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Robert Szasz, also known as The Happy Heckler, is a real estate developer and has been a well-known heckler at Tampa Bay Rays baseball games for several seasons.

A native of Toronto, Ontario, Szasz relocated to Florida in 1984 and resides in Clearwater, Florida. He held season tickets for the then Devil Rays from 2000 until the end of the 2008 season, sitting in club seats behind home plate at Tropicana Field.^[1] He would choose one player from the opposing team to insult during a game or series, waiting until the player stepped into the batter's box before shouting a barrage of insults regarding the player's playing ability. Between the typically small and quiet crowds at Devil Rays game during the early 2000s and his booming voice, Szasz's heckling was often heard on television and radio broadcasts of the team's games.

Szasz's heckling visibly rattled players on multiple occasions. He once heckled the Mariners' Bret Boone so viciously that when Boone struck out, he threw down his batting helmet and started yelling back at Szasz. In another instance, outfielder José Guillén offered Szasz an autographed baseball bat if he would stop heckling him in a game. Szasz says he didn't heckle with profanity, nor did he insult a player about a personal thing such as weight or height. He says he tried to only heckle a player on their baseball ability. Although rare, Szasz also heckled opposing pitchers.

Szasz became a controversial figure. Some fans, television viewers, and media that covered the Rays complained about his volume and abrasiveness, while others enjoyed his heckling.^{[citation needed]} In any case, he became one of the more famous fans in Tampa Bay Rays baseball history, and was known throughout the American League.^{[citation needed]}

In 2008, Szasz released a book entitled The Happy Heckler. Szasz did not renew his Rays season tickets for 2009 and was not heard heckling in Tropicana Field again until April 30, 2012, during a game against the Seattle Mariners.^[2]

References

^ When shown occasionally on camera during games, he was located in Section 101, Row D, Seat 1. Example, Florida Marlins @ Tampa Bay Rays, Marlins broadcast on FSN Florida, 2008-06-13
^ Cork Gaines (April 30, 2012). "The Happy Heckler Is Back!". Rays Index. Retrieved 2012-04-30.

External links

The Gentleman Heckler

[1] When shown occasionally on camera during games, he was located in Section 101, Row D, Seat 1. Example, Florida Marlins @ Tampa Bay Rays, Marlins broadcast on FSN Florida, 2008-06-13

[2] Cork Gaines (April 30, 2012). "The Happy Heckler Is Back!". Rays Index. Retrieved 2012-04-30.

[1]

[2]

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+{{more sources needed|date=July 2024}}
-April 2012, Robert Szasz, our beloved "Tampa Bay Happy Heckler" is BACK BABY. All hail the "Heckler"; long live the "Heckler". Welcome back Bob !
+{{notability|date=July 2024}}
+'''Robert Szasz''', also known as '''The Happy Heckler''', is a [[real estate developer]] and has been a well-known [[heckler]] at [[Tampa Bay Rays]] baseball games for several seasons.
+A native of [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Szasz relocated to Florida in 1984 and resides in [[Clearwater, Florida]].  He held [[season ticket]]s for the then Devil Rays from 2000 until the end of the 2008 season, sitting in club seats behind home plate at [[Tropicana Field]].<ref>When shown occasionally on camera during games, he was located in Section 101, Row D, Seat 1.  Example, Florida Marlins @ Tampa Bay Rays, Marlins broadcast on FSN Florida, 2008-06-13</ref> He would choose one player from the opposing team to insult during a game or series, waiting until the player stepped into the [[batter's box]] before shouting a barrage of insults regarding the player's playing ability. Between the typically small and quiet crowds at Devil Rays game during the early 2000s and his booming voice, Szasz's heckling was often heard on television and radio broadcasts of the team's games.
-'''Robert Szasz''', also known as '''The Happy Heckler''', is a [[real estate developer]] and has been a well-known [[heckler]] at [[Tampa Bay Rays]] [[baseball]] games for several seasons.
+Szasz's heckling visibly rattled players on multiple occasions. He once heckled the [[Seattle Mariners|Mariners]]' [[Bret Boone]] so viciously that when Boone struck out, he threw down his batting helmet and started yelling back at Szasz. In another instance, [[outfielder]] [[José Guillén]] offered Szasz an autographed baseball bat if he would stop heckling him in a game. Szasz says he didn't heckle with profanity, nor did he insult a player about a personal thing such as weight or height. He says he tried to only heckle a player on their baseball ability.  Although rare, Szasz also heckled opposing pitchers.
-A native of [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Szasz relocated to [[Florida]] in 1984 and resides in [[Clearwater, Florida]].  He held [[season ticket]]s for the then-Devil Rays from 2000 until the end of the 2008 season, sitting in club seats behind [[home plate]] at [[Tropicana Field]].<ref>When shown occasionally on camera during games, he was located in Section 101, Row D, Seat 1.  Example, Florida Marlins @ Tampa Bay Rays, Marlins broadcast on FSN Florida, 2008-06-13</ref> He would choose one player from the opposing team to insult during a game or series, waiting until the player stepped into the [[batter's box]] before shouting a barrage of insults regarding the player's playing ability. Between the typically small and quiet crowds at Devil Rays game during the early 2000s and his booming voice, Szasz's heckling was often heard on television and radio broadcasts of the team's games.
+Szasz became a controversial figure. Some fans, television viewers, and media that covered the Rays complained about his volume and abrasiveness, while others enjoyed his heckling.{{cite needed|date=July 2019}} In any case, he became one of the more famous fans in Tampa Bay Rays baseball history, and was known throughout the [[American League]].{{cite needed|date=July 2019}}
-Szasz's heckling visibly rattled players on multiple occasions. He once heckled the [[Seattle Mariners|Mariners]]' [[Bret Boone]] so viciously that when Boone [[struck out]], he threw down his [[batting helmet]] and started yelling back at Szasz. In another instance, [[outfielder]] [[José Guillén]] offered Szasz an autographed [[baseball bat]] if he would stop heckling him in a game. Szasz says he didn't heckle with [[profanity]], nor did he insult a player about a personal thing such as weight or height. He says he tried to only heckle a player on their baseball ability.  Although rare, Szasz also heckled opposing pitchers.
+In 2008, Szasz released a book entitled ''The Happy Heckler''. Szasz did not renew his Rays season tickets for 2009 and was not heard heckling in Tropicana Field again until April 30, 2012, during a game against the Seattle Mariners.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.raysindex.com/2012/04/the-happy-heckler-is-back.html|date=April 30, 2012|author=Cork Gaines|access-date=2012-04-30|publisher=Rays Index|title=The Happy Heckler Is Back!}}</ref>
-Szasz became a [[controversial]] figure. Some fans, television viewers, and media that covered the Rays complained about his volume and abrasiveness, while others enjoyed his heckling. In any case, he became one of the more famous fans in Tampa Bay Rays baseball history, and was known throughout the [[American League]].
-In 2008, Szasz released a book entitled ''The Happy Heckler''. In 2009, banks filed several lawsuits against him for defaulting on more than $9 million in loans that he personally signed for, and [[Wachovia Bank]] foreclosed on his {{convert|7000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} waterfront home on Snell Isle.<ref>[http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/article977650.ece Bank gives Tampa Bay Rays' high-profile heckler a Bronx cheer - St. Petersburg Times]</ref> Szasz did not renew his Rays season tickets for 2009 and has not been heard to heckle in Tropicana Field since then.
 ==See also==
 *[[Ronnie Woo Woo]]
+*[[Robin Ficker]]
+*[[Wild Bill Hagy]]
 ==References==
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 {{Tampa Bay Rays}}
-{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
-| NAME              = Szasz, Robert
-| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
-| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
-| DATE OF BIRTH     =
-| PLACE OF BIRTH    =
-| DATE OF DEATH     =
-| PLACE OF DEATH    =
-}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Szasz, Robert}}
 [[Category:Living people]]
-[[Category:American people of Canadian descent]]
+[[Category:Canadian emigrants to the United States]]
-[[Category:People from Toronto]]
+[[Category:Businesspeople from Toronto]]
-[[Category:Businesspeople in real estate]]
+[[Category:American businesspeople in real estate]]
 [[Category:Sports in Tampa, Florida]]
-[[Category:Sports spectators]]
+[[Category:Baseball spectators]]
 [[Category:Tampa Bay Rays]]
 [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]