Fake crowd noise in the Metrodome?

[glunn]

Al Michaels is saying that the Twins used artificial noise in 1987 World Series.  Is this believable?

 

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/25050522/al-michaels-says-twins-used-artificial-noise-in-1987-world-series

[Craig Arko]

I was at the 87 ALCS. It was certainly deafeningly loud behind the sea of Homer Hankies. It's possible, but what would be the point? Baseball uses visual signs, not audible like in football. You're not going to break Jack Morris's concentration with fake noise.

 

I see this more as an example of Michaels' profound hatred of the Metrodome, shared by most of the national media. Can't say I blame him for that. But that crowd, shouting and waving the hankies? As genuine as it gets.

[70charger]

One guy "is convinced" that they piped in noise. Doesn't sound like a reliable source to me.

[Seth Stohs]

yeah, this is much ado about nothing. I have little doubt that there probably was some crowd noise pumped in, but I don't know that it affected anything. Kent Hrbek responded well. 

[gunnarthor]

I don't think they pumped in any noise.  I also think Ron Gant's momentum caused him to fall of the bag.   

[big dog]

In related news, no one had asked Al Michaels anything in a while so he felt the need to put himself into a conversation.

[James]

Well... this is something that no one cares about.  

 

I say to make it fair though, they should replay the series with the same rosters.  

[JB_Iowa]

Well... this is something that no one cares about.  

 

I say to make it fair though, they should replay the series with the same rosters.  

 

1 EMT per player!

[nicksaviking]

Simple conjecture is all.  Perhaps they did but there's nothing substantial to show they did.  Nearly 30 years later, odds are someone would have squeeled by now.

 

All I know is that while still loud, the dome became more muted through the years and it seemed to coorespond with the changing of the turf.  I'm no sound expert, but it seemed like every time the Twins or Vikings brought in a more player friendly version of carpet, the noise would lessen a bit. 

[Squirrel]

Simple conjecture is all.  Perhaps they did but there's nothing substantial to show they did.  Nearly 30 years later, odds are someone would have squeeled by now.

 

All I know is that while still loud, the dome became more muted through the years and it seemed to coorespond with the changing of the turf.  I'm no sound expert, but it seemed like every time the Twins or Vikings brought in a more player friendly version of carpet, the noise would lessen a bit.

 

Well, or as you aged, your hearing lessened a bit!

[D. Hocking]

"I'm going, wait a minute. This is a baseball game," Michaels told the host, NBC colleague Mike Florio. "Nobody is screaming like this when the fifth inning starts. ... To me, there was no question" that the crowd noise was not natural.

 

At the time people the memory of the four super bowls, the failed North Star Stanley Cup, and failed Presidential bids from Mondale and Humphrey that people were practically foaming at the thought of winning a championship.  My sisters were just out of college and working downtown at the time and still look fondly back at the fun they had that fall.  I have no problem believing that it was unnaturally loud -- but because of people's excitement being at an unnaturally high level and not due to technological help.

 

Still it would be fun to see them replay it now -- but not sure the Twins would ever allow Hrbeck back on the field after the Turf incident of 2010.

[jimmer]

Well, or as you aged, your hearing lessened a bit!

or the almost 10 season span where we weren't that good and attendance dropped could have lowered the volume a bit :-)

[JB_Iowa]

Okay so this is a little off-topic but Morosi reminds us that fun is often noisy:

 

 http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/major-league-baseball-can-learn-from-caribbean-series-in-puerto-rico-020615

 

 

Here's hoping that some of our young Latin players inspire this kind of enthusiasm in the northland.

 

Kind of think Vargas could do it all himself,

[Squirrel]

or the almost 10 season span where we weren't that good and attendance dropped could have lowered the volume a bit :-)

Heh, or a combination?

[Otto von Ballpark]

Given the Metrodome sound system, especially at the time, I don't know that it would have been very effective at pumping in crowd noise.  Or, if they had tried at any decent volume, it would have sounded terrible and been immediately evident.

 

I'll file this one right alongside Jim Leyland's theory about the air conditioner fans.

[Otto von Ballpark]

At the time people the memory of the four super bowls, the failed North Star Stanley Cup, and failed Presidential bids from Mondale and Humphrey that people were practically foaming at the thought of winning a championship.  My sisters were just out of college and working downtown at the time and still look fondly back at the fun they had that fall.  I have no problem believing that it was unnaturally loud -- but because of people's excitement being at an unnaturally high level and not due to technological help.

Agreed.

 

I think it's a bit of a chicken and egg scenario -- Michaels suggests that the noise caused the winning, but I'd argue that the winning caused the noise.

 

Not only was the team (and city) coming off a long drought, the Twins were massively successful at home in the 1987 and 1991 playoffs.  Remarkable as it seems, there was really nothing to damper the crowd's excitement at home those two years.  They had Game 1 at home each series and jumped out to a series lead.  Their only home loss was ALCS Game 2 in 1991, after which they promptly swept the next 3 in Toronto to take the series, more than enough to build excitement going into the World Series.

 

By comparison, in 2002 they started on the road and had some shaky performances, then promptly lost their first home game that postseason (Rick Reed!).  They recovered to survive a little bit longer that year, but it's plainly evident that any excitement was only dampened further by the 2003-2010 postseasons.

[jimmer]

'Michaels suggests that the noise caused the winning, but -- I'd argue that the winning caused the noise.'

 

I think that'd be an incredibly easy argument to make.

[ashbury]

Also a little off-topic, but I attended an Astros game last July, where (I looked up) the stated attendance was 19K but it seemed like there were fewer than 10 thousand butts in seats.  During a home team rally, the noise level crested and I looked around and said, disgustedly, no way.

[Paul Pleiss]

As technotronic once said
"Pump up the jam
Pump it up
While your feet are stomping
And the jam is pumping
Look ahead, the crowd is jumpin'

Pump it up a little more
Get the party goin' on the dance floor
See, 'cause that's where the party's at
And you'd find out if you do that"

 

So yes, pump in noise. Pump it up. And get your booty on the dance floor.

[biggentleben]

I don't think they pumped in any noise.  I also think Ron Gant's momentum caused him to fall of the bag.   

 

<Adds gunn to the list...>

[Seth Stohs]

As technotronic once said

"Pump up the jam

Pump it up

While your feet are stomping

And the jam is pumping

Look ahead, the crowd is jumpin'

Pump it up a little more

Get the party goin' on the dance floor

See, 'cause that's where the party's at

And you'd find out if you do that"

 

So yes, pump in noise. Pump it up. And get your booty on the dance floor.

 

Make my day... Make my day... 

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

Hrbek had the best response for sure - his Twitter account is out of control sometimes, I love it.

[glunn]

The Twins have now responded:  http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/290928721.html