The Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox played a game in an empty Camden Yards for zero fans due to security concerns amidst protests and civil unrest in Baltimore.
Despite the lack of fans, the team still opted to go through with the general stadium fanfare. They played songs:
Players ✔ Music ✔ Scoreboard ✔ Media ✔ Fans ❎ pic.twitter.com/nueK6Odagt
— Brody Logan (@BrodyLogan) April 29, 2015
The scoreboard was on, and they played the national anthem:
National anthem. pic.twitter.com/I1IQ4xS0Uy
— Clinton Yates (@clintonyates) April 29, 2015
Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph had fun with the strange atmosphere, pretending to sign autographs and receive applause from nonexistent fans:
There was a ball girl protecting no fans from balls, and handing them to the kids who weren't in the stands:
THERES A BALL GIRL pic.twitter.com/NpDZN75tJZ
— Cespedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) April 29, 2015
This guy went around picking up all the loose foul balls that no fans claimed:
There is a lone stadium employee (upper right) walking around picking up foul balls that landed in the stands. pic.twitter.com/ekNallN2CY
— Brian Costa (@BrianCostaWSJ) April 29, 2015
Here's Chris Davis jacking a dinger with absolutely no fans to react:
Innings later, the ball was still just sitting there, unclaimed:
Yup, @masnRoch, @CrushD19's 3-run homer landed on Eutaw St. And there it remains. #IBackTheBirds pic.twitter.com/MaSEbxx9xa
— Orioles on MASN (@masnOrioles) April 29, 2015
Davis also realized he could chuck a ball as far as he could into the crowd with no consequences, without needing to make sure fans were paying attention:
The game is on TV, and announcers pretended they were calling golf:
The sound of a ball popping into a glove echoed throughout the ballpark, like a backyard game of catch:
Some fans gathered outside the walls of Camden Yards:
And for the first time ever, a team had to do this:
Should be an easy winner for today's @Orioles guess the attendance game. pic.twitter.com/AvlCGJAA51
— Dan Gelston (@APgelston) April 29, 2015
"Attention media. For record keeping purposes, today's paid attendance is zero."
— Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) April 29, 2015
With no fans, the game got over in just two hours, an easy Baltimore win:
Game is over in 2:03. Wow. Orioles win 8-2.
— Brittany Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) April 29, 2015
★★★
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