Baseball loves its traditions. From quirky stadium rituals to unwritten rules that never seem to go away, MLB fans take pride in keeping things “the way they’ve always been.”
But let’s be honest—not every tradition needs to stick around. Some are more annoying than nostalgic, and a few probably should’ve been left in the past. Here are 15 MLB traditions that are, frankly, completely overrated.
15. The Seventh-Inning Stretch
Yes, everyone sings “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” but do we really need to stand up like it’s a national anthem? It’s mostly just an excuse to stretch and check your phone.
14. Throwing Back Home Run Balls
Some fans act like it’s a badge of honor to chuck an opposing team’s home run ball back onto the field. Newsflash: you just gave away a free souvenir to prove a point no one cares about.
13. Beanball “Justice”
The whole “you hit our guy, we hit yours” thing is tired. Retaliation with a 95-mph fastball isn’t tradition—it’s just dangerous.
12. Pitchers Batting (RIP, kind of)
Yes, it’s mostly gone thanks to the universal DH, but some fans still romanticize pitchers hitting .072 like it was charming. Spoiler: watching pitchers strike out isn’t strategy—it’s just boring.
11. Excessive Bunting
Some fans still treat bunting like it’s sacred strategy, but most of the time it just gives away an out. Analytics have moved on, and so should the obsession with the sac bunt.
10. Complaining About Bat Flips
Bat flips are fun. Pretending they’re disrespectful is the kind of energy that makes baseball feel stuck in the past.
9. The All-Star Game Deciding Home-Field Advantage (thankfully gone)
This one’s already dead, but we’re still recovering from the years when an exhibition game determined World Series home field. Letting a random reliever from a last-place team decide postseason stakes never made sense.
8. The Unwritten Rules
The unwritten rules of baseball are basically a giant list of ways to not have fun. Celebrate too much? Run too slowly? Take a pitch late in a blowout? Cue the outrage.
7. Managers Getting Ejected as a Strategy
It’s fun theater when managers lose it, but the whole “get tossed to fire up the team” trope is played out. Most of the time it changes absolutely nothing.
6. Celebrating “Clubhouse Guys”
Every team has one—an aging veteran who hits .210 but “brings leadership.” That’s great, but maybe also bring a little more production to the table.
5. Obsessing Over Pitch Counts
Yes, arms need protection, but some fans act like 100 pitches is a sacred number. A pitcher hits 101 and suddenly it’s panic at the ballpark.
4. Singing “Sweet Caroline”
It might be a Fenway classic, but this tradition somehow snuck into parks around the country. No one needed a ballpark karaoke session in the eighth inning.
3. Slow Pace = Tradition
Some fans claim the slow pace is part of baseball’s charm. But there’s a difference between relaxing and watching a batter adjust his gloves 37 times. We’re glad baseball made a change!
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2. Spring Training Optimism
Every team has “the best vibes” in March. Then the season starts and it’s clear half the roster should’ve stayed in Triple-A.
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1. Refusing to Embrace Change
Anytime MLB tries to speed up the game or make it more exciting, there’s backlash from the “back in my day” crowd. Not every change is perfect—but not every tradition is worth preserving, either.
Read More: The 15 Funniest MLB Fan Traditions We’ve Ever Seen
