Baseball Fans Day (August 12th)

While a great deal of what happens in the game of baseball is about the players, on this particular day, the focus is on the fans! Whether the parents and grandparents who are rooting for the kids in Little League or the dedicated fans of professional MLB teams, this is the time to shine the spotlight on those who show up and cheer the team on. It’s time to get excited about National Baseball Fans Day! 

History of Baseball Fans Day

Baseball Fans Day was started in recent years with the purpose of showing some appreciation back to the fans. It may have roots in some of the promotional activities and days that many baseball stadiums have conjured up to get fans to attend the Games. From events like Fan Fest to Fan Appreciation Day, from Baseball Cap Giveaway Day to Family Fun Day, many baseball teams offer all sorts of opportunities throughout the season for new and experienced fans to make the most of their experience.

How to Celebrate Baseball Fans Day

Show some support and enjoy Baseball Fans Day with some fun ideas for celebrating this day, the game and the fans:

Enjoy a Baseball Game in Person

Perhaps the best way to celebrate Baseball Fans Day is to let the fans do what they do best – cheer on a baseball team at the Game! Don the team colors, grab some snacks and soft drinks, then head on over to the local high school baseball diamond. Or get tickets to a Major League Baseball Game and then spend a couple of hours there having fun.

It may be interesting to note that the MLB rule changes in 2023 mean that most games are coming out an average of 30 minutes shorter than in previous years. So there’s just as much fun to be had in nine innings of play, but it leaves a little more room in the fans’ schedule for some other activities as well!

Catch a Baseball Game on Television

Those who don’t feel like leaving their homes can still participate in Baseball Fans Day when they pick up a game on cable television or through various options online. In fact, in this way, it’s possible to be a fan of more than one team at the same time by catching the highlights from a few different games, whether live or recently recorded.

Consider Some Events in Baseball Fan History

While most of the time the fans are a big asset of the Game, some fan behaviors in baseball History haven’t turned out so well. In honor of Baseball Fans Day, do a little online research and watch some videos of unfortunate events caused by baseball fans. Check out a few of these:

• 2003 Steve Bartman Incident. This Cubs fan on the front row interfered with a fly ball and caused the Chicago Cubs to lose the National League Championship. Bartman went into hiding for years after the incident.
• 2015 Baby Man Interference. Another front row fan story also happened during a Cubs game when fan Keith Hartley, who was holding a baby in his left hand, caught a foul ball with his right hand – and didn’t drop the baby. The play was ruled as fan interference after the Dodgers manager challenged the call.
• 1974 Ten Cent Beer Night. At a Cleveland game, the stadium offered ten cent beers, which quickly led to drunken fans where a full riot broke out, ending the game when the SWAT team was called to break up the fan riot.