The Complete Look Into Baseball Fans, The Youth of the United States of America

What makes baseball fans unique? Is it the fact that we break away from mainstream society and form sects within an overall subculture?

How about the fact that no one quite understands a baseball fan except an another baseball fan? Well here it is, my complete paper on baseball fans, the youth of America, and the society that produces us.

I figured that I would start to run out of stuff to write about eventually, so I figured that I would re-post my research on baseball fans as a youth subculture.

I will post them up in different parts, but each part will have the full works cited as to give credit to those whose research I borrowed.

I wrote this research paper last semester, for an education class titled "Youth Cultures" at the Ambler Campus of Temple University.

Please be advised some of the research contains interviews that I conducted, has less than "stellar" language; I will try to edit out most of the bad language.

So with out anymore posturing, on with the show...

To look at the history of baseball as a youth subculture, one would have to look in broader terms: sports, more specifically fandom in sports as a youth subculture. Fandom in sports as the overall, broad picture is based in European football (in the United States and the rest of North America its called soccer).

In the journal article titled Basking in Reflected Glory and Blasting: Differences in Identity-Management Strategies Between Two Groups of Highly Identified Soccer Fans, found the Journal of Language and Social Psychology, Assollant, Lacassagne, and Braddock quote Wann and Branscombe as noting that “Contemporary sport psychologists have found sport team identification—the extent to which an individual feels a psychological connection to a particular team or athlete to be a strong predictor of spectators’ reactions to their team’s performance.” (381).

Baseball as sport had its conception in the late 1800s, took off as America’s pastime during the early part of the 20th Century and continues to flourish as America’s Pastime into the early 21st Century.

The sport of baseball itself has “evolved from earlier bat and ball games like rounders, town ball, one o’cat” (Morgan 9). Kids have been playing the sport for many generations, and continue to play the sport into the current century.

So how has baseball evolved into a subculture? With the sport’s roots based firmly in fandom, members of a sport’s fan base have “indicated that the level of team identification is a critical factor in determining which strategy will be adopted; it provides limited insight into the diverse range of highly identified fans’ reactions to their team performances” (Assollant, Lacassagne and Braddock 382).

Youths while at these sporting events identify themselves with a team and root for that team, but there is contrast between fans of North America and Europe. Assollant, Lacassagne and Braddock note Bodin and Roumestan in their journal article that the:

"Contrast to the casual or traditional North American sports fans, European soccer fans include so-called 'ultra fans' who represent different subgroups following the same team, mainly composed of very highly identified members. Importantly, each of these highly identified ultra fan groups possesses its own culture and identity construction mode, which seems to explain why they do not get along even though they are 'fighting' for the same team" (382).

Capitalism even plays a role in the sports subculture. Jon Kraszewski, a professor at Seton Hall University notes that:

"Sport fan communities operate as neo-tribes, which are loose and fluid social organizations that individuals move in and out of. Neo-tribes, although temporary constructs, replace traditional forms of community such as family and other local networks" (Kraszewski 141).

So, the whole youth subculture of sports fans is self-predicating based on the theories of social identity and self-categorization (Assollant, Lacassagne, and Braddock 381) and that these theories have been proven useful as for “understanding the behavior of people who avidly follow sports— sports fans—whose actions might otherwise seem quite irrational or pointless.” (381).

Nowadays, the youth become these “ultra fans” in North America. They follow their team with diligence and outstanding sense of identity. These youths are even willing to get into fights to defend their ideals, beliefs, and their team’s honor as witnessed in the video “Phillies Game Fight.”

So what did I see in this youth subculture? Deep within the “friendly” confines of Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia, one very brave, yet foolish person screams at the top of his lungs: “LET’S GO RAYS!!!” during Game 4 of the World Series.

The Philadelphia Phillies fans surrounding him glared at him menacingly and started to chant: “Let’s GO PHILLIES!!!” It was then that I realized that these people (however drunk, but, we’ll cover that later) were just the sort of people that I was looking for: passionate, foolhardy, brash, zealous, fanatical and fervent believers in their team.

So… during my time out in the field, researching baseball as a youth subculture I was at Citizens Bank Park, which is home to Philadelphia’s baseball team, The Philadelphia Phillies. As I was observing the fans (while observing the game), I overheard one fan talking to another fan. The exchange of dialogue is below:

"Fan 1: So how’s it going?

Fan 2: Good and you?

Fan1: Ah, you know… the usual.

Fan 2: Good. So what’s in store for us today?

Fan 1: The usual. Fanatically watching them fightin’s win, drinking and partying at McFadden’s after the game.

Fan 2: Sounds like a plan."

I derived the nickname for these fans, from this conversation and many other just like it. These fans like to call themselves: “Phanatics” (that’s right, “Phanatics” with a “Ph”). These fans fervently watch and follow their team everywhere they go.

Some of these “Phanatics” live close to the stadium; others live far away from the stadium, like one “Phanatic” I talked to.

He told me that he lived in Vermont and traveled down for the last game of the regular season. Another Phanatic told me that he lived six blocks away from the stadium on Broad Street in South Philly.

On a lighter side of the field research, the fans call themselves “Phanatics” because the name of the mascot for the Phillies is known as the “Phillie Phanatic."

During the Sept. 27 game when the Phillies clinched their second National League East title in two years, I talked to several “Phanatics." One of the questions I asked them was what was it like to be a member of a youth subculture. The response is as follows:

Me: So, what is it like to be a member of a youth subculture?

Phanatic 1: We’re part of a subculture? I never though of it before. Huh, I never thought of that… but then again… I guess what do millions of us do every year?

Me: That’s what I researching.

Phanatic 1: That’s cool.

Me: You there. Same question.

Phanatic 2: Baseball a youth subculture? Huh… well no sh*t, Sherlock. What do you think thousands of people our age associate themselves with?"

During the rest of the paper, I will be calling the people I interviewed “Phanatics” unless they were willing to agree to part of this research, as well to protect their identities (both within the subculture and outside).

The actually activity of “playing” baseball takes place outside, in a stadium that can sit over 50,000, vacant lot, a designated spot for the sport (i.e. a baseball diamond), or in the streets.

But, after exploring the neighborhoods in around a certain urban university, the activity can simply take place in the middle of the street with school bags as base markers, and sawed-off broom, mop, shovel, rake, or sledgehammer handles as bats.

Now as for transportation to the activity, I noticed there were a variety of modes of transportation. I noticed that cars, SEPTA (Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs public mass transportation system), and one’s own two feet (depending upon where the person lived).

Depending upon the type of person involved, transportation plays an important role. But for the average fan/person, transportation does not matter. But for some, transportation matters for one reason: tailgating.

Many youths tailgate… so I viewed it as a “social-networking” event, in which the youth, people, or fans who support the same team gather to “talk about the game, team, themselves” while having some drinks and grilling up some burgers, dogs and ribs.

Color (no not skin color but just color) plays a key role. The stadium when empty is a variety of colors. The frame work of the stadium is burgundy, the color of the 1970-80s Phillies teams.

The seats are blue, and the dugouts when empty are labeled with advertisements for New Era (which is a baseball cap manufacturer), MLB.com, and the home team’s logo.

But when the stadium is filled to capacity, the colors are almost of an American flag: hues of reds, whites, and blues (with various other colors mixed in). Most of the shirts have logos and lettering of the home team (depending upon where you are).

But when the weather turns south (in a hurry like Game 5 of the most recent World Series), people throw on rain ponchos or jackets to protect themselves, most of which are of varying colors to clear and transparent.

Most games are played outside, but some teams play inside stadiums that have retractable roofs, but most are affected deeply by the weather conditions of the day. If it starts raining most fans head for cover, but some stay in their seats as to contest to their adamant, unflappable fanaticism for their team.

But for the youths who play non-pro or non-professional ball (recreational, high-school, etc.) they will either just play through the weather (whether it is rain, sleet, hail, snow, windy, freezing arctic cold, burning Death Valley heat) or wait it out inside, as I found myself last summer playing through a monsoon, and last winter playing through a snowstorm in a recreational league with a bunch of friends.

So what does it cost to participate, you may ask? Well, it depends on what you mean by “participate." Because will the baseball subculture, you have two forms for the verb “participate” (much like in the Spanish language!).

To “actively participate” in other words, to actually play the game, it can range from $30 (for good quality hand-me-downs: old leather gloves, wood bats, balls) to over $600 (for less authentic new technology: high-tech, ultra-modern aluminum alloy bats, Kevlar gloves).

One of my friends explained that “the used equipment is the best equipment. It is the best, because one: it is easy to fix, two: easy to find, just go to any thrift store, and three: it makes you feel as if you were a player from “‘back in the day’” (Fallon). Another one of my friends said,

"To be a true baseball fan, not only must you be able to play the sport…but also know its history. Know the players, both past and present. And know that to be a true fan, that means going to a game and sitting through it.

"All nine innings, extra innings, bad outings by your team’s starting pitcher, blowouts, and various weather conditions. Most importantly, never give up on your team." (Degiacomo).

As one of my old teachers, still a member of the subculture, put it:

"You never really leave the subculture (if you could call it that). You continue into the subculture as you age, never really leaving, but training the next generation of youths in the subculture for the life of a baseball fan.

"It is like you are considered an elder, due to your age, wisdom, and knowledge of the sport from your 'youthful days' to now."

The fact is that most the people I had interviewed for this project said that the equipment of yesterday is the best. Whereas the high-tech, ultra-modern, ever-changing equipment of today makes us “pussies” as one Phanatic put it.

The same Phanatic later said:

“Wood bats equal life, authenticity and a sense of historic precedent. Whereas the new technology of Aluminum bats equal death, the lack of authenticity, and a sense of fakeness."

To “passively participate”, in other words to go to watch the professionals play, can cost as low as $14 (just for the ticket, not including parking, food, and other stuff) to as high as $80 (again, just for the ticket).

There are two options under the “passively participate” category. One option is to go the stadium and watch the professionals play (which is the ticket price) and the second option is to watch the game on television.

If you watch the game on television, it costs about as much as the ticket price (but only for food, oh, and part of your cable/satellite bill). This is, of course, not including food, souvenirs, parking, and anything else someone buys down at the stadium.

So, every year (actually around February) it starts with the commencement of Spring Training for their respective team. During this time period, millions begin the ritual trek down to Florida (or Arizona), to watch their respective team begin spring training.

Following the end of Spring Training, each April, millions flock back up north to their respective team’s stadium for Opening Day to watch their team kick off the new season. As one Phanatic I interviewed put it, “Baseball is life. My work, my job, my life, hell, even my girlfriend revolves around the game of baseball.”

Millions in the United States share that same person’s viewpoint. The central activity to fans in baseball is the actual game, which starts on the weeknights during the regular season at 7:05 p.m. (here in Philadelphia) sharp.

Millions tune into the games and watch the games every day. As another Phanatic put it, “It’s Baseball 365. If the season's over, I watch games that I missed which I recorded on my TiVo during the regular season and postseason playoffs. It’s cool.”

Most youths after Phillies games head for the local sports bar. In this case, it was the sports bar and saloon attached to Citizens Bank Park: McFadden’s, which was my first stop after Game 2 of the National League Division Series.

My second stop was another local sports bar, Chickie’s and Pete’s. The fans inside the bar are usually the ones who could not afford the ticket (like during the playoffs or certain games) or was stupid and sold their ticket without thinking.

One of the fans (note he was not a Phanatic, just a normal fan) that I interviewed inside McFadden’s said, “I come here after every game. Even if I can’t get a ticket to that game, I still come here. I guess it's the fact that I’m right outside the stadium… you know… the "environment.'” Others I interviewed share this fan’s viewpoint, “Well, if I can’t be inside the stadium, I might as well be right outside the stadium.”

Going back to the color topic: When I was down at the stadium researching, I noticed that a lot of people were wearing red Philadelphia Phillies shirts. And yes, I know I just pointed out the obvious, but just follow along.

Since I consider myself…no, I am a member of this youth subculture, I was wearing a red Philadelphia Phillies custom-made player shirt with the number 63 on the back, along with number 63’s last name (Madson) above the number.

Many of the shirts worn by members of the subculture are called player shirts, because they bear a striking resemblance to the jerseys that the players wear. Most of the shirts noticed had “Phillies” across the front, with a players’ last name (i.e. Utley, Hamels, Howard, Madson, Durbin, Lidge, Coste, Werth, etc.) and their number on the back (the number on the back corresponds to the number worn on the back of the player’s jersey).

On to style in the subculture. Some of the younger members of the subculture sport a hair style known as a “Rayhawk” down in Tampa. The “Rayhawk” is essentially a Mohawk with the only strip of hair in the middle is colored with the team color.

But as one Phanatic angrily dismissed as I questioned him about his hair replied, “It’s not a ‘Rayhawk’! What are you, freaking’ blind?! Can you not see the red?! What are you… from Tampah? It’s not a ‘Rayhawk’; it’s a “Phauxhawk’!”

Some of the younger members, besides sporting a “Phauxhawk”, sport face paint with team colors on each half of their faces. The older members of the subculture sport tattoos on their necks, backs, arms, legs, and chest.

The tattoos are or could be of player’s numbers, player’s names, player’s nicknames and team logos…even the whole team roster, as I noticed one person with the whole team on his back. Most of the tattoos are of the team logo.

Most people in the subculture sport their team’s logo everywhere, whether it is on their body in form of tattoos, to stickers on car windows.

I can remember my first experience within the baseball subculture. I was three and my father teaching me the family trade: pitching. He was teaching me how to throw the family pitch: a back-door, running/sliding fastball and…enough of that.

Most people become members of the baseball subculture when they go to or participate in a couple of games (excluding gym classes) or have witnessed enough of their area’s professional team, where they can specifically name and point out specific players on the team. When most members “join”, they are very young, around age nine or 10 from what I noticed.

The baseball subculture, as one of my friends put it, “Once you’re in, you in. You're in for life, forever associated with baseball” (Degiacomo).

While researching, I noted in a small hand-held spiral-bound notepad, that this subculture doesn’t discriminate against race, creed, socio-economic background, age, or ethnicity.

All people are welcome, but very few join. I noted that the youths involved are predominately white and of middle-class background. A good number of members are male, but there are some females in the subculture, not a lot, though.

The majority [of females] that I interviewed said that “they were dragged here” or “I come just to see Chase Utley” or worse… “I’m DD. Designated Driver.”

Most members can identify other members based on their clothing or other material items. But some members question other members as if to “weed out” (if you will) the real members from the fake members.

By fake as one of my friends put it, “Fair-weather fans, bandwagon jumpers, and ship-hoppers, I [expletive] hate them people. People who think that, ‘Oh, I’m here so that makes me a member.’ No, it doesn’t make you a member.

"Can you name a Philadelphia Phillie pitcher who has thrown a no-hitter in both leagues? Can you name the first time the Phillies went to the World Series? If you can’t answer those questions, you aren’t a member. It ain’t ‘bout stats and historical crap. It’s ‘bout community.” (Fallon)

Another friend put it as this way, saying, “Dude… if your just going because it’s the ‘cool thing to do,’ then leave…no one wants you here. We don’t like you people. You people make us look bad…go get drunk somewhere else.” (Degiacomo)

During my observation, I noticed that there actually is a hierarchy in this youth subculture. When one’s role within the subculture is questioned their status immediately drops down.

Here’s an explanation of the social hierarchy of the baseball subculture. If you're on the bottom, you’re a fledgling. You not considered a bandwagon jumper, yet.

Fledglings have just joined and are learning and perfecting their knowledge and learning the rules. If you're in the middle of the hierarchy, you’re a fan. You know your stuff, and you’ve been around long enough to know the rules.

If you’ve been around for many years, have a vast knowledge of a certain team and can point out, figure out and discern the real members from the fake members, you’re a “die-hard” or true fan. You bleed your team’s colors for blood. You would die for your team.

You're consider a “bandwagon jumper” if your team is doing bad and you jump ship to another team just to keep status quo. This is frowned upon. Most of the people in this subculture are followers.

They follow their team from place to place, stadium to stadium with zealous and religious fanaticism. Although there are “leaders,” they are ones who create the fan groups which are comprised mainly of older members.

From the observations that I have made, the hierarchy is determined through age, knowledge of your team, and respect. Note that the majority of Phillies fans in this area are “bandwagon jumpers” as noted with the World Series Victory Parade down Broad Street in Center City, Philadelphia.

The members of the subculture are involved in creating something. Take a look at the Dropkick Murphys song (music video) Tessie. The original “Tessie” (c. 1919), which was a Broadway play, was not about baseball at all, but rather a girl and her bird.

The Dropkick Murphys retooled the song and made the song about the Red Sox and how after 86 years, they won a World Series Title (Dropkick Murphys).

From what I observed at the games, these people create an art form, especially [true] Philadelphia sports fans. One such example was a song called “Phillies Phever” (Fever with a “Ph”), was played daily during the John DeBella radio show on Philadelphia’s 102.9 WMGK, during the time period in which the Phillies were in the playoffs.

I also think that the fans themselves are very creative (signs, music, books, papers, etc.). While we are on the subject of culture, music plays a key role to the players on the field, but to the fans as well.

Well, members hear a certain song, for example Led Zeppelin’s song, Kashmir, one outside of the subculture would think, “Hmm… good song.” But not members of the subculture. A member would think, “Kashmir…hmm…AHA! It must mean Chase Utley is coming to bat!”

The members of the subculture use these songs to identify with the players. For example, when the song "Soldiers" by Drowning Pool is blasting over the PA System down at Citizens Bank Park, the members of the subculture know two things.

One, they [the members] know what’s coming. Two, the game is over, because “Light’s Out” Lidge is coming to turn the lights out and end the game.

The members of this subculture like a good drink. When members drink they get into fights as witnessed in the YouTube video: Phillies Game Fight. Most members of one team can identify members of other teams, and usually they don’t get along.

So that leads into my next point. Alcohol is the main illegal/legal drug for choice, but tobacco is smoked in certain sections dubbed “smoke here”. Most members drink beer before, during and after the game.

One Phanatic told me that “everyone who goes to a ball game loves a good bottle. I love a good bottle before the game. I usually drink several bottles during the game, as well as several after the game inside McFadden’s.”

This is one of the reasons why I don’t drive down to the games. Whenever beer or other alcohol is involved, fights usually break out, usually in the “cheap people” seats (referring to the 300 and 400 section of Citizens Bank Park).

I observed with that Sept. 27 game that true members don’t need to drink. Those who drink do so to pick fights with unsuspecting fans of another team or fans that go to games not to get drunk, but just to watch and enjoy a weekday or weekend evening or afternoon game. Most members speak plain-as-day or regular English.

But some slang is spoken. For example I overheard one fan inside McFadden’s say: “how ‘bout ‘em Fightin’s” Others shout “Go Phils!” Hence the terms: the Phils, Fightin’s, Phanatics, etc. Generally members can integrate the slang in with the regular English well enough that you can’t tell that if they are speaking in slang terminology or English.

Tying the black and white information together, the members of the subculture do in fact meet the criteria for a subculture. These people make stuff, act together, speak the same, and do everything that a real subculture does and needs.

The fact is that sports fans (or baseball fans) are overlooked by sociologists because they [the members of the subculture] don’t meet the certain requirements.

So, tying EVERYTHING together, a concluding piece on what it means to be a member of the subculture. To be a member of the baseball youth subculture, means that you are of middle class origins and are predominately white. Most of the members outside the major cities [in the suburbs] are of middle-class socioeconomic background.

Whereas the members inside the major cities are predominately lower-middle to working-class socioeconomic background. It seems that to be a full (true) member of the baseball subculture, the socioeconomic background of the participant really does not matter, but rather the overall knowledge of the sport and of a specific team.

The more one knows about the sport, its intricacies, and the history of the sport, the better chance one has of becoming a full (true) member. The members of this subculture express varying beliefs.

Some beliefs are that if nonmembers: it is just a sport in which overpaid, grown-up kids get to play and your chances of playing the sport at the professional level are slim to none.

Some, if not most of the true members express a philosophy of: “my team is better than yours, so get out of our way.” Most who believe in this philosophy above, are believers in the “Turf Mentality” philosophy, or the belief that their team is better than everyone else’s.

Turf Mentality boils down to simple gang philosophy in that the baseball subculture is comprised of small, localized “gangs” of fans who follow their team, and fight with other team’s fans when they come to watch their team play.

When it comes down to politics, the leaders are that of the fan groups. But when it comes to politics on a national level (actual voting), some vote for certain players, managers, etc. The authorities really have no problem with the subculture, as long as they are sober and not drunk.

Alcohol and members of the youth subculture don’t mix, especially when certain teams travel into certain areas (i.e. Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and Chicago).

To emulate the professional General Managers and Owners of the Major Leagues teams, members create fantasy leagues. These fantasy leagues allow members to create the ultimate roster. “And it really is like Christmas morning. Draft day is one of favorite days of the year” (Halverson, Halverson 286).

This was a quote from a fantasy baseball league player. This reinforces the notion of a created product. Their product may or may not gain/ earn them (or anyone) any money (unless bets are placed in the league), but it is a serious part of the subculture.

The fantasy sports leagues are a “concept of competitive fandom” as Erica Rosenfeld Halverson and Richard Halverson put it (286). The turf mentality that was brought up earlier also plays a key role on the field. Social class and status can be used to determine whether or not a team or group of kids will play,

"The sociocultural and political significance of gentrification is observed. By using the FSA to observe difference between the ‘newcomers’ and the established ‘Fairmounters,’…gives insight to how power and entitlement within the community play out" (Wazienski 4).

Here one can see the turf mentality in effect within the FSA (Fairmount Sports Authority), within Philadelphia’s public recreation leagues. But the fact is many baseball leagues are racially divided.

Meaning…take, for example, if you look at the inner-city Philadelphia recreational baseball leagues, one would most likely see more African-American than White boys playing.

"…The marginalization of African-American fans in urban environments that are often centered in neighborhoods that are more heavily populated by minorities is both provocative and illuminating.

"As affluent and middle-class suburban white fans funnel into newer retro ballparks, few of them appear to question that they are part of an experience that is largely artificial" (Trumpbour 853).

Here one can see how racially divided the subculture really is.

In conclusion, baseball is a youth subculture because it breaks away from that “All-American” subculture. The facts is that not only does it break away but breaks away in such a fashion that it creates several small groups called “fan bases”.

These fan bases are what comprise of the baseball subculture. At first one would think that something as simple as the American Pastime is not a youth subculture, but one would have to delve deeper to discover that not only do members of the baseball subculture break away from the big picture…but subvert it as well.

Works Cited Page

Bernache-Assollant, Iouri, Marie-Françoise Lacassagne, and Jomills H. Braddock. “Basking in Reflected Glory and Blasting: Differences in Identity-Management Strategies Between Two Groups of Highly Identified Soccer Fans .” Journal of Language and Social Psychology 26.4 (2007): 381-388. 26 Nov. 2008 http://jls.sagepub.com/‌cgi/‌content/‌abstract/‌26/‌4/‌381.

 

Kraszewski, Jon. “Pittsburgh in Fort Worth: Football Bars, Sports Television, Sports, Fandom, and the Management of Home.” Journal of Sport and Social Issues 32.2 (2008): 139-157. 26 Nov. 2008 http://jss.sagepub.com/‌cgi/‌content/‌abstract/‌32/‌2/‌139.

Morgan, Joe. Baseball for Dummies. Indianapolis: Willey, Indianapolis, Wiley, 2005

Degiacomo, Tyler. Personal interview. Oct 17. 2008.

Fallon, Ben. Personal interview. Oct 19. 2008.

David, Nickolas W., and Magret Carlisle Duncan. “Sports Knowledge Is Power: Reinforcing Masculine Privilege through Fantasy Sport League Participation.” Journal of Sport and Social Issues 30.3 (2006): 244-246. 14 Nov. 2008 

Halverson, Erica Rosenfeld, and Richard Halverson. “Fantasy Baseball: The Case for Competitive Fandom.” Games and Culture 3.3-4 (2008): 286-308. 14 Nov. 2008 

Klein, Robert. “Play Ball!: A Selective History of the Round Object That Gives the National Game Its Name.” NINE: A Journal of Baseball and Culture 2.2 (2001): 237-247. 8 Oct. 2008 

Trumpbour, Robert. “Sport and Urban Landscape.” Journal of Urban History 33.5 (2007): 848-856. 14 Nov. 2008