The Three Best Jumbotron Appearances

Some say baseball is boring. You and I know these people couldn’t be more wrong, but it doesn’t hurt to have a little bit of evidence backing up our claim.

This is just that: three of the best, most entertaining ballpark jumbotron appearances of all time. From dancing to dating, these cameramen have put in work to give spectators a show. And boy, has it paid off.

Work It Willis 

Willis Harris has graced the jumbotron at Tropicana Field for years, keeping spectators safe while busting a couple of moves along the way. 

Harris may look like your typical security guard, but as with most things in life, there is much more than meets the eye when it comes to him. The man can dance. And I mean dance. 

While his dancing skills belong on the silver screen, the big screen will have to do for now. The Tampa Bay Rays’ camera crew has kept their recording devices trained on the beloved Harris. His serious demeanor will unexpectedly break and give way to his jubilant, enthusiastic self at any given time. 

Perhaps another reason to stan Harris is that he has beef with the Houston Astros — like many baseball fans nowadays — but for some different reasons. Their mascot, Orbit, made the mistake of challenging Harris to a dance-off. The jumbotron caught it all, providing fans at Tropicana with grade-A entertainment. 

Diamondbacks Got The Ball Rolling 

On May 1, the 564 ESports owner and YouTuber known as BuckArmy tweeted at the Arizona Diamondbacks, letting them know that his roommate was on a date at the ballpark and wondering whether the camera crew at Chase Field could locate them on the jumbotron. So began the most extraordinary love story of all time, which has unfortunately already concluded. 

The combined forces of BuckArmy, the Dbacks and the television network Bally Sports Arizona began a tireless search for the aforementioned roommate, initially drawing a blank. That is until BuckArmy pulled through with Find My Friends, identifying his roomie’s whereabouts in the stands and giving the Diamondbacks everything they needed to track the couple down. 

Suddenly baseball became “The Bachelor,” giving fans updates on the date via Twitter while keeping live spectators informed on the jumbotron. In case anyone wanted the epilogue, they made it to the third date, but that’s where this story ends. 

Petco Gets Low

Back in 2018, every teenager’s worst nightmare unfolded on the jumbotron at Petco Park. As “Low” bumped through the stadium, fans in attendance danced along. 

One fan, in particular, made herself known across the ballpark as she got down on the big screen to the utter horror of her son seated directly next to her, whose face got progressively more red as the dancing intensified. 

The video was uploaded to Twitter by user Rudy Rendon, ensuring that the masses saw it — since limiting her moves to just the crowd at Petco wasn’t embarrassing enough. 

“I hope to embarrass my kid that badly one day,” user @TammyLynO tweeted in response.

Don’t we all, Tammy Lyn. Don’t we all. 

I’ll end this article with this: baseball is so much more than men hitting balls with sticks. It’s men hitting balls with sticks with the bonus of fans and staff members creating iconic moments that just so happen to be caught on camera.

I told you it wasn’t boring.

Cover photo courtesy the Arizona Diamondbacks Twitter (@Dbacks)