A few weeks ago, the Baltimore Orioles played a home game at Camden Yards. The game was remarkable not for the result (the Orioles jumped out to an early lead against the Chicago White Sox and ended up winning 8-2) or for any especially memorable plays, but for the lack of fans. With civil unrest roiling the streets of Baltimore, the City and Major League Baseball had postponed games scheduled on Monday April 27 and Tuesday April 28. By Wednesday, things were calm enough to hold a game, but not, apparently, to allow anyone in to see it. Writing on Slate.com, Mark Joseph Stern called it a “A sad, lifeless day at the ballpark in Baltimore.”
“Despite the best efforts of the park’s DJ—who played a constant stream of upbeat post-punk hits—the mood of the entire day was like that: Palpably subdued, with a burst of melancholy following every great play made in near-total silence. Maybe it was the thousands and thousands of empty seats, in which players stranded dozens of foul balls. Maybe it was the little wrist-flick several players made when they got a hold of dead balls, primed to normally toss them into the stands for fans to clamor over. Maybe it was the fact that, toward the end of the game, an announcer deadpanned to the press room: ‘Attention media: For record-keeping purposes, today’s official paid attendance is zero.’ Whatever made the day so hushed and surreal, one thing was clear from the start: This is a terrible way to experience baseball.” Continue reading
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