(I do it sometimes as to not offend others, but I resent it and sometimes do not stand)

Actually it was "Star Wars" day at the game.
Would have been interesting to mix in a prayer to the Force!

star wars and baseball? how does that work?

They played bits of the soundtrack during the game, and the photos of the players as they were at bat were photoshopped into costume, which was pretty funny at times.

I make a run for the can and/or snack bar...

But typically, since it's the 7th inning stretch, most of the ballpark is already standing, so I usually hear "Please remain standing..."

If so, blech.

?

I've been to spring training games.
They don't do it there.

(not a sports fan)

I remember Harry Carrie leading the crowd in that song at both Old Comiskey and Wrigley fields.

Harry must be rolling over in his grave!

One patriotic song is plenty.

Holidays (4th, Memorial Day, etc) they also play God Bless America. Perfect time to hit the beer vendor for last call.

How do you like the park? I'm back in the area and figure that I should go over there once the weather cools off.

* partially due to 1/2 of the surrounding neighborhood being giant holes in the ground for future construction sites.

I'll check their Sept. schedule.

I've never done that, not once.

I thought of you yesterday (as the character) during the costume parade!

at the 1743 introductory performance of The Messiah in London George II stood when the opening bars of the Hallelujah Chorus were played and everyone in the theater was obliged to stand as well. But there is nothing to back that up sadly. Another story I heard about standing was that Prince Albert heard the opening bars and thought it was the national anthem, so he stood. Again, nothing to back it up - just cute stories. But yeah, any performance I've been in, to or watched on tv, the audience has stood for the Hallelujah Chorus. It's a fun tradition.

I have to say, something bad happened when baseball moved from summer afternoons to week-end night games. And don't get me started on replacing the pennant race with play-offs!

Baseball is not football lite, and it's been on a downhill slide ever since that became the management model.

Baseball is not meant for big screen color tv with instant replay; it's meant to be listened to on transistor radios in vegetable gardens or front porches by retire guys and grandchildren. The World Series is meant to be heard surreptitiously by kids hiding radios in their school desks.

but I was in the restroom by then.

Thank Whoever the NL doesn't have that, or the SF Giants would be out two Grand Slams this year.

-- Mal

And some flag-waving troop-praising in the bargain.

I call that the "Seventh Inning RETCH"

I stayed in my seat. Fuck that faux-patriotic bullshit. It's just so the people who never served can feel good about their pathetic selves.

flag stick adorned with a US flag so they could hand it to some marine and we could all act like this here golf is some really solemn shit like they do on the PGA now. Jingoism makes sports even MORE of a turnoff for me.

since I went to a major league baseball game, but my son is a regular, and he hasn't reported anything like this.

I stand for the pledge of allegiance every day at work. I don't put my hand over my heart. I don't say it. But then, I'm not patriotic.

I don't wear hats in the building. There's a rule, so I honor it. I also have to enforce it, and that enforcement is gender neutral.

Edited to add: I'd be happy if they just got rid of the "no hats inside" rule, because I don't really care and I get sick of having to be the hat enforcer, among the many other parts of my job.

Much more exciting and fun. Same with basketball and football.

But the peak of entertainment has to be a T-ball game.

Usually, he goes with his childhood friend (they're both from Chicago), but this time the buddy couldn't make it.

On the plus side, I've improved my scoring skills!

My scorecard could probably be understood by an outside party now!

I quit going to baseball games about 10 years ago. Baseball just sucks any more.

BTW for you whipper-snappers, Bill Veeck (owner of the White Sox at the time) kind of invented all this 7th inning foofarah. Back @ 1974, Veeck snuck the PA mic into the announcing booth to catch Harry Caray singing "TRake me out to the Ball game" to himself during the 7th inning stretch. KaBoom a tradition was born.

Prior to that the 7th inning stretch was quite quiet.

When Caray went to the Cubs with the superstation, they really pushed that 7th inning singing.

mostly of course when our guys are winning. I guess I like it because I understand it most of the time and the players usually don't try to kill each other as in football and hockey. I like to pretend that the players are all good guys who play fair, love the game and their teammates, and not just the millions they are making.

I like the 7th inning stretch, Take Me Out to the Ballgame, Hey Baby, Sweet Caroline, but I can't pretend to like God Bless America. Had enough of that false patriotism in WW2, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan.
I hope the kids in Little League will ask their baseball heroes why we ask God to bless our country so that we can kill our neighbors.

I always get a weird "1984" vibe out of it. Gives me the creeps...Forced jingoism/nationalism for no apparent reason -- yech.