Props to Displaced Fans of MLB Teams
By Scott Carter
The season is finally in full swing. To those of us who love baseball it is a relief that
the sport we love is back for the long haul. There is nothing like the smell of the grass,
the smell of hotdogs cooking, the crack of the bat and the snap of leather… all smells,
sights, and sounds that signify we are out of the long winter and headed toward the dog
days of summer.
Being a baseball fan and living in a city that does not have a major league baseball
team is tough. I grew up in Salt Lake City, and while we have a pretty solid AAA team in
the Bees, it is not quite the same. Minor league baseball is a great product, with some
of the most incredible theme nights and other promotions (maybe another article,
another time we can focus on some of the incredible and hilarious nights around minor
league baseball) but it just isn’t the same as big league baseball, it’s just not.
Growing up in a city without a big-league team you are kind of left to your own devices
to pick a team to give your loyalty to. Some go with the parent team of a minor league
affiliate in or near their town - Salt Lake Bees – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim…
others pick the team of the day, jumping right on the bandwagon. During my junior high
and high school days, so many of my fellow students were Atlanta Braves fans, as such
I still have a small disdain for the Braves. It really is the wild west though when it comes
to picking a team.
My brother and sister chose the Yankees. I have friends that are Mets fans, Red Sox
fans, the list goes on. I followed in my grandfather’s footsteps and am of course a
Dodger fan.
With so many different fan bases in a community, it makes for fun banter, fans of just
about every team, which can be fun, but there is something about living near your team,
and having fans all around. You feel a brotherhood/sisterhood with people of so many
different walks of life, all because you love your team.
I was blessed to live in southern California for nearly 20 years, and I attended many
MLB games at Dodger stadium, Angels Stadium, and Petco Park over those years.
However, I wish I had gone to more Dodger games when I did, especially now that I live
in Utah again, and can’t just decide to go to an MLB game. Instead of going on a whim,
like I had done so many times before; what used to be a day of decision to go to a ball
game – now, has to be planned out and incurs even more expense.
Another hardship for displaced fans, is that it is harder to get your team’s gear. I know, I
know, you can find a lot of merchandise online, but the options are not the same, and it
is just not the same as being in the team pro shop and seeing and feeling the
merchandise in real life.
Worse, when you are an exiled fan, it is hard to get the games on TV. When you don’t
live in the city, the only way you see them is if it’s the national broadcast. Streaming
services have largely filled this void, but for those of us that grew up in the 80’s and
90’s, I feel your pain. We were Lucky to see 5-10 games a year before the playoffs.
One of my favorite things when I moved to California in 2004, was that I could watch
EVERY Dodger game. I had the Dodgers on in the background almost constantly as I
studied for Law School. (Nothing like baseball as your background noise!!).
As a result of all these reasons, some people change their allegiance to a team,
especially if they grew up away from a team, and then move to a city with a team. It
makes sense, and it is the easy way, especially if your team has struggled during your
fandom. So, to all baseball fans that live in cities across this country that don’t have an
MLB team, I feel your pain! A heartfelt kudos to your fandom and your dedication!