If you've watched or attended a Major League Baseball game recently, you may have noticed a curious abundance of exposed skin among game-goers. We speak, of course, of the "tarps off" trend that is trending across a growing number of MLB ballparks.
So what does "tarps off" mean?
The soaring imperative "tarps off" appears to be a mild corruption of "tops off," and in the world of sports fandom, it was first a phenomenon in soccer, particularly on the international scene. It's a gesture of celebration and solidarity with one's team.
While removal of the shirt can signal a willingness to party, for these purposes, it's all about esprit de corps. The spirit of tarps off is such that the removed shirt is wielded like a rally towel and spun around in the air with taxing regularity. It's about the dozens or even hundreds of fans who undertake the act as one.
How did it spread to MLB?
Pinning down the origins of such things is an uncertain practice, but after finding its roots in soccer, tarps off made inroads in hockey. Then tarps off had its college football moment during the 2025 season, possibly thanks to Oklahoma State fans. Baseball, of course, is rarely an early adopter, but tarps off has caught on this season.
The current boom began at Busch Stadium in St. Louis during the Rivalry Weekend series between the Cardinals and Kansas City Royals.
The key moment: A club baseball team from Stephen F. Austin State University was in town for the Club Baseball World Series. As the story goes, one member of the SFA team, Caleb Cummings, suggested that they take their shirts off, and another member, Bryce Bradford, uttered the words that will one day be etched in granite:
"Screw it. I'll do it."
Others followed suit, and soon enough, shirts were off and towels were wave. The moment wouldn't have been what it was without Yohel Pozo's walk-off pinch-hit single that concluded that Friday contest.
Cardinals manager Oli Marmol, inspired by the atmosphere that had been lacking at Busch since at least 2022, invited the SFA players to the clubhouse after the game. Such was the bond that a few even showed up to watch SFA's final game nearby.