Bleacher Creatures
Encyclopedia
The Bleacher Creatures are a group of fans of the New York Yankees
who are known for their strict allegiance to the team and their merciless attitude to opposing fans. The group's nickname was used by New York Daily News columnist Filip "Flip" Bondy, who spent the season sitting with the Creatures for research on his book about the group, Bleeding Pinstripes: A Season with the Bleacher Creatures of Yankee Stadium, which was published in 2005.. However a June, 1985 WXYZ-TV report referred to Detroit Tiger fans in the bleachers as 'Bleacher Creatures,' implying this is a more general term used for rowdy bleacher fans at Major League Baseball games, not specific to the Yankees.
A prominent aspect of the Bleacher Creatures is their use of chants and songs. The most distinguished of these is the Roll Call, which is done at the beginning of every home game. Often, the opposing team's right fielder, who stands right in front of the Creatures, is a victim of their jeers and insults.
For the last two decades, the Creatures occupied sections 37 and 39 of the original Yankee Stadium's bleachers. In 2009, they were relocated and currently sit in Section 203 of the right-field bleachers in the Yankees' new stadium
.
The founding of the Bleacher Creatures is often credited to Ali Ramirez. Ramirez rang a cowbell to inspire the fans to cheer (much like Freddy Sez's efforts in the Stadium's main grandstand) during the team's limited success in the early 1980s and 1990s. He died on May 8, 1996, and was given a tribute by the Yankees front office before the May 14 game against the Seattle Mariners
, a game in which Dwight Gooden
pitched a no-hitter. There was a plaque where he sat, in section 39, row A, seat 29 which read "This seat is taken. In memory of Ali Ramirez, 'The Original Bleacher Creature'".
It was also during this period of drought that regular fans in the right field bleachers started chanting Dave Winfield
's name. When Winfield left the team, they began cheering for Bernie Williams
.
During one game in the 1990s, the fans started chanting the name of Yankees first baseman Tino Martinez
. Martinez responded to the chanting fans with a wave, shocking the cheering fans; this started the tradition of Roll Call where the Bleacher Creatures chant the name of each starting fielder (except the pitcher and catcher). Roll Call has become one of the trademarks of Yankee Stadium.
In 1996, New York Daily News
columnist Filip "Flip" Bondy was asked to write a story from the fan's perspective. Bondy approached what he called "a core group of the most rabid, passionate fans", and wrote from their perspective. To make sure it was known that he was not truly the one writing, he attributed authorship to "the Bleacher Creature", coining the nickname in relation to the Yankee Stadium inhabitants.
Because of the rowdiness of the fans, and the fact that many families began sitting in the more affordable bleachers, alcoholic beverages were banned from the bleachers in 2000. Yankees Program Vendor Ted Banks commented that "There wasn't any special reason for that, it just got out of hand. Those people used to get wild when Jose Canseco
played for the A's. A few people threw things at Ken Griffey Jr."
On April 5, 2002, pitcher David Cone
spent the season's home opener with the Bleacher Creatures in Section 39, and even participated in their chants. He was also invited to start the roll call, and did so with a shout of "Yo, Bernie!" to Bernie Williams. The Creatures cheered derisively to the right field box seats "We got Cone! We got Cone!" After the final game played at Yankee Stadium on September 21, 2008, Paul O'Neill revealed that he had sat with the Creatures during the game the day before. O'Neill said he wore a Yankees jacket, glasses and a hat, and that no one recognized him. Jim Leyritz
expressed interest in sitting with the creatures on an episode of the YES Network
show Ultimate Road Trip. He was spotted in the bleachers taking pictures during the final game at Yankee Stadium, but it is unknown whether he actually sat and watched the game from the bleachers.
In 2004, Bondy spent the season among the Creatures and wrote a book about his experience, entitling it Bleeding Pinstripes: A Season with the Bleacher Creatures of Yankee Stadium, which was published in 2005. In the blurb, Bondy called it "a unique, anthropological view of this most dedicated tribe of rooters—their rituals, their personal tribulations, their uncanny commitment to the Bronx ball club and to each other." The foreword was written by David Cone.
The Yankees and the NYPD personnel started to impose stricter anti-obscenity rules in the Bleachers during the 2007 season. Some Creatures expressed dissatisfaction with this by wearing T-shirts with the sarcastic phrase "Section 39 Fun Police" on them, and chanting "No fun allowed!" in place of the oft-said "Box Seats Suck!" chant that the section had long been accustomed to.
In 2009, the Yankees lifted the nine-year alcohol ban in the bleachers in the New Yankee Stadium, where the Bleacher Creatures were relocated to Section 203. While no beer vendors come through to the bleachers, fans are permitted to purchase beer in the stadium and take them back to their seats. A few Creatures have admittedly stated they can now desist in their beer smuggling efforts, which they were able to do for years with the help of local delis who used to wrap up sandwiches with beer cans. Other sources of previous smuggling included "a guy who would sell those airline-size liquor bottles out of a bathroom stall, like a drug dealer." However, an April 2009 segment on ABC World News Tonight revealed that the end of the beer ban is a temporary experiment, and if things get out of hand in the section, the Yankees' management might reinstate it.
A gold plaque honoring Ali Ramirez was installed in the new stadium and is cleaned by a Creature at the start of every game. The plaque is located at section 203, row 7, seat 25.
The Creatures' most famous and long-standing chant is known as the roll call. In the top of the first inning, when the Yankees are on the field and their starting pitcher is getting ready to throw the first pitch, everyone in the section stands and begins clapping. After the pitch is thrown, Creature "Bald" Vinny Milano gestures for the crowd to calm down, then cups his hands around his mouth and shouts out the name of the center fielder (e.g.: "Yo, Curtis!", for Curtis Granderson
). The whole group proceeds to chant the name until there is a response, usually in the form of a wave or a point; some Yankees respond with extra enthusiasm, such as Johnny Damon
(who typically dropped to one knee and pointed at the Creatures with both hands) and Nick Swisher
(who comes to attention
, faces the Creatures, and salutes). The Creatures move through the lineup, going from the center fielder to the left fielder, right fielder, first baseman, second baseman, shortstop and third baseman, in that order. (With the exception of a few rare instances, the pitcher and the catcher are not a part of the roll call.) Anti-obscenity laws were exercised in 2007, but are not always strictly enforced; if they are able, the Creatures will turn to the right field box seats at the completion of the Roll Call and chant "Box seats suck!" During the days of the bleachers' no-alcohol-sales policy, fans in the right-field box seats occasionally replied with a chant of "We've got beer!" If the Yankees are playing the Red Sox
, the intensity of the Yankees – Red Sox rivalry takes hold; the Creatures then cut the 'box seats' chant short and instead chant "Boston sucks!" until that dissipates. If police cut this short, the Creatures resort to chanting "No fun allowed!", or nothing at all. If a non-pitcher is replaced in a defensive position, the replacement is given the same chant. Sometimes, after a long rain delay, the Creatures will start another Roll Call just for fun. Also, until the Red Sox won the World Series in , the Creatures would chant "1918!" and hold up signs saying "CURSE OF THE BAMBINO
!" and pictures of Babe Ruth
to remind the Red Sox of the last time they won a championship.
Former Yankee third baseman Scott Brosius
was notorious for not responding immediately to the roll call, as other players on the diamond would. Sometimes he would even wait as long as a minute to respond, getting a kick out of the persistence of the Creatures. In Hideki Matsui
's first game at the Stadium in , the chant of "MAT-SU-I" went on for approximately two minutes, because he did not know what was going on or how to react. In a 2009 press conference, former Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi
said that "The biggest thing I miss is (the Bleacher Creatures') roll call. There's no doubt about it, it's the best thing in baseball."
made his first appearance at Yankee Stadium after having been traded to the Toronto Blue Jays
, his name was chanted. In his tenure with the Yankees, he was the only Yankee pitcher to be included in the Roll Call every time he pitched. Alfonso Soriano
's name was chanted when he made his first appearance after being traded to the Texas Rangers
. In the 2006 home opener against the Kansas City Royals
, the Bleacher Creatures chanted the name of long-time Yankee outfielder Bernie Williams
, who was the designated hitter
that day, right after the rest of the defensive lineup. Williams, whose future in baseball was uncertain in the offseason, was in the clubhouse at the time and did not hear the Creatures. The chants continued for around 5 minutes until Williams came out and waved. At the beginning of the 2007 season opener, the Creatures started a chant of "We want Bernie!", a reference to the fact that Williams was no longer with the team.
On July 16, 2010 the Bleacher Creatures elected to not do the roll call out of respect for the recent passing of both Bob Sheppard
(public address
announcer) and George Steinbrenner
(principal owner). Michael Kay of the YES Network
acknowledged this during the top of the first inning during his play-by-play details of the game against the Tampa Bay Rays
. However, the Creatures have done the call in memoriam for former players Phil Rizzuto
on August 14, 2007, and Bobby Murcer
at the 2008 MLB All Star Game.
On May 15, 2011, the Bleacher Creatures chanted Jorge Posada
's name after his recent feud with Yankee management, despite Posada not playing in the game. Posada acknowledged them from the dugout.
The cowbell is primarily used to initiate a chant during a Yankees rally. After rapidly banging on the cowbell, and getting the attention of the Bleacher Creatures, Ousland plays a few notes on it, which the Creatures then imitate with claps. After repeating this several times, Ousland begins banging another few notes more rapidly, and the Creatures begin shouting "Oh-Ohhh!" in unison and moving their arms in a repetitive pointing motion. At the end, Ousland hits the cowbell three times, and the Creatures say "Yankee baseball. Mets suck. (visiting team) sucks. (Visiting team's right fielder) sucks. Box Seats Suck. Everybody sucks."
Occasionally the Creatures will hurl several insults at the opposing team's right fielder throughout the game, and sometimes at the other outfielders as well. In 2001, some Creatures learned Japanese so that they could yell obscenities at Seattle Mariners
right fielder Ichiro Suzuki
. To this day, Japanese curses are chanted when Ichiro comes to town.
Among other chants, the Creatures sometimes scream, "Jump!" at fans in the upper deck who are standing near the railing, or "Down in front!" to fans who are standing up in the section, often for a picture opportunity. At times they turn to their own members and banter with them, chanting "Eagles suck!" if one of them is a known Philadelphia Eagles
fan, or "You sell drugs!". Their most famous chant besides the Roll Call is the "Box Seats Suck!" chant, which was outlawed by stadium security in 2007, but allowed back in 2009 when the Yankees moved to the new Stadium.
, the Creatures occupy Section 203 of the stadium's right field bleachers. Before the start of the 2008 MLB Season, several creatures publicly expressed their anger with the move out of the old stadium. Roll Caller Vinny Milano was one of them in particular:
However, the Yankees organization did work closely with the Creatures to ensure that they sat together again, and designated a total of 136 season-ticket packages for them in section 203. The move was monitored by long-time Creature Teena Lewis, known as the "Queen of the Bleachers", and Marc Chalpin, who organized a list of about 50+ Creatures to ensure they would all be sitting together again in the new stadium. Despite the Creatures' concerns over how the Yankees management would handle the move, Lewis said that, "The Yankees helped us because I calmed everybody down over the years. We behaved ourselves, took away some of the chants, and they pretty much paid us back."
Unlike Section 39 in the old Yankee Stadium, Section 203 and the rest of the bleachers have access to the entire park. In reference to this new lack of seclusion, and the fact that beer sales are now legal in the section, New York Daily News sports columnist Filip Bondy summed up the new situation by saying, "At this new-fangled stadium, the golden liquid flows like soda and the walls are down that once protected the aristocracy from the bleacher proletariat. This is bound to create some class warfare down the road, some storming of the Legends suites." Bondy also praised the Creatures for "handling the transition with commendable grace and flexibility."
Since the inception of the Bleacher Creatures, many people have held a negative viewpoint towards the section for their notorious attitude towards opposing fans and players, and their raucous nature in general. Seattle Post-Intelligencer Reporter Dan Raley called the Creatures "oblivious to the outside world. Demanding, relentless and venomous" in a 2001 article. He also claimed that "They have thrown batteries, coins and a knife at opposing players" and that "They throw punches at one another." Longtime stadium usher Michael Swann, who used to work in Section 39 of the old stadium, also had a negative recollection of them:
On occasion, one or more Creatures are asked to leave the stadium by police. The bleacher beer ban in 2000 was blamed on the Creatures, which they regard as a false accusation. They have also been accused of heckling rattled musicians in high school bands, which they do not deny.
Despite all of negative attention that they receive, the Creatures have been shown in a more positive light in recent years. They have been praised for their loyalty and dedication in numerous articles and features from Filip Bondy, and in his book as well. On April 3, 2009, ABC World News Tonight did a segment on the Creatures, calling them "the most loyal fans any team could want."
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
who are known for their strict allegiance to the team and their merciless attitude to opposing fans. The group's nickname was used by New York Daily News columnist Filip "Flip" Bondy, who spent the season sitting with the Creatures for research on his book about the group, Bleeding Pinstripes: A Season with the Bleacher Creatures of Yankee Stadium, which was published in 2005.. However a June, 1985 WXYZ-TV report referred to Detroit Tiger fans in the bleachers as 'Bleacher Creatures,' implying this is a more general term used for rowdy bleacher fans at Major League Baseball games, not specific to the Yankees.
A prominent aspect of the Bleacher Creatures is their use of chants and songs. The most distinguished of these is the Roll Call, which is done at the beginning of every home game. Often, the opposing team's right fielder, who stands right in front of the Creatures, is a victim of their jeers and insults.
For the last two decades, the Creatures occupied sections 37 and 39 of the original Yankee Stadium's bleachers. In 2009, they were relocated and currently sit in Section 203 of the right-field bleachers in the Yankees' new stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
.
History
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
, a game in which Dwight Gooden
Dwight Gooden
Dwight Eugene Gooden , nicknamed "Doc Gooden" or "Dr. K", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was one of the most dominant and feared pitchers in the National League in the middle and late 1980s.-Career:...
pitched a no-hitter. There was a plaque where he sat, in section 39, row A, seat 29 which read "This seat is taken. In memory of Ali Ramirez, 'The Original Bleacher Creature'".
It was also during this period of drought that regular fans in the right field bleachers started chanting Dave Winfield
Dave Winfield
David Mark Winfield is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is currently Executive Vice President/Senior Advisor of the San Diego Padres and an analyst for the ESPN program Baseball Tonight...
's name. When Winfield left the team, they began cheering for Bernie Williams
Bernie Williams
Bernabé Williams Figueroa Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and Puerto Rican musician.-Early life:...
.
During one game in the 1990s, the fans started chanting the name of Yankees first baseman Tino Martinez
Tino Martinez
Constantino "Tino" Martinez is a former Major League Baseball first baseman.Martinez was the first round draft pick for the Seattle Mariners in out of the University of Tampa where he starred during his time on campus. He began his Major League career in and has played for the Mariners, New...
. Martinez responded to the chanting fans with a wave, shocking the cheering fans; this started the tradition of Roll Call where the Bleacher Creatures chant the name of each starting fielder (except the pitcher and catcher). Roll Call has become one of the trademarks of Yankee Stadium.
In 1996, New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
columnist Filip "Flip" Bondy was asked to write a story from the fan's perspective. Bondy approached what he called "a core group of the most rabid, passionate fans", and wrote from their perspective. To make sure it was known that he was not truly the one writing, he attributed authorship to "the Bleacher Creature", coining the nickname in relation to the Yankee Stadium inhabitants.
Because of the rowdiness of the fans, and the fact that many families began sitting in the more affordable bleachers, alcoholic beverages were banned from the bleachers in 2000. Yankees Program Vendor Ted Banks commented that "There wasn't any special reason for that, it just got out of hand. Those people used to get wild when Jose Canseco
José Canseco
José Canseco Capas, Jr. is a Cuban-American professional baseball manager, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Yuma Scorpions of the North American League and former Major League Baseball player. He is the identical twin brother of former major league player and current teammate Ozzie Canseco...
played for the A's. A few people threw things at Ken Griffey Jr."
On April 5, 2002, pitcher David Cone
David Cone
David Brian Cone is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1986-2003 for six different teams. Cone pitched the sixteenth perfect game in baseball history. He also set the MLB record for most years between 20-win seasons. He was a member of five...
spent the season's home opener with the Bleacher Creatures in Section 39, and even participated in their chants. He was also invited to start the roll call, and did so with a shout of "Yo, Bernie!" to Bernie Williams. The Creatures cheered derisively to the right field box seats "We got Cone! We got Cone!" After the final game played at Yankee Stadium on September 21, 2008, Paul O'Neill revealed that he had sat with the Creatures during the game the day before. O'Neill said he wore a Yankees jacket, glasses and a hat, and that no one recognized him. Jim Leyritz
Jim Leyritz
James Joseph Leyritz is a former catcher and infielder in Major League Baseball.-Early years:Leyritz attended Turpin High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, Middle Georgia Jr...
expressed interest in sitting with the creatures on an episode of the YES Network
YES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
show Ultimate Road Trip. He was spotted in the bleachers taking pictures during the final game at Yankee Stadium, but it is unknown whether he actually sat and watched the game from the bleachers.
In 2004, Bondy spent the season among the Creatures and wrote a book about his experience, entitling it Bleeding Pinstripes: A Season with the Bleacher Creatures of Yankee Stadium, which was published in 2005. In the blurb, Bondy called it "a unique, anthropological view of this most dedicated tribe of rooters—their rituals, their personal tribulations, their uncanny commitment to the Bronx ball club and to each other." The foreword was written by David Cone.
The Yankees and the NYPD personnel started to impose stricter anti-obscenity rules in the Bleachers during the 2007 season. Some Creatures expressed dissatisfaction with this by wearing T-shirts with the sarcastic phrase "Section 39 Fun Police" on them, and chanting "No fun allowed!" in place of the oft-said "Box Seats Suck!" chant that the section had long been accustomed to.
In 2009, the Yankees lifted the nine-year alcohol ban in the bleachers in the New Yankee Stadium, where the Bleacher Creatures were relocated to Section 203. While no beer vendors come through to the bleachers, fans are permitted to purchase beer in the stadium and take them back to their seats. A few Creatures have admittedly stated they can now desist in their beer smuggling efforts, which they were able to do for years with the help of local delis who used to wrap up sandwiches with beer cans. Other sources of previous smuggling included "a guy who would sell those airline-size liquor bottles out of a bathroom stall, like a drug dealer." However, an April 2009 segment on ABC World News Tonight revealed that the end of the beer ban is a temporary experiment, and if things get out of hand in the section, the Yankees' management might reinstate it.
A gold plaque honoring Ali Ramirez was installed in the new stadium and is cleaned by a Creature at the start of every game. The plaque is located at section 203, row 7, seat 25.
Chants and songs
A prominent aspect of the Bleacher Creatures atmosphere is their use of a variety of chants and songs used during the game that are unique to their section. These chants can sometimes be heard throughout the Stadium.Roll Call
Curtis Granderson
Curtis Granderson is an American Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees. Before joining the Yankees in 2010, he played with the Detroit Tigers . A center fielder, Granderson is known for being a five-tool player...
). The whole group proceeds to chant the name until there is a response, usually in the form of a wave or a point; some Yankees respond with extra enthusiasm, such as Johnny Damon
Johnny Damon
Johnny David Damon is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter. From 2000–2008, he was third among active players in runs and seventh in hits and stolen bases . He is currently second among active leaders in triples , five behind Carl Crawford...
(who typically dropped to one knee and pointed at the Creatures with both hands) and Nick Swisher
Nick Swisher
Nicholas Thompson "Nick" Swisher is an outfielder for the New York Yankees. Swisher is a switch hitter who throws left-handed....
(who comes to attention
At attention
The position of At attention, or Standing at attention is a military posture which involves the following general postures:* Standing upright with an assertive and correct posture: famously "chin up, chest out, shoulders back, stomach in"....
, faces the Creatures, and salutes). The Creatures move through the lineup, going from the center fielder to the left fielder, right fielder, first baseman, second baseman, shortstop and third baseman, in that order. (With the exception of a few rare instances, the pitcher and the catcher are not a part of the roll call.) Anti-obscenity laws were exercised in 2007, but are not always strictly enforced; if they are able, the Creatures will turn to the right field box seats at the completion of the Roll Call and chant "Box seats suck!" During the days of the bleachers' no-alcohol-sales policy, fans in the right-field box seats occasionally replied with a chant of "We've got beer!" If the Yankees are playing the Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, the intensity of the Yankees – Red Sox rivalry takes hold; the Creatures then cut the 'box seats' chant short and instead chant "Boston sucks!" until that dissipates. If police cut this short, the Creatures resort to chanting "No fun allowed!", or nothing at all. If a non-pitcher is replaced in a defensive position, the replacement is given the same chant. Sometimes, after a long rain delay, the Creatures will start another Roll Call just for fun. Also, until the Red Sox won the World Series in , the Creatures would chant "1918!" and hold up signs saying "CURSE OF THE BAMBINO
Curse of the Bambino
The Curse of the Bambino was a superstition cited as a reason for the failure of the Boston Red Sox baseball team to win the World Series in the 86-year period from 1918 to 2004...
!" and pictures of Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
to remind the Red Sox of the last time they won a championship.
Former Yankee third baseman Scott Brosius
Scott Brosius
Scott David Brosius is a former Major League Baseball third baseman for the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees . Brosius is currently the head baseball coach at Linfield College, his alma mater....
was notorious for not responding immediately to the roll call, as other players on the diamond would. Sometimes he would even wait as long as a minute to respond, getting a kick out of the persistence of the Creatures. In Hideki Matsui
Hideki Matsui
is a Japanese Major League Baseball designated hitter and outfielder. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.After playing the first ten seasons of his career for the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, he played the next seven seasons, from 2003–2009, for the New York...
's first game at the Stadium in , the chant of "MAT-SU-I" went on for approximately two minutes, because he did not know what was going on or how to react. In a 2009 press conference, former Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi
Jason Giambi
Jason Gilbert Giambi is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball.He was the American League MVP in 2000 while with the Oakland Athletics, and is a five-time All-Star who has led the American League in walks four times, in on base percentage...
said that "The biggest thing I miss is (the Bleacher Creatures') roll call. There's no doubt about it, it's the best thing in baseball."
Notable exceptions
In , when David WellsDavid Wells
David Lee Wells , nicknamed "Boomer", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Wells was considered to be one of the game's better left-handed pitchers, especially during his years with the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched the fifteenth perfect game in baseball history...
made his first appearance at Yankee Stadium after having been traded to the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, his name was chanted. In his tenure with the Yankees, he was the only Yankee pitcher to be included in the Roll Call every time he pitched. Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Guilleard Soriano is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs....
's name was chanted when he made his first appearance after being traded to the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
. In the 2006 home opener against the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
, the Bleacher Creatures chanted the name of long-time Yankee outfielder Bernie Williams
Bernie Williams
Bernabé Williams Figueroa Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and Puerto Rican musician.-Early life:...
, who was the designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
that day, right after the rest of the defensive lineup. Williams, whose future in baseball was uncertain in the offseason, was in the clubhouse at the time and did not hear the Creatures. The chants continued for around 5 minutes until Williams came out and waved. At the beginning of the 2007 season opener, the Creatures started a chant of "We want Bernie!", a reference to the fact that Williams was no longer with the team.
On July 16, 2010 the Bleacher Creatures elected to not do the roll call out of respect for the recent passing of both Bob Sheppard
Bob Sheppard
Robert Leo "Bob" Sheppard was the long-time public address announcer for numerous New York area college and professional sports teams, in particular the MLB New York Yankees , and the NFL New York Giants .Sheppard announced more than 4,500 Yankees baseball games over a period of 56 years,...
(public address
Public address
A public address system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, amplifier and loudspeakers, used to reinforce a sound source, e.g., a person giving a speech, a DJ playing prerecorded music, and distributing the sound throughout a venue or building.Simple PA systems are often used in...
announcer) and George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
(principal owner). Michael Kay of the YES Network
YES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
acknowledged this during the top of the first inning during his play-by-play details of the game against the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
. However, the Creatures have done the call in memoriam for former players Phil Rizzuto
Phil Rizzuto
Philip Francis Rizzuto , nicknamed "The Scooter", was an American Major League Baseball shortstop. He spent his entire 13-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
on August 14, 2007, and Bobby Murcer
Bobby Murcer
Bobby Ray Murcer was an American Major League Baseball outfielder who played for 17 seasons between 1965 and 1983, mostly with the New York Yankees, whom he later rejoined as a longtime broadcaster...
at the 2008 MLB All Star Game.
On May 15, 2011, the Bleacher Creatures chanted Jorge Posada
Jorge Posada
Jorge Rafael Posada Villeta is a Major League Baseball player who is currently a free agent and has played his entire career for the New York Yankees. He served as the Yankees primary catcher for most of his career, though following off-season knee surgery, he was moved to designated hitter for...
's name after his recent feud with Yankee management, despite Posada not playing in the game. Posada acknowledged them from the dugout.
The Cowbell Man
After the death of Ali Ramirez, the original Cowbell Man, the bell was given to Creature Milton Ousland. As the official "Cowbell Man", nobody else is authorized to use it, although it was agreed upon by the group that other Creatures could take over the duties when he couldn't attend. This agreement was reached due to the many fans who were disappointed that the tradition was not carried out at every game.The cowbell is primarily used to initiate a chant during a Yankees rally. After rapidly banging on the cowbell, and getting the attention of the Bleacher Creatures, Ousland plays a few notes on it, which the Creatures then imitate with claps. After repeating this several times, Ousland begins banging another few notes more rapidly, and the Creatures begin shouting "Oh-Ohhh!" in unison and moving their arms in a repetitive pointing motion. At the end, Ousland hits the cowbell three times, and the Creatures say "Yankee baseball. Mets suck. (visiting team) sucks. (Visiting team's right fielder) sucks. Box Seats Suck. Everybody sucks."
Other chants and jeers
The Creatures also have an assortment of other chants which they use at most games.Occasionally the Creatures will hurl several insults at the opposing team's right fielder throughout the game, and sometimes at the other outfielders as well. In 2001, some Creatures learned Japanese so that they could yell obscenities at Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
right fielder Ichiro Suzuki
Ichiro Suzuki
, usually known simply as is a Major League Baseball right fielder for the Seattle Mariners. Ichiro has established a number of batting records, including the sport's single-season record for hits with 262...
. To this day, Japanese curses are chanted when Ichiro comes to town.
Among other chants, the Creatures sometimes scream, "Jump!" at fans in the upper deck who are standing near the railing, or "Down in front!" to fans who are standing up in the section, often for a picture opportunity. At times they turn to their own members and banter with them, chanting "Eagles suck!" if one of them is a known Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
fan, or "You sell drugs!". Their most famous chant besides the Roll Call is the "Box Seats Suck!" chant, which was outlawed by stadium security in 2007, but allowed back in 2009 when the Yankees moved to the new Stadium.
The move to Section 203
In the new Yankee StadiumYankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
, the Creatures occupy Section 203 of the stadium's right field bleachers. Before the start of the 2008 MLB Season, several creatures publicly expressed their anger with the move out of the old stadium. Roll Caller Vinny Milano was one of them in particular:
However, the Yankees organization did work closely with the Creatures to ensure that they sat together again, and designated a total of 136 season-ticket packages for them in section 203. The move was monitored by long-time Creature Teena Lewis, known as the "Queen of the Bleachers", and Marc Chalpin, who organized a list of about 50+ Creatures to ensure they would all be sitting together again in the new stadium. Despite the Creatures' concerns over how the Yankees management would handle the move, Lewis said that, "The Yankees helped us because I calmed everybody down over the years. We behaved ourselves, took away some of the chants, and they pretty much paid us back."
Unlike Section 39 in the old Yankee Stadium, Section 203 and the rest of the bleachers have access to the entire park. In reference to this new lack of seclusion, and the fact that beer sales are now legal in the section, New York Daily News sports columnist Filip Bondy summed up the new situation by saying, "At this new-fangled stadium, the golden liquid flows like soda and the walls are down that once protected the aristocracy from the bleacher proletariat. This is bound to create some class warfare down the road, some storming of the Legends suites." Bondy also praised the Creatures for "handling the transition with commendable grace and flexibility."
Controversy
On occasion, one or more Creatures are asked to leave the stadium by police. The bleacher beer ban in 2000 was blamed on the Creatures, which they regard as a false accusation. They have also been accused of heckling rattled musicians in high school bands, which they do not deny.
Despite all of negative attention that they receive, the Creatures have been shown in a more positive light in recent years. They have been praised for their loyalty and dedication in numerous articles and features from Filip Bondy, and in his book as well. On April 3, 2009, ABC World News Tonight did a segment on the Creatures, calling them "the most loyal fans any team could want."