Jersey Etiquette While at the Ballpark

I've been thinking about this recently, especially at the two games I've been to thus far this season. I think that there are unwritten rules about what is appropriate attire at baseball games. Unwritten rules that are routinely broken.

Maybe they're broken because they're unwritten.

So, I'm going to write them down.

These rules apply to anyone wearing baseball type things to a game, jerseys, team tee shirts, and caps mainly.

First and foremost, it should represent a team that is playing that day at that stadium.

You aren't at a Yankees game so don't wear your Yankees stuff.

When the Rangers are playing the Blue Jays, wear something for the Rangers or for the Blue Jays or don't wear baseball related attire at all.

Not that difficult.

I'm a huge Cubs fan. Probably 75% of my wardrobe is Cubs affiliated (the former statement is probably an exageration). But unless the Rangers are playing the Cubs, I don't wear my Cubs gear to the stadium.

Secondly, if you are wearing team appropriate attire, it is time to check if you team appropriate attire is player appropriate.

If the team apparel features a player that currently plays for another big league team, you shouldn't wear it.

Mark Teixeira is now a member of the Atlanta Braves, not the Texas Rangers. Don't wear his jersey or a tee shirt with his name and number on it.

The same goes for the Cubs fans I see in the stands wearing Mark Prior gear. I still love him too and hope that he recovers, but he's a Padre now. Not a Cub. I'm not wearing anything that is shared by the Padres. (That goes for Greg Maddox gear as well).

So what jerseys are appropriate?

Obviously anyone currently on the team is acceptable and indeed encouraged. As for players no longer on the team, retired players who played a majority of their career on your team are acceptable. Lets teach the kids about history. If you're at a Cubs game wearing a Ron Santo jersey, I'm very cool with that.

If the player is in the hall of fame and played for your team, then that jersey is also acceptable. Sure Fergie Jenkins is in the Hall of Fame as a Cub, but any Ranger fan who wears a Fergie Jenkins jersey is okay in my book. Sure, Nolan Ryan is in the Hall of Fame as a Ranger, but if I were an Astros fan (ooh, scary thought, breathe Josh Man, breathe, it's going to be okay, its only a hypothetical) I'd wear a Ryan jersey.

If the player isn't currently in the big leagues and played for your team, that's okay as well.

I, for one, don't mind seeing the Sosa shirts worn by Ranger fans. He's not playing for anyone else right now.

And I applaud the Rangers jersey with Julio Franco's name on the back. Even if he comes back for someone later this season, I think that one is still acceptable to wear. We'll call it the Over 50 Exception.

Put some thought into your jersey selection next time folks. Sure it sucks when we spend 100 dollars on a jersey only to have the player traded a month later, but that's the risk you take when you buy a jersey. It doesn't mean you can wear it again to a game.

Speaking of the game, some were played yesterday, lets look at the results.

BOS 6 CLE 4 F

MIN 9 DET 11 F

TOR 3 BAL 4 F

NYY 8 TB 7 F

LAA 7 TEX 4 F

OAK 2 CWS 1 F

KC 5 SEA 1 F

PIT 6 LAD 4 F

ARI 4 SF 5 F

Today the Cubs return to the Friendly Confines where they will take on their former manager Dusty Baker and his new team, the Cincinatti Reds. It's the first night game of the season at Wrigley, a 7:05pm CST start.

Aaron Harang starts for the Reds, Ryan Dempster looks to continue his red hot start to the season for the Cubs.

Here are all of today's games.

FOUR DAYS AND COUNTING

Opening day is around the corner and this is the year.

I was born in the city of Chicago in the winter of 1977 and have been a Cubs fan since 1984 when I first really got into baseball. That is also the season that the Cubs were within 5 outs of making the World Series for the first time since 1945, but proceeded to lose the next three games to the San Diego Padres. I haven't forgiven the Padres since.

The next year, the Cubs failed to make the playoffs.

Of course, the Cubs were within five outs again in 2003. Most people (sports fans at any rate) know what happened next. Mark Prior (now a Padre, damn Padres) got a fly ball in foul territory which Moises Alou was tracking when a fan (who shall remain nameless in this blog) reached out and kept Alou from making the catch.

Although, I don't blame the He Who Shall Not Be Named Fan completely for the collapse, because with a runner at first and one out in the inning, the next pitch from Prior induced a ground ball to Alex Gonzales for what should have been an inning ending double play. Gonzales booted the ball, unforgivably. While I'm not happy with the Fan Who Shall Not Be Named, I am even less happy with Gonzales, and immediately traded him from my team on my XBOX Baseball game. Thankfully in the next season, the real Cubs followed suit.

In that next season, the Cubs failed to make the playoffs.

Last year, the Cubs once again won the Central Division and have had a productive offseason (even if much of it was spent on speculation that has so far proved unfruitful on the possibility of aquiring All Star second baseman and leadoff man Brian Roberts from the Orioles.) So, the question becomes, can the Cubs do what they haven't done in 100 years?

I know what most of you are thinking, "Win the World Series", and sure, that is part of it, but in order to accomplish that, they will have to do something else that they haven't done in 100 years, make the postseason in consecutive years.

The last time they accomplished this was 1907 and 1908.

This year they will try again on the quest to win that elusive World Series Title.

This blog will chronicle that quest from a fan's perspective.