SportsAnnouncing.com 
A few years ago, an interesting situation arose during a high school baseball game. The visiting team’s fans were upset at the home team’s announcer for announcing the home team with more enthusiasm while playing walk-up music for the home team’s batters, songs for rallies while on offense, out songs while on defense and creating
A few years ago, an interesting situation arose during a high school baseball game. The visiting team’s fans were upset at the home team’s announcer for announcing the home team with more enthusiasm while playing walk-up music for the home team’s batters, songs for rallies while on offense, out songs while on defense and creating an all-around home-field advantage while the announcer “kept it in good taste all game” according to the home plate umpire.
The visiting team fans complained directly to the announcer as an administrator was not available (he was coaching the game) and announcers at the games were not as common then as they are now. It was thought that the visiting team, who was trailing in this game, had the only announcer in the league prior to that season. The visiting team fans even went so far to complain the announcing was not impartial, provided a list of songs that their players wanted to hear during the game, and even attempted to intimidate the announcer during the game. The sportsmanship announcement had been re-read during the game to try to calm the fans.
The announcer was not in a pressbox, but under a tent behind home plate which was accessible to players, coaches, fans, and umpires.
What say you fellow announcers?
Please leave your feedback in the comments section on how you would have handled the situation.
6 comments
6 Comments
Brodie
June 21, 2016, 9:22 amThose visiting fans need to deal with the home field advantage. They’re living in a cave if they think that they’re going to be treated equally at an opposing site.
REPLYKEVIN BALDINGER
June 21, 2016, 12:04 pmParents need to learn to accept that not everyone gets a medal for playing.
REPLYI have encountered that attitude and also had visiting fans say how fair I was and that I never did anything to embarrass the visiting team. Each level of play I show more home field advantage.
William
June 21, 2016, 1:45 pmIt is called “home field advantage” for a reason. But I also never do anything to embarrass the visitors.
REPLYI am neutral at tournaments and international events.
Mike Conway
June 21, 2016, 4:20 pmI would do my best to find the “Airplane” clip that goes something along the lines of “surely you can’t be serious…” in response to the VISITING team upset that the atmosphere for the HOME team might be slanted in that direction. Wow.
REPLYBrice burge
June 21, 2016, 5:28 pmHigh school rules are different and often have procedures and bylaws required by the state governing authority regarding this kind of thing. The opposing fans went too far, but something as simple as including their walk-up music (if known as a clean version) could have diffused the situation in a positive way. That little bit of positive goes a long way in maintaining a safe crowd environment.
REPLY