When Did MLB Fans Start Booing Throws to First Base?

If you’ve watched MLB baseball for any length of time you know that when an opposing pitcher throws to first base to try and tag the first base runner out, the fans will boo this action. In the old days they would only boo after multiple throws in the same at-bat. Fans looked at it like the pitcher was stalling or ruining the flow of the game. Today fans boo for every throw, starting from the first attempt. What gives?

By most accounts, the booing of the pitch out to first base first became a popular thing to do in the 1980’s. Fans (usually home crowds) boo opposing pitchers for throws to first base (pickoff attempts) primarily out of impatience. They want to see pitches and action, not repeated delays to hold runners. It’s seen as the pitcher stalling or playing too safely, even though it’s a legitimate strategy. Boos are typically one-sided (against the visitor) and don’t usually target the home team’s own pitcher.

The practice of booing on the first pitchout didn’t really start until the 2010’s. The practice really picked up steam after the implementation of the “disengagement limit rule” which was implemented in 2023. Since that year, on the third disengagement, if the pitcher does not successfully pick off the runner (i.e., the runner is not tagged out), it is ruled a balk. The runner(s) automatically advance one base. Fans still want a reason to boo the opposing team, and the new rule limits their opportunity.

That’s the bottom line. Because of the disengagement limit rule, fans are also limited to how much they can boo that particular play. Fans like to feel engaged and booing the opponent for any reason seems to be one of the ways they feel like they can contribute to the home team.