
                  "...and when it comes to baseball, we root for just two clubs,
                  the Go-Go White Sox and whoever plays the Cubs"
                  from: "Ballad of the South Side Irish"

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                  • #10
                    RE: Stadium Traditions

                    Do they still sing "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" in lieu of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the 7th Inning stretch?
                    Let's rid baseball of the pestilence of the DH now and forever!

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                    • #11
                      RE: Stadium Traditions

                      The Cubs' Bleacher Bums only throw back visitors' home runs.

                      I understand this is still done: when a foul ball rolls up the backstop screen, the fans go "Wooop Wooo" on the way up then down.

                      Bob

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                      • #12
                        RE: Stadium Traditions

                        The Budweiser theme at stretch time at Busch. At least they used to, I'm not sure since the stadium renovation when everything became more baseball like (ie better)

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                        • #13
                          RE: Stadium Traditions

                          Hey, aside from forfeiting the game (Sparky Anderson convinced the umpires to call the second game), I would love to see disco demolition.......rap demolition.....you name it.

                          One of the DJs (Steve Dahl?) who was "responsible" for Disco Demolition actuall yfelt bad about it because he was a big Sox fan, and when they tore down the olde place, he reocrded a song about the Park...I have been looking for that recording because it is actually a very touching song.
                          "...and when it comes to baseball, we root for just two clubs,
                          the Go-Go White Sox and whoever plays the Cubs"
                          from: "Ballad of the South Side Irish"

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                          • #14
                            RE: Stadium Traditions

                            For Yankee stadium there is also the 5th inn. YMCA by the grounds crew

                            And lets not forget about our drunks

                            Feris

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                            • #15
                              RE: Stadium Traditions

                              Hi MW -
                              Currently at Qualcomm Stadium in the far provinces of San Diego, they play a very solemn dirge sequence of Cathedral Bells whenever Trevor Hoffman strides from the Bullpen to the Mound to Save the game for the Padres. BONGGGGGG ........BONGGGGGGGGGG ......BONGGGGGGG. It is supposed to indicate the funeral which is about to happen for the opposing team, I guess.

                              I remember some old Ebbets Field traditions from the 40's and 50's in Brooklyn:
                              * Whooooop up and whooooop down for foul balls on the screen behind home plate.
                              * The Dodger "Sym-Phony" roaming throughout the stands playing songs in their inimitable style.
                              * Beulah and her Cow Bell; she seemed to be at EVERY game.
                              * Happy Felton's KnotHole Gang before the game along the right-field line.
                              * Abe Stark's "HIT SIGN - WIN SUIT" sign on the fence in right field.
                              Country::U.S.A.

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