PRINTA heckler’s haven
Baseball fans get vocal at Taylor Stadium
Catalin Abagiu
Larry Wyatt II is a rather vocal heckler at MU baseball games. The Tigers ended the regular season No. 4 in the Big 12.
May 22, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Taylor Stadium is a sea of bright colors as Little Leaguers bombard MU’s baseball stands in their team jerseys. Parents and coaches follow suit, all ready to enjoy a Saturday afternoon at the ballpark as the Tigers take on the Kansas State Wildcats.
Coaches use the games to teach techniques. They point out a huge lead off first base or a batter’s stance. After a triple to deep center field for the Tigers, the Wildcats’ catcher calls time and heads to the pitcher’s mound as a fan bellows “You just want to touch his ass!”
Some laugh while others ignore it. A young player looks expectantly at his coach, but the coach just shrugs his shoulders.
Down on the field, Kyle Gibson gets entertainment out of the inappropriate comments. “I hear everything on the mound,” the starting pitcher for MU says. “So to hear some of the things they say almost makes me start laughing.”
Heckling at MU baseball games comes in various forms. There’s the mundane “you suck,” plays on players’ last names or mocking a batters’ ridiculous rituals.
But shouts were more heated a month prior when Oklahoma State came to town. Fans threw racially insensitive comments at Cowboys’ catcher, Luis Flores. They repeatedly yelled, “You should be in the fields picking fruit!” It was obvious the heckling got to Flores, as he pounded his chest at MU fans after the OSU victory.
Still, Gary Arndt, former MU shortstop, believes Taylor Stadium is pretty tame compared to others. “Anywhere you go, there’s always going to be some inappropriate things said,” Ardnt says. “For the most part, heckling at Mizzou has been pretty clean.”
Because Ardnt and other players use the heckling as motivation, they appreciate when fans take the time to be creative. “Some of the best places for hecklers are Texas A&M, Nebraska, Texas Tech and Texas,” Ardnt says. “They really do a thorough background check on the opponents and come prepared with material. We were amazed at some of the stuff they dug up on some of us.”
The parents don’t mind one bit. Many repeated the mantra, “It’s part of the game.” Gibson thinks they secretly enjoy it. “I’ve been a heckler at other events at Mizzou, and families around me said they come to hear us heckle, and their children think it’s hilarious,” he says. “Besides, fans pay to see (college athletes) play, so I feel like they can boo you, yell at you or do whatever as long as it does not involve throwing things at you.”
Ardnt is a little more practical now that he spends games sitting in the stands and sees all the kids around. “It’s almost impossible to keep it clean because there is always going to be someone who will ruin it,” he says. “But if people want to heckle, they should at least be aware of who’s around them before they start.”
