Baseball is a sport obsessed with history, and no one leans harder into nostalgia than certain MLB fanbases. Whether it’s replaying old championship highlights or constantly name-dropping long-retired legends, these fans live in a beautiful, sepia-toned version of baseball that may not match reality today.
Some of it is understandable—when your team hasn’t won in a while, the glory days become even more sacred. But sometimes, the obsession with the past becomes a coping mechanism for present-day mediocrity. Here are 15 MLB fanbases that just can’t stop romanticizing what once was.
15. Detroit Tigers
Detroit is good this year, but Tigers fans still talk about the ‘84 team like it happened yesterday. With Comerica Park crowds clinging to memories of Kirk Gibson and Sparky Anderson, the past often overshadows the present.
14. Oakland Athletics
A’s fans live for the “Moneyball” era and still chant about 20-game win streaks while the team packs its bags. The history is rich, but it’s become more of a security blanket than a foundation.
13. Cincinnati Reds
Reds fans will never let you forget about the Big Red Machine. And honestly, when you peak in the 1970s, that’s what you hang your hat on for decades.
12. Kansas City Royals
The Royals’ 2015 championship is now treated like a mythical storybook ending. Fans still celebrate those couple of magical years as if it were a dynasty.
11. Baltimore Orioles
Brooks Robinson, Cal Ripken Jr., and a whole lot of 1970s magic keep Orioles fans waxing poetic. Camden Yards is beautiful, but it often feels like a shrine to what once was.
10. Cleveland Guardians
From heartbreak in the ’90s to the 2016 almost-title, Guardians fans hold tightly to every glimmer of past greatness. There’s always a story about “how close we were.”
9. Chicago White Sox
The 2005 title is the go-to conversation starter for White Sox fans. It’s been nearly two decades, but the team hasn’t given them much reason to move on.
8. San Francisco Giants
Giants fans had an entire dynasty in the early 2010s, and they talk about it like it was a fairytale trilogy. Even if the team struggles now, it’s always “Remember when Buster Posey?”
7. Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox have had plenty of recent success, but fans still obsess over 2004 like it was a national holiday. Breaking the Curse became a personality trait.
6. St. Louis Cardinals
Cardinals fans talk about “The Cardinal Way” like it’s gospel. Every slump is met with a reminder that this is a storied franchise, no matter what the standings say.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers
Dodgers fans love to recall the days of Sandy Koufax, Jackie Robinson, and Vin Scully with misty eyes. Even with recent success, they cling hard to the mythology of Dodger Blue.
4. Atlanta Braves
Whether it’s the ’90s rotation or the 2021 run, Braves fans are always happy to rewind the clock. The nostalgia runs so deep, it’s practically part of the stadium architecture.
3. New York Yankees
Yankees fans will bring up Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Derek Jeter in the same sentence, as if they all played together. When you have 27 rings, the past tends to take up most of the conversation.
Read more: 15 MLB Teams That Lost the Plot After One Good Year
2. Chicago Cubs
The 2016 title ended a century-long drought, and Cubs fans still talk about it like it was yesterday. Wrigley Field is basically a time capsule with ivy, beer, and eternal hope.
Read more: Ranking the 15 Most Loyal MLB Fanbases
1. New York Mets
Mets fans have made the 1969 and 1986 teams into full-blown legends. Every season feels like a spiritual sequel to those golden years, even if reality rarely delivers.
Read more: Ranking the 15 MLB Fanbases That Live in the Past
