Ahhh,
baseball season! It finally feels like
spring. I love the sights and sounds at
Tyler’s varsity baseball games. I love
seeing the boys smiling and winning. I
love feeling the sun on my face as I watch the Wildcats play ball. I love hearing
the
ping of the metal bats,
the umpire
yelling ‘play ball’,
the music
between innings
the opposing
team’s sing-song cheering……
Whoa!
Wait….What?!?!
Sing-Song
cheering? Boy’s high school varsity
baseball? When did varsity baseball
teams start singing and chanting like girls' softball teams? I understand
cheering for your teammates, yelling "attaboy" and other baseball
jargon, but the coordinated dancing, chanting and singing is annoying.
“Heyyyy
batter, batter….swing”……Visit just about any youth baseball and softball game across the country and you’ll
likely hear the familiar chorus, or one similar to it. At that level, this type
of chatter is just as much a part of the game as bubblegum and batting gloves. But,
in my opinion, it is the ultimate sign of obnoxiousness at the high school varsity
level.
Don’t
get me wrong, I’m not saying that dugouts should have a sign that says, "Shhhh…..Don’t
cheer" because chatter is a ritualistic aspect of baseball. A little loose
chatter is one thing. I, and most fans like me, can handle "C'mon Johnny
get a hit!" or "Put it on the green somewhere!" or something of
that variety. Anything of that variety.
It’s
when high school teams engage in the non-stop, continuous chanting that crosses
the line. Some teams even knock out the minute-long, rhyme-time, sing-song
stanzas. Kinda like back in the day when I played softball and I had to listen
to
"We want a pitcher, not a belly-itcher”…..
“We want a catcher, not a
belly-scratcher”…….
I
find it intolerable when teams attempt to disturb the concentration of the
opposing pitcher with noise and beating on the fence of the dugout- upping the
crescendo through his windup. That’s
usually when the momma of the pitcher gets upset……
It
should be the goal of both teams to play their best, support their own
teammates and let the other team do the same. There is nothing wrong with
showing passion and excitement when playing baseball. However, nobody wins from
rude behavior. It is largely a lose-lose situation. High school games should be
about learning how to best play the game to win fairly and to improve necessary
skills while supporting and encouraging one's teammates.
Dealing
with obnoxious teams in baseball can teach a life lesson. Life is full of individuals that believe and
behave differently than your own standards.
Trying to correct their behavior with words is not always the best
method. Sometimes your actions speak
louder than words. Let this be a lesson for
players to learn to channel more energy inward, focus more and let their bats
do the talking for them. At the end of the day, the best way to shut up an obnoxious
chanting loud-mouth team is to show class.
Stay classy, Shenango Wildcats, stay classy. 
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