WSJ: The Happy Heckler Can’t Be Heard Now in the Din at Tropicana Field

The now silent world of Robert “The Howl With One Vowel” Szasz. Jamie Tennyson writes hello.

But Wednesday night, in the Rays’ first appearance in a World Series, Mr. Szasz’s trademark jeers (“Hey, Why don’t you get a tennis racket? It’s easier to hit the ball!”) were largely drowned out by the cheers and clanging cowbells from the capacity crowd at The Trop. “He couldn’t even hear me,” sighed Mr. Szasz, sinking into his front-row leather seat after attempting to heckle the Philadelphia Phillies’ first baseman Ryan Howard in the first inning.

It’s been that kind of season for Mr. Szasz. The more popular his team has become, the less he is needed. “I think he’s kind of lost his place,” says Peter Gammons, ESPN’s major league baseball commentator.

...Such was the case with Mr. Szasz’s attempt to taunt the Phillies’ Mr. Howard Wednesday night. Mr. Howard’s first-inning at-bat followed a two-run home run by the Phillies’ Chase Utley. The crowd was still groaning in dismay when Mr. Szasz started into his routine.

“Hey, Ryan. You gonna go back to back, baby?”

“What do you got, baby?”

No one seemed to notice. “They can’t hear you, Dad,” said Mr. Szasz’s 9-year-old son, Brent, who sat behind him.