FanPost

What makes a knowledgeable fan?

I love ballparks.  I love going to ballparks, I love the architecture, I love the greasy food, I love the atmosphere, and of course, the game.  My goal is to go on a summer road trip sometime soon and see all of the major league parks, so I sometimes peruse other people's reviews of the parks just to know what to expect.

Obviously there are many different opinions out there about many things, but the one that pops out invariably is "knowledgeable fans."  Knowledgeable fans?  What the hell does that even mean?  Generally, the reviewer doesn't go into what makes (or what he/she believes is) a knowledgeable fan.

So that makes me wonder, what is one?  Is it the one that is always making noise, screaming and hollering?  Does great atmosphere mean knowledgable?

Is it the one can recite every bit of history and trivia for the team?  Or the one that knows statistical analysis?  Or the one that "played in A ball back in the day with Willie Mays" and knows the physical side of the game?

I would imagine it would something involving all of these characteristics but I find it odd that there is hallowed ideal for a "knowledgeable" fan base as if these things make the game more enjoyable.  The game is already enjoyable, that's why we watch it.

Baseball is a multi-faceted game, though, and everyone looks at a different way.  My question for the masses is: what one thing do you think makes a fan most knowledgeable?