Heckling Information

A Word About Heckling

In 2014 Maclean's wrote an article entitled, “The fine art of heckling: Anyone can yell insults at the ballpark. Mastering the delicate art of heckling takes finesse”. It discussed something a lot of baseball fans have known for years, how powerful and important heckling in baseball can be. The article starts by discussing George Bernard Shaw, an Irish playwright in the mid-1900s, and his visit to the United States. After attending a baseball game Shaw noted that the only enjoyable part of the game was… wait for it... that's right, heckling. While I enjoy most of the game of baseball (not bunting or the wave), he was right, heckling really is enjoyable. Shaw wrote, “spectators are allowed, and even expected, to join in the vocal part of the game”—namely, throwing the batter “off his stroke at the critical moment by neatly timed disparagements of his wife’s fidelity and his mother’s respectability.” Although of course comments of extreme disrespect have no place at a ballgame, Shaw was right about the power of a well-placed heckle.

A baseball game’s pace makes it the perfect sport for heckling. The pauses between important plays give fans time to think about each team’s strategy and to anticipate the possible excitement that may occur. These breaks also allow spectators a chance to attempt to interact with players. Ask any ballplayer and they'll tell you the importance of concentration during a game. Try to hit a 95 mph fastball while thinking about your high school girlfriend; try catching a pop-fly in a stadium of 50,000 people while someone yells out your home address; it takes a strong minded individual.

At NBA games they hand out inflatable wands to wave during free throws. These wands are an attempt to disrupt the shooter's concentration. This is a form of heckling; it’s organized, sponsored, and encouraged. The goal, to give home field (or court) advantage to the home team. In baseball, a fan of the home team in many ways has an obligation to make themselves heard, to irritate the opponent, and help their team gain the upper-hand. Of the thousands of beautiful things about the sport of baseball, one is that fans can influence the outcome of a game, for the better or worse.

The very first set of rules on heckling was published by the Sporting News in 1948. Since then there have been many books, articles and even Oscar winning movies (okay not movies) about heckling. As technology and access to information has evolved so has the way hecklers interact with players (read about #HunterPenceSigns from 2015). HeckleHub.com was created with the sole purpose of bringing information to the hands of those who need it most, hecklers. Individuals unfamiliar with the concept of heckling have at times seen it as “rude” or “disrespectful” yet that is not the purpose. A good heckler should increase the enjoyment of the game from those around them. He or she should aspire to help the team while recognizing that the players still deserve respect.

Please visit our forum and discuss your rules for good heckling or comment below.