Oh, boys. Sometimes they try to be helpful, but it just comes out wrong. Take, for instance, the "10 Things Not to Say to a Guy Who's a Baseball Fan" piece that Matt Christensen, one of our favorite contributors, recently wrote for Lemondrop.Not to say we don't agree with his points -- Matt's a sharp dude. But the baseball fans among us felt it was a little on the, uh, retro side. As commenter Katie wrote, "There are a lot of women out there that know about baseball and even enjoy watching it." The questions in the story wouldn't just outrage a guy fan, they'd outrage any fan!
I asked Julie DiCaro, a blogger over at ChicagoNow.com who shares my passion for America's pastime and the Cubs, to respond to the questions ... on behalf of women who can talk baseball with the best of 'em.
Matt's "Stadium No-No" #10: "Do they serve sushi at the stadium?"
ERIN: If you (or anyone else) order sushi at the ballpark, pack up and go home. In fact, if you're a fan of a team that serves sushi at their ballpark, we can't date.
JULIE: I agree, Erin. And when Matt packs up and goes home, he should take the sashimi-eating, Blackberry-wielding, imported-beer-drinking corporate guys in the row behind the dugout with him.
Click here to keep reading ...
Matt's "Stadium No-No" #9: "Eww. Baseball hats make me look bad."
JULIE: You have NO IDEA how hot I look in a baseball hat when I'm busy explaining how "Moneyball" wasn't about on-base percentage per se, but undervalued statistics and how on-base-plus-slugging is far more useful [than batting average] in evaluating good hitters.
ERIN: Is it still going to look hot when I'm wearing it backwards and inside out because it's the bottom of the ninth, there are two outs, a full count, and we're down one with the winning run on base?

Matt's "Stadium No-No" #8: "Do we have to stay for the whole game?"
ERIN: He's got a point here. If you agreed to a long date you're not 100 percent into, then don't complain.
JULIE: Have you considered that what she really means is "Do I have to stay for the whole date?"
Matt's "Stadium No-No" #7: "My ex loved baseball!"
JULIE: What she means: "My ex was secure enough that he didn't feel the need to mock every word that comes out of my mouth. I wonder what he's doing these days?"
ERIN: This doesn't apply to just baseball. Moot point.
Matt's "Stadium No-No" #6: "Don't all these guys use performance enhancers?"
JULIE: Calling makeup a performance enhancer? Different ballgame. If Barry Bonds wants to take on Hank Aaron, he'd better do it on his own merits, not because a little extra juice helps him muscle warning-track balls into McCovey Cove.
ERIN: Soooo true. Anyway, if a girl asks you this, then you follow up with the same debate that would naturally follow if this question had come from one of your buddies: Who deserves an asterisk?
Matt's "Stadium No-No" #5: "Why is the 'K' backwards?"
ERIN: If she's asking, she wants to learn. Give her a break, man.
JULIE: Give me a break. Half the guys at the ballpark don't know why the "K" is backwards.
Matt's "Stadium No-No" #4: "This game is so boring."
ERIN: Depends on the situation. If this comment was uttered during a game like last week's All Star Game, then see #8.
JULIE: But seriously? After the 15th consecutive foul tip at a 1-0 Blue Jays-Mariners game in late September, she's probably right.
Matt's "Stadium No-No" #3: "I hate the Cubs."
ERIN: I suppose I appreciate the thought, but we don't need your sympathy fans.
JULIE: I agree. If a girl says this, she sucks. Kick her ass to the curb.
Matt's "Stadium No-No" #2: "'Summer Catch' is, like, my favorite movie!"
JULIE: Pretend she said "Eight Men Out," "Bull Durham" or "Pride of the Yankees."
ERIN: A list of baseball movies that includes "Summer Catch" is as bad as one that excludes "The Sandlot."
Matt's "Stadium No-No" #1: "That A-Rod sure is hot!"
JULIE: For the record, girls would point out everyone's hotness -- from Evan Longoria to Eva Longoria. Are you too threatened to find beauty in the masculine? I bet A-Rod isn't limited by such insecurities.
ERIN: And please. We listened to you talk about Megan Fox for three days after "Transformers." Personally, I think A-Rod looks like a bulldog. But David Wright and Derrek Lee ...
And to you ladies reading this, tell us: Are you a big sports fan? If so, leave your story in the comments, and be sure to include your hometown. (I'm convinced certain regions breed more female sports fans.)
Erin Scottberg is community editor at Lemondrop and lifelong Cubs fan.












Comments:
Add a comment
Tuesday 21 July
By Allison
I live in Denver but am a die-hard Cub fan. I love going to games and get very anal about getting to the stadium an hour or so before a game starts and I keep score for the whole game.
Reply
Wednesday 22 July
By Brian
I went to a Giants game with my girlfriend early in our relationship. A player tagged up from second on a fly ball in the gap that turned out to be the second out. When he reached safely, the crowd cheered. She commented idly, " I don't know why they're cheering... they still need a base hit to score him whether he's on second or third." That pretty much sealed it for me.
www.deartommyjohnletters.blogspot.com
Reply
Sunday 26 July
By susan
i'm 60 years old & have been a die hard orioles fan since i was about 10? in 7th grade, my friend sally & i used to take the street car to o's games at memorial stadium & sit in the bleachers. (can you imagine two 12 year old girls doing that THESE days, by themselves?) i was in love with "diamond" jim gentile & she was in love with gus triandos.
for you cubs folks....i root for them in the national league & have LOVED going to a few games at "the friendly confines". i've also been to games at fenway & the old yankee stadium...not to mention a number of minor league games and even one winter league game in san juan. there's not much i'd rather do!
one year on our wedding anniversary, we were in savannah, georgia for a business trip. the night of our anniversary - we went to see the savannah sand gnats play the hagerstown suns. for some reason, my husband told the guy at the ticket counter that it was our anniversary....he said "it's your anniversary, and you're spending it HERE? i see why you married her!
however, i do admit to not following stats & confess that i can't really explain the infield fly rule!
Reply
Sunday 26 July
By susan
and by the way, i SHOULD have mentioned....
it was my MOTHER who originally took me & my brother to orioles games when we were really small....she was a HUGE orioles fan. when dad was transferred to the philadelphia area, they sort of "adopted" the phillies as a 2nd choice, though if the o's & phillies had come against each other in playoffs, there'd have been no contest.
she died during the world series some years ago - spent her last night watching the phillies.
so tell me women can't be baseball fans!
Sunday 26 July
By MINGIRL1979
I have been a die hard Twins fan since the tender age of 4, when I saw my first baseball game at the Dome! My all time favorite player was Kirby Puckett! I had a poster of him up in my playroom growing up and loved hearing his name being announced over the loud speaker when my folks and I would go to a game. Next up to bat, Twins center fielder, number 34, Kiirrrrbyyyy Puuuuckeeet!! It just had a catchy ring to it! Sadly though, Kirby Puckett is no longer playing ball here on Earth but going up to bat on that big ball field in the sky! R.I.P. Kirby Puckett!
Reply
Monday 27 July
By Chu
I LOVE baseball! I grew up around it! And... I'm looking forward to teaching my boyfriend (who doesn't play/watch sports, but is interested, thank God) about it!
Reply
Thursday 13 August
By lilcoll979
It's REALLY ok to say you hate the cubs if you are a White Sox fan, or a fan of ANY OTHER TEAM IN THE NL CENTRAL!
I hate that they are "lovable loosers" loosing is not lovable dumb a**!
Actually I hate the fans more than the team. And you would only REALLY understand that if you live in Chicago.
Reply
Thursday 13 August
By Amy
Female Cleveland fan here. Even when there's a slim chance they'll hit .500 this season and you can't name more than 5 guys on their active roster because they've traded away everyone worth mentioning for a bunch of prospects.
But you better believe that I'll be at more games this season, dragging my less then enthusiastic boyfriend along and wearing my rally cap. I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing.
Reply
Monday 14 September
By Aaron W.
Want to stop a guy in his tracks? Drop a VORP on him. That'll stop the chauvinism. No girl has done it to me, but I'm young yet.
Reply
Tuesday 30 March
By wholesale new era hats
it is interesting and informative article. This has been very helpful understanding a lot
of things. I’m sure a lot of other people will agree with me.
wholesale baseball hats
Reply
Tuesday 12 October
By CC
Uncle owned a baseball card shop and I grew up there, crawling past expensive memorabilia. He would take me around the USA to visit all the Ballparks. Born and raised a Die hard Female Giants fan :)
Actually got in a huge fight (today) with my friends (both are swimmers, one loves soccer) they were saying all this stuff about baseball like "Ew. Baseball players are fat, baseball's so stupid and boring..bla..blah...blah." I've never cussed in all my 17 years and all of a sudden I got up and started calling them things.....F***ing Retards..for example. I felt bad afterwards, but they learned that the one thing you never do is insult baseball in front of a die hard.
Oh and....Giants are on to the NLCS!!!! GO GIANTS!!!! All respect to Bobby Cox
Reply