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Robert Szasz, also known as The Happy Heckler, is a real estate developer and was a well-known heckler at Tampa Bay (Devil-)Rays baseball games.

A native of Toronto, Ontario, Szasz relocated to Florida in 1984 and resides in Clearwater, Florida. He held season tickets for the Rays until the end of the 2008 season for 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 and then shouting a barrage of insults regarding the player's playing ability. His voice was so loud that it was often heard on television broadcasts of the game.

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 Jose Guillen 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 extremely rare, Szasz has also heckled opposing pitchers.

Szasz became a controversial figure. There are many fans, television viewers and media that covered the Rays that complained about his loudness and abrasiveness, and there were others that enjoyed his heckling. Still, he became one of the more famous fans in Tampa Bay Rays baseball history, and was known throughout the American League. In 2008, he released a book entitled The Happy Heckler.

Since January 2009, banks have filed five lawsuits saying he has stopped paying on more than $9 million in loans that he personally signed for, and Wachovia Bank foreclosed on his 7,000-square-foot (650 m²) waterfront home on Snell Isle, which carried a $3.1 million mortgage.^[2] Szasz did not renew his Rays season tickets for 2009 and has not been heard to heckle in Tropicana Field since then.

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
^ Bank gives Tampa Bay Rays' high-profile heckler a Bronx cheer - St. Petersburg Times

External links

The Gentleman Heckler

Template:Persondata

[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] Bank gives Tampa Bay Rays' high-profile heckler a Bronx cheer - St. Petersburg Times

[1]

[2]

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 {{Multiple issues|notability=March 2009|refimprove=March 2009|weasel=March 2009}}
-'''Robert Szasz''', also known as '''The Happy Heckler''', is a [[real estate developer]] and a well-known [[heckler]] at [[Tampa Bay Rays]] [[baseball]] games.
+'''Robert Szasz''', also known as '''The Happy Heckler''', is a [[real estate developer]] and was a well-known [[heckler]] at [[Tampa Bay Rays|Tampa Bay (Devil-)Rays]] [[baseball]] games.
-A native of [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Szasz relocated to [[Florida]] in 1984 and now resides in [[Clearwater, Florida]].  He held [[season ticket]]s for the Rays until the end of the 2008 season, [[Tampa Bay Lightning]], and [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]], and sat in the club seats behind [[home plate]] at [[Tropicana Field]] during Rays games.<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 picked one player from the opposing team to insult during a game or series. He waited until the player stepped into the [[batter's box]], and then he let fly with a barrage of insults regarding the player's playing ability. His voice is so loud that it is often heard on television broadcasts of the game.
+A native of [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Szasz relocated to [[Florida]] in 1984 and resides in [[Clearwater, Florida]].  He held [[season ticket]]s for the Rays until the end of the 2008 season for 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]] and then shouting a barrage of insults regarding the player's playing ability. His voice was so loud that it was often heard on television broadcasts of the game.
 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]] [[Jose Guillen]] 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 extremely rare, Szasz has also heckled opposing pitchers.
-Szasz became a [[controversial]] figure. There are many fans, television viewers and media that covered the Rays that complained about his loudness and abrasiveness, and there were others that enjoyed his heckling. Still, he became one of the more famous fans in Tampa Bay Rays baseball history, and was known throughout the [[American League]]. He has written a book entitled, ''The Happy Heckler'' (ISBN 1419610481).
+Szasz became a [[controversial]] figure. There are many fans, television viewers and media that covered the Rays that complained about his loudness and abrasiveness, and there were others that enjoyed his heckling. Still, he became one of the more famous fans in Tampa Bay Rays baseball history, and was known throughout the [[American League]]. In 2008, he released a book entitled ''The Happy Heckler''.
-Since January 2009, banks have filed five lawsuits saying he has stopped paying on more than $9 million in loans that he personally signed for. Wachovia Bank has served notice that it intends to foreclose on his {{convert|7000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} waterfront home on Snell Isle, which carries a $3.1 million mortgage.<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>
+Since January 2009, banks have filed five lawsuits saying he has stopped paying 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, which carried a $3.1 million mortgage.<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==
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 ==External links==
 *[http://www.sptimes.com/2003/08/06/Rays/The_Gentleman_Heckler.shtml The Gentleman Heckler]
-*[http://www.thehappyheckler.com/ Site for Szasz's new book, "The Happy Heckler"]
-*[http://theheckler.mlblogs.com/ Robert Szasz's personal blog]
 {{Tampa Bay Rays}}