It’s looking more and more likely that the 2020 Major League Baseball season — if takes place at all — will be played in nearly empty ballparks.
I’ve been trying to wrap my head around that concept. What would that look like? What would it sound like? What would it feel like? If people are still dying from the coronavirus, would it be the right thing to do?
It would be surreal, for sure.
As a beat writer, I have no idea if I’d be allowed to attend games or interview manager Bud Black or the players, except, perhaps, via a conference call or Skype. As fans, you would be able to watch the games on TV and listen on the radio, but I wonder if any tough questions would be asked of Black or the players.
I guarantee you that the players, even those who love the game as much as or , would miss fans in the stands. Indeed, the more a player loves baseball, the more he loves the big stage and the energy of the crowd.
On April 29, 2015, the hosted the first Major League Baseball game played with no fans in attendance. The sight of an empty Camden Yards drew national attention, partly because of the novelty of the game and partly because of the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody that made Baltimore a cauldron of racial tension.
For the record, the Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox, 8-2.
Players and reporters said that conversations from the field could be heard in the press box that day, and TV and radio commentators could be heard on the field.
A lot of players did not want to play the game, especially considering the reasons for the surreal situation.
“The reason we are here is because of the fans and when they’re not present, baseball is a little different and it’s kind of tough to play,” White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton told “And then when you think about everything that was going on outside the stadium, your heart just went out to the city and how they were dealing with everything.
“You’re in the outfield thinking, ‘Should we really be playing baseball right now? Is that really the greater thing we should be doing?’ And I definitely think a lot of guys questioned that at the time.”
Eaton, the game’s first batter, stepped into the box to face Orioles right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez. It was a strange moment.
“I thought I underestimated it,” Eaton said. “To be honest with you, when I first went into it I didn’t think it would be a big deal. There was almost this half-asleep feel because there was no energy. There were no people there. … There was no music. … It was almost like worse than a back-field spring training game.
“(Baltimore) was fresh on everyone’s minds. When you step into that batter’s box and there was no nothing, you had the realization that it was a big deal that there was nobody here. We’ve got to play because this is our job, but there’s a reason why there’s nobody here. It’s very somber in that sense.
“You’ve just got a lot of emotions running through your mind. As baseball players, as teams, we feed off energy and when there’s nothing there, it’s a very surreal and weird moment that I’ll never forget but I kind of wish I could.”
When I recently asked Arenado about the unique situation baseball might be forced to accept, he said, “If itap safe I’m in.”
I agree with that. But let me add this: I think the players would miss the fans more than they would have ever dreamed.
