When I hear spring, the first thing I think about is baseball season. I've always been a fan, but moving onto college, I found a piece of my heart in my school's baseball team. Season after season, I began to pick up on the quirks of the people that surrounded me at every game. The dad who never took his eyes off the field, the little boys who ran after every out of bounds ball, and the clusters of girls who were way over dressed for a game. Every group had its own qualities that defined who they were as a spectator. These are the five people you will see at a college baseball game.
The talkers are the most well-known people that you will meet at a game. They sit and gab through every inning, only breaking conversation to throw in an obligatory cheer for each hit. You wonder why these people even bothered to attend, let alone pay for a ticket. Talkers never seem to keep their conversations to a whisper. Everyone in the stadium leaves the game knowing that Emily's been cheating on her boyfriend and who died last on Grey's Anatomy. There is a whole breed of talkers who like to shout at the players. They know that their opinions are irrelevant to what is happening on the field, but they're going to yell it out anyway. Often ignored by the rest of the spectators, the talkers are relentless about making sure they are heard.
The parents and families of the players are a big group that anyone could pick out of the crowd. Extended members of the team usually huddle together as close to the field as possible. All decked out in team colors and merch, they typically scroll through their newsfeeds until their kid steps up to plate. At that point, all eyes on the field and a chorus of "That's my boy!" and "Eyes on the ball!" chimes out from the corner of proud parents. Every game is a family affair and grandparents and siblings are no exclusion from game-day fun. Everyone shows out to support their favorite player.
The bandwagon fans are the worst. Usually sitting in the first few rows behind home plate, these people have no idea what is going on. Most often, a boyfriend or sorority sister will invite them to go and who could say no to America's favorite game? They spend a majority of the game asking countless questions trying to figure out how the game works and commenting on how hot the pitcher is. The bandwagon fans may seem invested into the game, but just about anyone can see through their facade.
Instagramers are their own group, spawning from the bandwagon fans. These people will do just about anything to get that perfect shot. Their sole purpose in attending the game was to snag the perfect field shot to accompany their "diamonds are a girl's best friend" caption. You'll find them leaning over the rails to snap the perfect image, all the while missing the entire game,
Finally, the true baseball fans hide in the stands. You may not hear them or see them, but they are there. They sit in silence and take it all in. The breeze, the smell, the satisfying crack of a home run hit, and the energy bouncing right off the field. They know the players and their walkout songs, all of the stats, the latest team news, and they even get to memorize the order of ballpark sound clips. The true fans don't need to draw attention to themselves. They are simply there to enjoy the game.
