Are MLB Players Fans of Other Teams?

[@Jbzero999]

In Pudge's autobiography he talks about coming home and watching 2-3 MLB baseball games every night. Dude was completely obsessed with the game.

[@mattanderson1608]

Jbzero999 yeah and his son plays for the giants

[@Jbzero999]

@@cquick3277 Sure. Guy has a legit save%, but his GAA was fucking horrible. I'd bench him for Binnington.

[@gkmandigo]

Thanks for that honest answer Matt. As a Padres fan I remember you playing for our team and can only imagine how it must feel to try to fight your way up through the minors in an organization and make it to the big league club. Thank you for all that hard work you put in and know that you are still remembered in San Diego.

[@Britton_Thompson]

Tom Glavine spoke about this same thing before once, as he too grew up a die-hard Red Sox fan. He explained it as most players having this weird sort of pro athlete's mentality of that team you were a fan of throughout your life isn't the same team you now have to compete against even though the uniforms they're wearing say otherwise. From the inside perspective of a player, Glavine said whenever you're competing against your favorite childhood team, you don't see them as *your* favorite team when you're playing them because you mostly just see them as a bunch of guys you really don't like on a personal level, whom you really want to beat, who happen to be wearing your favorite team's uniforms currently. You don't see them as that same franchise who represents a city. You only see a bunch of guys who's ass you want to kick for your own personal reasons- i.e., their attitudes on the field; past beefs you may have with them; statements they make to the press, etc. You may have even played for their managers or front office people somewhere else and they may have cut you or traded you or said you're not what they're looking for. Again, it's more personal and based on settling grudges. These franchises don't ever turn back into your team until you're out of the game. Then, all of a sudden, they magically turn back into that organization who represents an entire area and culture. But before that when it was during your own playing career, they were just a bunch of guys you didn't like.

[@ThatGuysLucky]

After being in the military and seeing combat first-hand every day for a job, I no longer enjoy military movies or videogames. It feels too much like being at work, the weird childhood "dream" of how cool war would be was lost, I no longer could relate to my friends who played Call of Duty every day. I know this is apples and oranges, but just thought I'd share. Keep up the great videos, Matt!

[@joeyfreitas1942]

Everyone is different. John Tavares clearly never lost his fandom.

[@guitarhero918]

Good point. Isles fan

[@brendenade4759]

Ha can’t blame him for leaving though

[@Flyersfan28]

😂😂😂

[@josemontes9621]

How you feel about brady being a free agent now

[@JUnior-ot1xu]

I remember as a kid as a big Mets fan I was like I would rather not play baseball then play for the Yankees now I would take a contract from anyone lmao

[@DJGaming-qw8hu]

LFGM

[@JanLarson]

I started officiating high school basketball after graduating from college. Having been a rabid sports fan before that, my attitude also changed. When you go from rooting hard for one team in each game to maintaining neutrality toward both teams, it changes the way you look at sports in general. I still like sports and I still root for certain teams but the number of sports that I follow has diminished (no more NHL, no more NBA, very little NFL) but now, even for the teams that I pull for, if they lose, its more or less "so what" and if they win, it's also pretty much "so what." It's kind of a shame to lose ones fandom like that.

[@HistoryNerd808]

I'd imagine it's hard to be a fan of another team that you play all the time

[@HistoryNerd808]

Wow, I almost got what you said verbatim

[@tonyhamilton9764]

Thank you so much for posting this. It's great to get an insight from somebody that was in the game. I moved from place to place when I was younger (before you could get every home game at your house with on demand stuff) and I lost track of old favorite teams because you can't really follow them. Then you realize that you are liking the current town's team because you get familiar with their players, so I can see it for sure.

[@jonathanrice1070]

As a Navy vet, my perception of the service changed vastly after enlisting and experiencing it first hand. I think that’s true of anything in life.

[@zylohphone6758]

Jonathan Rice thanks for your service bro

[@jonathanrice1070]

Zyloh SZN Thanks!

[@froggyindapond9292]

Hey Matt. After watching your recent Road to the Show video, I was wondering if you could make a video about tips to playing baseball while you are tired. I think it would be a very beneficial and interesting video for a lot of people. Thanks!

[@mt_implosion4045]

Did you participate in any dugout pranks?

[@ashurany]

Would seem extremely strange to me if it were the other way around and you remained a die-hard Sox fan after making it to the bigs.

[@chrisrozens1125]

Good topic I’ve always wondered that. I love the Braves and I always thought would I still secretly follow them if I were on a different team.

[@teepeecreepin1396]

Being a yankees fan. And a Steelers fan. Bro you’re my favorite KZbinr

[@gabegrein2558]

Teepee Creepin I have found a wild bandwagon

[@dansal4726]

I can think of many players that this relates heavily on, Christian Yelich, Nolan Arenado, Evan Longoria, Mike Moustakas, and Sergio Romo who grew up Dodger fans and have had to beat them in recent years. Nolan and Yelich seemed to have taken it harder, Nolan always seems to have an outburst at Dodger stadium every season.

[@jamesnix6463]

Was it weird to ever watch yourself play in the MLB

[@andrewt013]

he literally answers it in the video. he says he didn't like watching himself suck but says it might've been different if he hit a bunch of home runs

[@canineuniversity1015]

Do you have an autographed rookie card for sale? Might as well ask...you miss 100% of the shots you dont shoot

[@johnolson7430]

Awesome videos matt appreciate it! Wish i could have played with John Kruk that guy was great

[@thefallenmyst]

I know it's not exactly the same, but in Road to the Show, I really enjoy playing against (and doing well against) my favorite team.

[@cjr1881]

This channel is special because of your honesty and insight that you don’t get anywhere else. Even other retired players on sports shows aren’t really that candid. I guess because they are still scared if they say the wrong thing because they still want a job or something.

[@MJHBaseball]

Love the new background!

[@finnm1370]

MJH-Baseball same didnt even notice until i saw your comment

[@endlessmountain]

I know the feeling from myself becoming a sports better in the mid 1990s. Intensified even more being a Blue Jays fan and multiple situations in1994 including Skydome being a bitch refunding September lockout tickets and the dynasty ending that same year while I a freshman in College. Next year my favorite hockey team trades Patrick Roy in a bone head trade then later they traded my favorite prospect John Leclair in another bad trade. The combination of my age timed to then with me looking for smart bets and not who I want to cheer for has went through the same thing and I try and cheer for the Blue Jays again and even when they lost the ALCS a few years back I couldn't get too much into it either.

[@LiterallyGod]

Trout is a Phillie at heart

[@unspherdcomb6]

I feel like losing love for a team comes when you are in the game or situation or want to be and then the guys you slowly watch retire for guys that are your are your age or younger it kinda kills the “Hero” aspect of the game sadly I feel this happening to me with college football seeing how I’m 18 and I can’t play do to injury and kids I played with are going to teams I’d kill to play for :/ but I’ll always love my Ducks!

[@RaysDad]

Mike Trout has been a Phillies fan all his life but when he had a chance to choose his team he re-signed with the Angels. I really don't understand his decision, since the Angels never seem to make the post season. Mike still keeps up with the Phillies, and the Eagles and 76ers too. He's still a fan! Maybe he's hoping the Halos will suddenly gel like they did in 2002. Yeah, every half-century or so the Angels pull off a miracle.

[@deepzone31]

Ray's Dad Anaheim is gorgeous and the fans are great. As a fellow Phils fan I was sad to see him extend with the Angels, but I definitely understand why he stayed.

[@detroittigers1282]

I always wondered how that would be, unfortunately I never had to deal with that lol. I'm a big Tigers fan, they're my favorite team by far, I've seen the Pistons win 3 titles and Red Wings 4 and the Tigers winning the pennant in 2006 meant more to me then any of those championships. I can see though how you'd lose interest, it's not the same for me now only because I'm now older then every player on the team being 37 lol. I kinda miss being a kid and looking up to these guys, so that has changed for me even though I remain a big fan and watch every game and follow every move they make.

[@itsmb8]

Why I think I might rather work in football or basketball than baseball. I LOVE baseball, the Brewers are my all-time favorite sports team, but if I work in baseball, in the front office of say, the Cubs or Cardinals, i would probably cheer for them over the Brewers and i dont know if id really want that. The only teams I really hate are the Packers and Cubs, but itd be a lot easier for me to work for the Packers and start rooting for them vs working and rooting for the Cubs.

[@JordanRunge14]

Wow we are alot alike lol. I love the Brewers and HATE the Packers. But yeah I see your point. Once the game becomes a business it loses it luster. As a fan you invest your time and your heart into a team. Then if you work for a different team you have to think about you and about your team winning. And when your no longer emotionally invested in that team it is hard to cheer for them and feel excited when they win

[@Nihilianth]

It's interesting this guy says that he lost interest in the Red Sox because he was playing every day and couldn't watch them. I would argue, it really has nothing to do with him being a professional baseball player. But rather, more to do with him becoming an adult with a full-time job. My experience was exactly the same as his, regarding being a huge fan and losing interest in your team. After high school, I went into working in retail, and started holding down actual "real" full-time jobs. I was becoming an adult, and had to work. I couldn't watch day games. I get home from work, had to cook dinner, take a shower, and go to bed early to be up the next day. And on days off, I wanted to hang out with friends and spend my down time with as much quality as possible. Sitting in front of the boob tu e isn't real great "quality" when you have prescious little quantity. And so, in the mid 2000s, I was no longer a fan of the Braves. Especially as all the old 90s Braves players got old and retired. So it really doesn't have a lot to do with being aprifessional baseball player.

[@bremms1]

Fandom is a bit of psychosis. I love baseball and Basketball. We have the Fireflies here and we sit on the opposing team side. They are warming up and the catcher from Greenville comes over to talk with us. Talked with my son, tossed the ball back and forth. We still want to win, but you realize every player is just trying to make it out there. In the end, I like to root for the people I like. My wife is a mentor for the South Carolina Women’s Basketball team. Their Coach Dawn Staley makes sure they do well in school and have a good career after school. They are just a nice group of ladies. When I see a ball player struggling having a bad day, we all know how that feels. In the end it’s entertainment. Baseball is a meat grinder of a career.

[@danielmoore8695]

Haha and the Fireflies are the affiliate of the Mets and most people in South Carolina are Braves fans. I live outside of Augusta and cheer for the Greenjackets. I'll support the players of both teams until the make the Majors and play against the Braves lol

[@bible360outreach2]

I can relate! As a NASCAR tire changer for Chip Ganassi, it's different. I've always been a dan, but now that it's my job...its just different lol

[@alex716NY]

Matt this was cool. I appreciate your insight and player perspective on our favorite game. One question if you could- With the current state of officiating throughout the NFL and MLB umpiring crews how do you feel about video reviews and challenges in. today’s game? Also is there anything that could be done to better serve the officials and umpires throughout the year to better their ability to make the proper call on the field?

[@ChurchOfChristguyRob]

I often wondered if I was a major league baseball player and got drafted by the team that I hated the dodgers if I would actually become a dodger fan

[@im_waffles2920]

I would assume they are too an extent. Like if I was born in Boston and was a life long Red Sox fan, but I was playing for the D-Backs, some part of me would still be a Red Sox fan. It’s hard to just let that go.

[@AntonelliBaseball]

waffleman I was that exact person...I now haven’t watched a full Red Sox game in like 12 years...it’s very strange

[@guitarhero918]

Hey Matt! I just wanted to let you know, I took your advice and joined a Men's baseball league. Wish me luck with the workouts. Also. I would never lose my hatred for my arch rival if I was a pro lol

[@andrew.barker]

Zach DaNYer you would if it’s the only team paying you and giving you a chance to play lmfao.

[@tokeypokey]

Guy from my town's dad was a phillies expert he could name teams and stats. He got drafted out of high school by the yankees all his dad did was hang a flag aside the Phillies one on the front porch and you'd see him wearing a hat

[@jpsned]

Great idea for a video and good information 🙂

[@muvs32pap]

As the saying goes, ignorance is bliss. After experiencing 'The show' for what it truly is it must certainly be difficult to return to general fandom. I am from Baltimore and the HOFer Jim Palmer does color on game broadcast and is a lifelong Os fan in general but that kind of devotion is usually from players that stay with a franchise for life, like Jim. Thx for another informative vid.

[@RobKandell]

I totally get it. My athletic accomplishments pale compared to yours, and my “heights” happened refereeing. I learned that officials are human and not only do their best, they take great pride in “getting it right” and you can even lose sleep when you don’t. I was born and raised Maize and Blue, but the first time you’re called on the officiate Michigan v Michigan State, that partisanship dies quickly. Collegiate rugby is only club level, but the Big 10 schools still take pride in what they do, and expect the same from officials. Once it dies, you never get it back.

[@manifestgtr]

I understand that going pro robs your fandom to a a certain degree. That happened to me with music, I’ve heard pro bass fishermen say the same thing. It’s EXCEEDINGLY difficult to remain innocent when the sharks start circling. What I don’t understand it’s difficult to maintain your fandom while facing your favorite team. The way my brain works, I feel like I’d think “heheh, i just threw out David Ortiz” or “damnnnn, Randy Johnson is eating us alive tonight....that dude is scary...”

[@PrivatePeterson]

I’ve wondered this same question for years

[@ChurchOfChristguyRob]

I'm a Padres fan and always will be

[@chaddavis523]

I think when you turn a passion/hobby into a business, it takes the joy out of it to a degree. I loved photography, but the second that I added pressure to it and had clients making demands of me, the fun of it was gone and suddenly it was just a job. I would think it's the same in pro sports. For you there is a lot of negative feelings to attach to the sport and it would be hard for me to attach myself when I know they had no attachment to me and could just drop me on a dime. Theres no pressure as a fan.

[@joeinreallife4572]

Competing at that level doesn’t diminish the fun or engagement of your favorite sport, it transmutes it into something entirely different. Something far greater.

[@HatWearingDog]

It’s different. Players work their entire lives to make it to MLB. They’re out there living their dreams and getting PAID for it (league min is like $500k now). Professional photography just isn’t the same. You’re never going to be on TV, you’ll never make millions, and you’ll never get a shoe deal (if you ever do any of these things, props to you). Not to mention their job entails playing a game in front of tens of thousands of adoring fans every single day. Whereas pro photography entails a lot of admin work, especially if you run your own company, and dealing with difficult and demanding clients. Actually taking photos is only like 10% of the job. I’m guessing you spend most of your time making phone calls, editing photos, mailing orders etc. Tl:DR: Being in MLB is way cooler than professional photography therefore it doesn’t begin feeling like a job. I seriously meant no offense with this, I respect what you do. I’m just trying to make a point.

[@HatWearingDog]

@rgtrooper13 Don't like it? Don't read it. Fuck off bro.

[@stuchainzfavoriteweapon6374]

This seems like something people can't relate to, but in reality the loss of passion is a part of many careers. I grew up loving airplanes, enjoying flying, having fun doing it, but as soon as you turn that passion into a career, a bit of that begins to melt away. The phrase "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life" is not entirely accurate for most.

[@mpa1931]

Very very true, I work on cars as a hobby and then had it as a career for 2 years and almost killed my passion for cars.

[@rollwithdynamite]

i think ud tend to play harder against a team youre a fan of. so that maybe they'd recognize you.

[@dbach1025]

Good stuff Matt.

[@stuckinchaselandia6427]

Your background is the same as the one I use on my website for my travel team.

[@stlouislord28]

I was just thinking about this today. I’m a diehard Cardinals fan. I’d like to think if I were a pro player I’d still be a fan inwardly but would play as hard as I can for whichever club I happen to be on

[@AntonelliBaseball]

Eric Parks that’s what I thought would happen to me as well

[@stlouislord28]

@@AntonelliBaseball Maybe it's good I didn't get past little league and joined band instead :D I can't imagine not being a Cardinals fan anymore. Thanks for the stories :)

[@tylerfrancescone8683]

We can all agree once your 65+ u sit in a Dunkin Donuts sip coffee and talk about Vizquel, Manny Ramirez, Nomar, Helton, Pujols, Ichiro

[@tokeypokey]

Back in my day that todd helton guy. He was an underrated first basemen

[@craigbeine]

What is your opinion on the nets extending further down the foul lines, robot umps, league wide designated hitters, etc?

[@vinniemacaluso9725]

tony romo was a giants closer, grew up a dodgers fan

[@tommyfinney2254]

What happens when you have to use the restroom during a game?? Is there a bathroom nearby or do ya gotta hold it??

[@AntonelliBaseball]

tommy finney run to the clubhouse between innings usually

[@SchroderPhotography]

DUDE SPOT ON....Ive been through the SAME thing but because I moved from countries when young...I went from being a hardcore baseball fan and football fan as a Kid and then I moved to Brazil....within Months I was a huge soccer fan and a fanatic for the local team....and all but forgot American sports.

[@joshgreencorn7309]

Im like that with the Toronto maple leafs

[@kurumauzamaki2731]

If I make Mlb I’ll have a no trade clause with dodgers and Yankees

[@dpowers1185]

Kuruma Uzamaki Hey man, good luck getting signed/drafted by either of those teams AND getting a no trade clause. 😂😂

[@kurumauzamaki2731]

dpowers1185 I mean I can’t be traded to those teams

[@andrew.barker]

Kuruma Uzamaki lmfao you gotta be good enough to have a no trade clause. Otherwise if that’s the only two teams that give you a contract. You’ll take the money in a heart beat

[@kurumauzamaki2731]

Andrew Barker if the Yankees and or dodgers are the only teams that want me then other teams would as well as both have good scouting so if they want me other teams would I doubt I’ll make Mlb but if I do these two teams I won’t play with

[@daneevans7590]

Kuruma Uzamaki We will see how you feel when they offer you 50% more $.

[@barnabydodd8956]

I guess it's kind of weird to cheer for the Red Sox because it's not players you look up to anymore... it's your peers and they are just wearing a Red Sox jersey. I could see how it would feel weird to cheer for other players in the league you played in who just happen to be wearing the Red Sox threads. I would assume when you play, it's just about our squad of guys vs. their squad of guys, and the jersey they are wearing is meaningless.

[@kyleoliphant4845]

Do you like the Sox now

[@chrisrozens1125]

Don’t know if you talked about this but do MLB players follow what the media/ social media say about them? Like if MLB network is like so so can’t hit anymore etc do those guys pay attention to that?

[@billycheesesteak199]

Matt as a fellow Mass native do you feel like it was harder to get attention from big schools because of your location?

[@Sam_on_YouTube]

That connection you feel is called a "parasocial relationship." You know what's weird, developing a real relationship with someone you already had a parasocial relationship with. I've gotten to know Cenk Uygur a little bit. But it's weird because he knows me a little, but I know him a lot because he talks about himself online so often. He knows I have kids about the age of his kids, he knows where I'm from, and he respects my professional opinions. But I know a LOT more about him, which is strange.

[@Not_The_FBI_1992]

That's unfortunate that you know Chunk Yogurt personally.

[@billbrasky1288]

How different would it have been if you had been drafted by the Red Sox?

[@mousaka_h3160]

That was a good breakdown. I do hope you become a Red Sox fan again. It’s upsetting that was your exam as a fan and playing pro baseball seemed to ruin it.

[@petervisconti6121]

Great video

[@AntonelliBaseball]

Peter Visconti thanks!

[@brandon.neuharth]

What players do you cheer for?

[@bafa7353]

How would you have felt if you were drafted by the Yankees?

[@TheBaseballArchaologist]

As a player, when is the worst part of the season?

[@nicolasbitcoin2549]

I'm a huge fan of Wade LeBlanc

[@AndrewAJT]

Isn't this basically a remake of an old video?

[@AntonelliBaseball]

AndrewAJT I dunno I have over 2,000 videos I can’t remember lol

[@e2go]

Lol. Pro teams are just corporations owned by super rich people. They have no connection to the city aside from fake superficial crap. Players/coaches leave for money. Front office ships off players/coaches at the drop of a hat. No loyalty or concern on either side. It's a business, if you're playing it's silly to be a fan of another team. It's just a uniform at the end of the day, sadly. Free agency (not that it is bad, it's not) destroyed anything resembling a team in all sports.

[@chophosho5935]

Or maybe you were tired of baseball?

[@ericheggeseth2804]

What is the process of being traded

[@zachtkai2157]

Sorry about the patriots getting eliminated... you’ll get em next year.

[@AntonelliBaseball]

ZachTKai thanks!

[@lilgill7348]

Damn I clicked fast

[@dodgermartin4895]

Funny thought... I'm a huge Dodgers fan, and a cousin who was in the Majors in the AL played against the Dodgers in an interleague game, and I rooted against him, because how dare he play against MY Dodgers! But I did pull for him whenever he played against anyone else.

[@rosendoortega8717]

Did you ever play your self on mlb the show?

[@petervisconti6121]

For the fun of it, you should see if you can get an invite to a Yankees old timers day.

[@Sam_on_YouTube]

I'm a lifelong Yankee fan. For a few hundred thousand, I'll root for the Sox, no problem.

[@rddavies]

In a perfect world Tom Brady will watch this.

[@SuperUkcats]

Of course they are. Remember when Barry Bonds played for the Pirates? It’s all about mutual respect even with the blood rivalries. Jared Goff probably grew up as a 49er fan before being drafted by their blood rival, the Rams. But I bet Goff still has mutual respect for the 49ers even if they are his blood rival now.

[@JustcallmeGnarly22]

Now you'll be on Jomboy.

[@ibraheemrao8434]

Bill Belichick a.k.a. THE HOODIE.

[@bryangao2275]

Who's your favourite player on the patriots minus Tom Brady

[@SeemsLogical]

Probably one of the Refs. Al Riveron perhaps?

[@AntonelliBaseball]

bryan Gao probably Edelman, but honestly I am the weird guy that likes the special teamers as much as the starters

[@lilbirchtree4313]

Antonelli Baseball Nate Ebner ☺️

[@jayit6851]

Hmm I can't really understand the apathy. I don't watch nearly every Blue Jays game but I will always be a die hard fan for eternity.

[@briandittersdorf4802]

Pats nation

[@ibraheemrao8434]

Tom Brady a.k.a. THE GOAT.

[@DRay210]

#LetsGoOs

[@dougphantom9]

Do you ever eat kfc

[@WaluigiLebron]

Yeah

[@P_Wigs]

Where do I send a question that I would like addressed in a video?

[@ytcommenter1178]

Go pats!

[@OGS2099]

I loathe the Red Sox. Bring back the curse.

[@SamPhillips01]

Tom Brady to the Chargers!!!!

[@SeemsLogical]

As a Chargers fan, I hope not :/

[@DJGaming-qw8hu]

React to the RedSox cheating scandal please😀

[@tokeypokey]

Is it cheating is 3/4 the league does it? Probably not. Maybe we can show batters our pitches instead of hiding it in the glove

[@DJGaming-qw8hu]

@Jared first off, stealing signs electronically is illegal. Second, telling batters what pitch your throwing defeats the fundamentals of the game. A pitcher isn’t only supposed to throw strikes and get a batter out, they’re also supposed to keep the batters guessing on what pitch you’re about to throw. Yes, I agree that the Sox and the Astros are not the only cheaters but they got caught

[@thiccboi9941]

First

[@BoyleFrancis]

Haha patriots lost in first round

[@businessplatypus2463]

It feels so good to not have the, be in the Super Bowl.

[@AntonelliBaseball]

Frank Boyle it’s ok the last 20 years makes up for it lol

[@cmayy8317]

Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour