One of the many great traditions in baseball resides in the first inning of every game played at Yankee Stadium.
After the first pitch of the game is thrown, the "Bleacher Creatures" in the right-field seats begin chanting the names of each New York Yankees player in that day's starting lineup until he acknowledges the calls from the crowd. It's a tradition that dates back to the days of the Yankees' dynasty in the late 1990s.
Well, on Sunday, Los Angeles Dodgers fans watching their favorite team take down the Pittsburgh Pirates at home tried a similar stunt to begin the game.
In the top of the first inning at Dodger Stadium, fans chanted the names of each Los Angeles player in the field. And each player acknowledged the crowd, just like they do nearly 3,000 miles away in New York.
There was a roll call at Dodger Stadium yesterday pic.twitter.com/DDxAxFcSWu
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 12, 2024
MLB fans—particularly those who root on the pinstripes—had plenty of opinions about the Dodgers fans putting a Hollywood spin on a longtime Yankees tradition.
Twister, Jaden Smith’s Karate Kid, Point Break….bunch of unoriginal people in Hollywood. We’ve known this. https://t.co/Bm1ugPjhpy
— woods (@thestevenwoods) August 12, 2024
adorable https://t.co/purHCNcVLP
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 12, 2024
That’s Stolen Baseball Valor
— Dan Gregg (@dangregg_) August 12, 2024
Stolen the entire franchise from New York, so why not use New York fan traditions too? https://t.co/ubOTUiigvn
— DJ Nphared (@DJNphared) August 12, 2024
Yankees wanna be
— OlaTeeStore (@OlaTeestore) August 12, 2024
Uh oh Yankees fans won't like this... Obviously only one team is allowed to yell the names of their teams players
— Phillies Baseball Talk (@FightinsTalk) August 12, 2024
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery—even in baseball.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fans at Dodger Stadium Tried a Yankees-Esque 'Roll Call,' and MLB Fans Had Thoughts.
