In general, baseball is thought of as a difficult television product. Long and slogging, national baseball broadcasts normally don’t draw big-time ratings. On the flip side, hundreds of thousands people — both hardcore fans and folks looking for a tan — make their way to the ballpark each summer. Few would disagree that, among the big-four pro sports leagues, Major League Baseball is the only one where going to a game is better than watching it at home.

While weather and time-of-year plays a big part in that conclusion, one uniquely appealing thing about going to an MLB game is the tradition of it all. Keeping score in the program, ordering a dog and a beer, and the seventh-inning stretch all make live baseball at professional ballparks romantic — something that definitely cannot be said about going to a Wizards game.

And keeping with tradition, MLB parks have their own customs and quirks that fans adore. Some are better than others — talking to you, Miami — but they usually make the in-game experience better. Below, you’ll find the coolest of the bunch.

#15-Home Run Slide — Milwaukee Brewers

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#14-Rally Monkeys — Los Angeles Angels

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#13-The Freeze — Atlanta Braves

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#12-Sausage Race — Miller Park

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#11-“Take Me Out to the Ballgame” — Chicago Cubs

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#10-“O” National Anthem — Baltimore Orioles

As seen on an episode of House of Cards.

#9-“Sweet Caroline” — Boston Red Sox

As seen in Fever Pitch with Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore. Here is a great article by Boston.com about how it became a Fenway Park staple.

#8-Grounds Crew “Y.M.C.A” — New York Yankees

No one does tradition better than the Yankees. I remember going to my first Yankees game at the old park and seeing the “Y.M.C.A” tradition — it was my mom’s favorite part. Can you imagine getting hired for the Yankees’ grounds crew and having this be a part of orientation? Pretty cool.

#7-Clydesdale Horses — St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis and the Clydesdales go hand-in-hand. Sort of like Idaho and potatoes. With that said, the Busch Stadium Clydesdale tradition is still behind their appearance in Budweiser commercials.

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#6-Minnie and Paul Sign — Minnesota Twins

This sign, made by a freelance artist in 1961 for $15, has made its way to three different parks and is a staple of the Twins’ organization. It signifies the joining of the Twin Cities: Minneapolis and St. Paul. Now, when a Twins’ hitter smacks a home run, they greet one another.

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#5-Roll Call — New York Yankees

Really wanted to make this No. 1 but had to spread the love around. The Bleacher Creatures at Yankee Stadium call out in unison to the Yankee’ position players and don’t stop until their acknowledged. Each player does something unique. Back in the day, right fielder Nick Swisher had a really cool salute to the crowd. Check it here. Below is a roll call from this season.

#4-Patriots Day — Boston Red Sox

One of my favorite traditions in baseball, Patriots Day features an early-morning Boston Red Sox game, the Boston Marathon, and other events around the city. Patriots’ Day happens on the third Monday of April, with the Sox participating every year since 1959.

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#3-McCovey Cove — San Francisco Giants

Every home game, folks gather out beyond the right-field fence at AT&T Park in the water hoping to snag a home-run ball — known as ‘Splash Hits’. Of course, McCovey Cove is named after Giants’ legend Willie McCovey. Barry Bonds has the most ‘Splash Hits’ with 35 while Brandon Belt and Pablo Sandoval have the second most with eight apiece.

A complete list of ‘Splash Hits’ can be found here, per Wikipedia.

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#2-Home Run Apple — New York Mets

One of the most unique traditions in the MLB, the Home Run Apple at Citi Field made its way over after Shea Stadium was shuttered. Like many other parks, the Home Run Apple pops up when the home team blasts a dinger. During the Mets’ historic run to the 2015 World Series, catcher Travis d’Arnaud actually hit the apple, prompting staffers to put a bandage on it before the next game.

#1-Presidents Race— Washington Nationals

Because it’s D.C., and because they’re so frickin’ cool, the Presidents Race at Nationals Park is No. 1 on our MLB Stadium Traditions list. The four primary Presidents to race are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt, although three others — Taft, Coolidge, and Hoover — have participated. Roosevelt historically is the fall guy of the group and regularly loses. In fact, he didn’t win his first race until the Nationals’ seventh season.

A complete list of results for the Presidents Race can be found here, per Wikipedia.

An honorable mention has to go to the Great Pierogi Race at PNC Park because, well, pierogies are the bomb.

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