Posted on 04/29/2015 4:20:26 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
The players of the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox lined up for the national anthem this afternoon in front of an empty stadium, in unprecedented scenes never before witnessed in the history of baseball.
With the National Guard posted outside Camden Yards and thousands of Baltimore residents taking part in a march to city hall, the Orioles played the first ever MLB game behind closed doors.
The players took the field to an otherwise eerily silent stadium with 45,000 empty seats and the Orioles romped home to an 8-2 victory.
Sirens could be heard ringing outside during the game as a reminder the city is still reeling following Monday's tumultuous riots that hit after the funeral of Freddie Gray who died after suffering a fatal injury in police custody.
'Baseball history will be made here today,' said broadcaster Gary Thorne and the game began.
As the sound of ball on bat echoed around the stadium, a first-inning home run was met with only cheers from the Orioles dugout.
The game played out under a huge police presence outside and inside the stadium while fans tried to get a glimpse through iron fences around the ball park.
Indeed, all around the stadium concession stands where hordes of fans would usually line for hot dogs, peanuts and beer were closed, making the picturesque arena resemble a ghost town.
But the only thing missing on a perfect spring afternoon to take in the nation's favorite pastime were the fans.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I think a lot of whites will look differently at Baltimore now; never mind a baseball game canceled or played in front of empty seats - remember the story of people cooped up in the stadium Saturday night after the game was over. THOSE people aren’t going to forget; imagine what went through their minds while they waited it out.
All those old jokes about Detroit have found a new home in Baltimore.
Well, people still do go to Detroit for a ball game.
True; does the area around the stadium there have any people? I remember visiting the aquarium and battleship New Jersey in Camden years ago; the scary part wasn’t streets teeming with menacing characters, but rather the blocks of abandoned buildings you drove through to get there.
Post-apocalyptic...
The Baltimore - Tampa Bay games this weekend will be played at Tropicana Field with Baltimore being the host... (if it was the Yankees or Red Sox, you would think it is a HOME GAME for those teams. I wonder how many Baltimore fans will be here...
The parking lots between Camden Yards (Orioles) and M&T Bank Stadium (Ravens) is a full blown operational base for the police and National Guard. There's no where to park.
Or Hartford.. they are building a beautiful ball park for the new Yard Goats!
Ih well now theres a sound reason.
Id heard no practical reason for there being no “fans” allowed at the stadium prior
Foresight at that level...seems rare these days!
BALTIMORE ...OUT OF US..NOW!!
Take me out to the ball game. Buy me some peanuts and don’t give me no crackers, Jack.
He was a prophet.
Got a pic?
LOL!
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