The fans’ way at Fenway: loud, louder loudah, loudest

FTF Yah

It's almost loud enough sometimes not to hear the homophobic slurs.

“None of it is prompting, not traditional ‘Everybody clap your hands’ that some ballparks have, it’s not the ‘Charge,’ there’s nothing visual on our boards that say ‘Make noise’ or ‘Get up now,’ we don’t do any of that,” Carter said. “We’re Fenway Park - our fans are smarter than that, they don’t need to be told when to cheer, they don’t need to be told when to stand, they don’t need to be told what the situation is, they see it unfolding.”

Thank you. Now can you please tell that to your colleagues at the other ballparks?

They have been starting to sneak sound clips in on two strikes, which I think is new for this year (I don't remember it in 2019). I am always surprised by just how many "Make Some Noise" things other parks do when I visit them; trust your fans, guys!

They have been starting to sneak sound clips in on two strikes,

Yeah, that klaxon in Tropicana is horrible. Every time their pitcher gets two strikes.

Also seem to be a lot more of the "this noise after every strikeout" thing.

Yeah, Fenway has a "Special Strikeout Noise" that they do that I hate but other than that it's pretty organic. The crowds have been remarkable, really all season. I don't know how it's been in other cities but I noticed even in the April game I went to there was more of a celebratory atmosphere. I'm sure that's a "we've been cooped up for a year" thing because even in 2013 it wasn't quite the same but it's been a ton of fun.

The one thing that doesn't happen anymore that was a regular thing when I was a kid was anytime someone fouled a ball back onto the screen we'd all go "oooooooo" slowly growing in pitch and noise as the ball rolled down the screen then either cheer or boo the ball boy depending on if he caught it or not. Every so often the ball would stay stuck on the screen and that would get us buzzing. The balls seem to stay on the screen a lot more now too.

here’s nothing visual on our boards that say ‘Make noise’ or ‘Get up now,’ we don’t do any of that,”

What is the point when most of the fans cannot read.

Thanks. It is self congratulatory stuff like this that gets me cheering for the Astros.

Lonborg and Champagne!!!!!

they don’t need to be told what the situation is, they see it unfolding

For a significant percentage of fans at Fenway, this is only true if you crane your neck backwards over your shoulder.

Thanks. It is self congratulatory stuff like this that gets me cheering for the Astros.

There was a zero percent chance you would have cheered for the Red Sox under nearly any circumstances. But at least you now get to pretend you have a morally superior reason for it. Congrats!

No team's fans need to be told when to cheer.
In 2006, friends and I went and saw a game in Shea Stadium in New York. We were dumbfounded at the PA system at Shea constantly prompting the fans to cheer (Every-body clap your hands). A month later, IIRC, the Mets were playing at Fenway in an interleague game and the sizeable groups of Mets fans there that night in Fenway were frequently trying to start their own cheers. Why the hell didn't they trust them to do that in Shea? It was kind of disrespectful, actually.

Thanks. It is self congratulatory stuff like this that gets me cheering for the Astros.

No acting like you're a better fan for you, nope!

Anyway, I don't think it's that the fans are better at Fenway/in Boston by any means (a lot of the anti-Yankees stuff even when it's irrelevant is cringe-y and annoying in a different way), but that it reflects badly on the teams that they think they need to do this. I went to the last series of the season in Washington and they did a ton of this, but it was mostly ignored. Maybe the fans were just checked out after a lousy season, but all the "Two Strikes! Make Some Noise!" things landed with a thud, though they didn't seem to need any prompting when things were going well. Its been that way in pretty much every park I've visited, honestly - the fans don't need a lot of encouragement to cheer or boo and worrying about that makes the folks running the PA board look like they don't have faith in either their fans or their product.

I mean, one of the most fun experiences I've had as a visiting fan is in the RF bleachers of the Oakland Colosseum, where the fans are into it and doing their own thing independent of what the board says all game long.

Of course, the whole dynamic of this stuff makes me curious to take in a Japanese game sometime, where you're handed booklets of cheers for various points but it sure all comes off as sincere and involved.

There was a zero percent chance you would have cheered for the Red Sox under nearly any circumstances. But at least you now get to pretend you have a morally superior reason for it. Congrats!

There once was a team owned by Jeffrey Loria.

I feel like Seattle is among the worst for crowd-prompting. But I once went to a 19-inning game at Safeco, and as the game dragged on, the PA stopped doing that, and the crowd (not so big at this point) cheered on their own. It was way better on every level, to me anyway. Fans will cheer just fine without being told to, everywhere.

I have a very thorough consultant's report that says you're all wrong about piped in crowd commands. They're very effective.

In the NFL, Kansas City and Seattle (and maybe Buffalo?) seem to have the reps for loudest stadiums, is there a MLB stadium that is known for being the loudest? I think the Metrodome got pretty loud back in the day.

In the NFL, Kansas City and Seattle (and maybe Buffalo?) seem to have the reps for loudest stadiums, is there a MLB stadium that is known for being the loudest? I think the Metrodome got pretty loud back in the day.

Maybe the Skydome when it's full?

Back in the day the closed end of the Orange Bowl had quite the rep.

Yeah, Fenway has a "Special Strikeout Noise" that they do that I hate but other than that it's pretty organic.

First game my then 5 year old daughter and I went to together, she heard that noise after a strikeout and said, “Why is there a ghost here???” We’ve taken to calling it the Strikeout Ghost ever since then. Still cracks her up (she’s 9 now).

I feel like Seattle is among the worst for crowd-prompting.

Dodger Stadium, by an order of magnitude, I think.

There once was a team owned by Jeffrey Loria.

That's not the worst opening line for a limerick.

I mean, one of the most fun experiences I've had as a visiting fan is in the RF bleachers of the Oakland Colosseum, where the fans are into it and doing their own thing independent of what the board says all game long.

THIS! It's not a Boston thing, it's a fan thing.

I mean, it's less about how noisy it is when something great happens. Everyone cheers! Yay! Like, that's what fans do. What Verdugo and Martinez are saying in TFA is basically (a) it's much louder there than they've experienced elsewhere, (b) it's even louder than it was a few years ago, and (c) it's loud all the time, not just when something great happens, and not just in anticipation of what good things might happen on a 3-2 count or something like that - but all the time, in demand of good things. That's how I recall Fenway always* being in the playoffs. (I attended all but one Fenway playoff game from 1999 to 2013 or so.) That's I think what Verdugo and Martinez find so different.

Mind you, this article exists because of Verdugo. He has Millar-like enthusiasm for everything baseball, and he absolutely loves when his team's fans are cheering. He has made no secret of his "wow, the fans" perspective this postseason, so it's pretty easy for a Globe columnist to get a quote or two from him, get JDM to add a go-along comment for perspective from prior years, talk to the PA guy to get some self-serving quotes, and boom. It's like the easiest column to write right now. But if Verdugo were still with the Dodgers, I'm sure he'd say the same stuff about Dodgers fans; or Astros fans if he'd been with Houston; because he has nearly 100% enthusiasm and nearly 0% perspective. Don't get me wrong - Fenway is a fantastic atmosphere in the playoffs. But this is an easy column right now. Fans cheer; film at 11.

*Except for 2004 ALCS Game 3. I mean, these people have limits.

“None of it is prompting, not traditional ‘Everybody clap your hands’ that some ballparks have, it’s not the ‘Charge,’ there’s nothing visual on our boards that say ‘Make noise’ or ‘Get up now,’ we don’t do any of that,”

Could you imagine if they tried to prompt cheering at Liverpool, Barcelona or Juventus?

At Liverpool, you'd get like 100 guys looking at the scoreboard, saying "what the fook?", then burn the scoreboard down whilst breaking into a song about being skint and on the piss.

I’m sure it’s closely held proprietary information, but I’d like to see the per capita alcohol consumption at MLB ballparks, which might explain some aspects of fan behavior, although perhaps not the ones discussed here.

In the NFL, Kansas City and Seattle (and maybe Buffalo?) seem to have the reps for loudest stadiums, is there a MLB stadium that is known for being the loudest? I think the Metrodome got pretty loud back in the day.

Old Yankee Stadium was deafening. The upper deck would literally shake with peole jumping up and down. The new one is a mausoleum.

is there a MLB stadium that is known for being the loudest?

I can't help but imagine what Stade Olympique must have been like when the Expos were good, packed with rowdy Montrealers banging those seats like they do at the hockey games while also screaming.

Old Yankee Stadium was deafening. The upper deck would literally shake with people jumping up and down. The new one is a mausoleum.

It's got the ambiance of an airport and (last time I was there) a weird combination of graphic prompts after every pitch and minor-league-looking giveaways between every inning. I hope that thing they do with the lights is less seizure-inducing than it appears on TV.

I can't help but imagine what Stade Olympique must have been like when the Expos were good, packed with rowdy Montrealers banging those seats like they do at the hockey games while also screaming.

The one moment I clearly remember is Opening Day 2002, when Tim Raines came back. Glendon Rusch was visibly unnerved and walked him on 4 pitches Video

The last very brief baseball craze was in August 2003 where the Expos challenged for the Wild Card. They swept the Phillies, and for one the games, everybody was pretty much standing and cheering for the whole game. Crazy.

I was at the OSU/Michigan game in Columbus a few years ago. Game ended at 3:30 PM or so. When I went to bed at 11, my ears were still ringing.

Also, I don't remember any scoreboard graphics instructing us on when to cheer...

I’m sure it’s closely held proprietary information, but I’d like to see the per capita alcohol consumption at MLB ballparks, which might explain some aspects of fan behavior, although perhaps not the ones discussed here.

Pretty much every park I've been to sold beer in two ways that were generally not done at Fenway:

(a) allow sale of up to 4 beers per customer in one transaction at a concession stand (Fenway was 2 maximum)

(b) beer vendors at the seats (Fenway for a long time had none, then expanded to having beer vendors only in the first few rows of the infield seats and nowhere else. Not sure if this has changed recently).

I'm sure there are plenty of drunk fans at Fenway, and it wouldn't surprise me if quite a few fans showed up to Fenway already drunk or at least halfway there. But I would be shocked if Fenway weren't near the bottom of the league in alcohol sales (in volume) per capita.

I recognize it's not complimentary for me to say it's not the alcohol that makes Red Sox fans act this way.

The timing of this article is poor, as I was at Fenway last night and they have a brand new audio prompt. When an Astros batter got to 2 strikes, the speakers would blast a beat or a micro-clip of a song. It was cheesy in concept, but heinous in practice because it seemed like everyone (batter, pitcher, crowd) just waited for it to end before preparing for the next pitch. Anything that has the potential to prolong the between-pitches interval, or even just cement it's status as an actual interval, is terrible.

The crowd is loud as hell right now, we don't need 2-strike noises and strikeout ghosts.

Edit: I see post 4 references the new 2-strike noises. Last night was the first time I noticed it - I could swear it wasn't happening a week ago when I went to the ALDS. But I could be wrong.

I noticed it during the ALDS, but it *could* have been happening during the regular season. I didn't notice it during the last regular-season game I went to there (the closing Yankees series), but I was more primed after going to the games in Washington and seeing them do animated prompts for "two strikes!"

(Another thing I noticed is that they do replays on the video board for everything at Fenway, in part because there are seats where you can't see the whole field, but only did it when it made the Nats look good in DC.)

This story seems to be getting a lot of traction and it just seems, like, who cares? You're loud? Okay. Great. So are lots of fans. Also, even if you're the loudest, also, who cares?

The last thing we need is another reason for Boston fans to feel like they're special.

The Rays have been doing a godawful two-strike siren for at least a couple years.

the loudest crowd I've experienced for more than 1,000 sporting events over time was for Game 7 of the 1986 World Series, when Calvin Schiraldi - of the Red Sox, of all teams - tried to pitch in relief at Shea Stadium to chants of "CAL-VIN! CAL-VIN! CAL-VIN!"

I remember sitting behind home plate, and the ruckus was so intense/bloodthirsty I found it challenging to focus - so what the hell is the pitcher supposed to do? it had the vibe of a dome, which of course has the advantage of bouncing sound.

Game 7 of the NY Rangers at MSG in 1994 Stanley Cup finals is memorable from the get-go - their opera-singer anthem guy belts out the song, but you can't hear a word thanks to the crowd and its chants of "LET'S GO RANGERS!"

(as it happens, neither team has won a title since.)

Chicago Stadium was the loudest arena I recall. others BITD may be a surprise, like Sacramento or Seattle. Indianapolis was rowdier than one might expect.

Easily the loudest I've been to was Oregon-Michigan State at Autzen. It was so loud that a visiting Michigan sportswriter accused the Ducks of piping in crowd noise. I think they were ranked #2 and #6 in the country at the time. This would have been . . . 2013?

The inverse of these scenarios was any game late this year in Camden Yards.
Watching at home you could hear the occasional fan conversation held at normal speaking voice levels.
Poor Orioles....they have so far to go to build a mediocre team, let alone a contender.

Because of Covid, the Knicks season ticket holders basically got displaced by a bunch of 25-30 year old guys at MSG for the Hawks playoff series last spring and as a result, the crowds were off-the-charts insane. Kind of hearkened back to old school days when that was the main demographic in all the country's sports arenas.

I have no idea about who's louder or whatever, but when the Mets had their post 2015 run.... three years ago? towards the end of the regular season at Citifield I was at a pretty amazing comeback win and it was as loud as I've ever heard it.

I still miss Shea, though. The biggest game I was ever at was the 9/11 Piazza homer game. I would be surprised if the pent-up melancholic horror of the city had one of the loudest releases of volume ever for the Mets.

Probably the loudest game I've ever been to was sort of out of left field: 1992 college football, #8 Syracuse (one loss, in a year when it looked like there might not be an undefeated team) hosting #1 Miami at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse. A bunch of unique factors:

1) It is the only domed stadium in college football - a wild crowd in a dome gets really, really loud;
2) It is the only on-campus facility in the country that is allowed to sell beer during college football games (or, at least that was the case in 1992). This is because the Dome is in the middle of campus (which would normally mean it had to comply with NCAA regs against alcohol sales) but the land it is on is technically owned by Onondaga County. Thus, it can serve alcohol...and the amount of drinking for this game (night game, national TV, biggest rival at the time, everything on the line) was off the charts.
3) This is the only thing people in Central New York really have to get personally invested in, from a sports perspective. It's a part of the country that gets overlooked as part of the rust belt economic decline, and it is a large geographic area...but the commitment to Syracuse U sports is right there with any college town in America. (I remember the first lacrosse game I went to in 1993, there were over 12K people there...couldn't believe it).
4) It was 16-10, Syracuse had the ball with no timeouts, driving down the field, complete a pass as the clock hits 00:00, and the guy is tackled at the two-yard line. So it was a hell of a game.

Basically, you take a Dome, biggest game in a decade, night game, national TV, 10,000 drunk students combined with another 42,000 basically drunk other fans, nail-biter game...loudest place I've ever been for a game.

Fenway can get really loud, but generally speaking, an open-air experience vs a domed experience is a different level of magnitude.

All the crowds in this postseason and the past few postseasons (not last year obviously) have been really raucous and loud. The days of there being anything special about Red Sox crowds or Yankee crowds are pretty much over. They are obviously great atmospheres for a big game but so is Houston, so is Atlanta...the Nats crowds in the 2019 postseason were electric.

By the way, the loudest thing I ever heard in person...well, I got two....David Justice hitting his three run homer run off Arthur Rhodes in 2000 ALCS. I was in the upper deck and was sure it was going to fall down. Number 2 is kind of random: Michigan State at Rutgers...game was all tied up late in the 4th with Rutgers looking to upset the #4 team in the country. Michigan State had a 3rd and 12 deep in Rutgers territory. The noise grew to such a fever pitch before the snap that it actually kind of hurt. Then MSU QB completed a perfect 15 yard out pattern with the blitz in his face and it went hush like a library.

I still miss Shea, though.

Me too. Sitting in the upper deck behind first during Game 6 of the 2006 NLCS and feeling the whole thing swaying was unbelievable. Then I sat home and cried the next night- first tears of joy for Endy, then tears to curse Aaron Heilman.

The inverse of these scenarios was any game late this year in Camden Yards.
Watching at home you could hear the occasional fan conversation held at normal speaking voice levels.
Poor Orioles....they have so far to go to build a mediocre team, let alone a contender.

And yet from about 1979 through 1983 there wasn't a louder stadium than Memorial. Same for football when the "Coats" were perennial contenders.

I'm pretty sure the highest decibel level recorded has been at the Seahawks' home stadium, whatever it was known as in the early 2010's.

All the crowds in this postseason and the past few postseasons (not last year obviously) have been really raucous and loud. The days of there being anything special about Red Sox crowds or Yankee crowds are pretty much over. They are obviously great atmospheres for a big game but so is Houston, so is Atlanta...the Nats crowds in the 2019 postseason were electric.


I've found that the more expensive the ticket, the worse the crowd. My only experience with playoff games is the Yankees, but I definitely noticed that as you go deeper in the playoffs (and the tickets get bid up) the crowds lose their edge.

I've found that the more expensive the ticket, the worse the crowd.

have been to three Super Bowls (Phoenix, Indianapolis, Meadowlands) and can confirm.

the 2008 game in Phoenix - I mean, it's the underdog Giants against the 18-0 Patriots - was the nadir.

understandably, few Giants fans looked to spend $3K per ticket plus expenses and time to travel for what might be a blowout loss way out there. Pats fans showed, but I remember the end of the third quarter "vibe" seemed like a preseason game. zero buzz.

fortunately things picked up in the fourth quarter and the decibel meter finally registered to some extent.

will reprise another line, by the head of the state-run Meadowlands Sports Complex ripping the Giants and Jets for PSLs of up to $20K to $25K planned for the new stadium a decade ago:

"You're going to wind up with nobody in the stands but 80,000 investment bankers, and nobody wants that - and I'm an investment banker!"

I was at the Carrier Dome for the 84 game when they upset #1Nebraska 17-9. That was quite loud as was the result shocking. Kyle Field in College Station and Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge are the two loudest outdoor venues I've experienced. CWS crowds can get raucous with the right fan match-ups.

Loudest I've ever heard a stadium was the SkyDome during Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS, the Bat Flip game. The highs and lows of that 7th inning I'll never forget. First playoff team in 22 years and it looked like they were going to lose on the flukiest play anyone had ever seen. No one explained the rules. No one knew that it was the correct call. All the crowd saw was that it appeared Choo had interfered with the throw back to the pitcher, the home plate ump called time, then Odor had scored after time was called, and the run still counted. The fans didn't care for OK Blue Jays and then booed Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the 7th inning stretch. Then, the singular roar when Jose hits his HR. That was louder than WrestleMania X8 when Rock faced Hogan...

That was the Mother of All Bat Flips. Made me a Bautista fan for life.

Loudest I've ever heard a stadium was the SkyDome during Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS, the Bat Flip game. The highs and lows of that 7th inning I'll never forget.

I was watching that on a TV in Portland, Oregon, and my walls were practically shaking.

Loudest I've ever heard a stadium was the SkyDome during Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS, the Bat Flip game.

Not a Jays fan, but damn, that stands out as the greatest bat flip of all time.

The Metrodome during the 87 and 91 World Series was numbing. I had CF seats behind Puckett in 87 and was way up above 3b for 91 and I think it was louder near the roof. My ears rung for days. It was an unpleasant place to watch a game, but when you put 54k screaming people into a sealed cement and hard plastic room it echoes powerfully.

The best part about the 1987 World Series was reading Thomas Boswell's whining about how "unfair" the Metrodome was to the poor, poor Cardinals. He then repeated his whining 4 years later about the poor, poor Braves.

Of course the Twins' home record in World Series games in the Metrodome was 8 and 0, while their World Series road record in those years was 0 and 6. But that's baseball, Suzyn.

Well, the Twins WERE quite fortunate to have home field in both 87 and 91. Besides being fortunate a million other ways in 87.

Besides being fortunate a million other ways in 87.

I was recently told that we're not allowed to notice the ways in which teams are fortunate.

Of course the Twins were fortunate to be playing in an exceptionally weak division, and to run into Doyle Alexander after his Cinderella coach had turned back into a pumpkin.

But Cardinals fans shouldn't have been too disconsolate, because their heroes received the cherished Pythagorean Award.

I was far more impressed with the massive homer than the subsequent bat chuck.

I was far more impressed with the massive homer than the subsequent bat chuck.

I don't think the former lives on in the way it does without the latter. And to tell you the truth, the latter thrilled me to my core in the moment.

I don't think the former lives on in the way it does without the latter.

Sadly, you're probably right, even though any schmuck could have done the latter.