– The Baltimore Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox 8-2 today in a game notable for this announcement at Camden Yards: "Today's official paid attendance is zero." This week's Baltimore riots resulted in an unprecedented fans-free contest described by the AP as "one of the strangest games in baseball history." Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post writes that "it was, by turns, eerie and amusing, comical and poignant." One of the comical bits: Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph signed autographs for adoring—and imaginary—fans. Also weird: Nobody was there to run after foul balls and home runs.

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1 of 28 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × That empty feeling at Oriole Park View Photos Baltimore hosts the Chicago White Sox in a regular season game with no fans allowed in the park. Caption Baltimore hosts the Chicago White Sox in a regular season game with no fans allowed in the park. April 29, 2015 The game begins. Fans were not allowed to attend because of the unrest in Baltimore. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue. 
  
 BALTIMORE – By the time Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis launched a ball skyward Wednesday afternoon, and the call of television play-by-play man Gary Thorne – “Goodbye! Home run!” – rattled around Camden Yards, a taped version of the national anthem had already come and gone. Catcher Caleb Joseph had already feigned signing autographs to imaginary fans, tipping his hat to the adoring … seats. A foul ball had found its way into the stands, only to bounce back out again. And a group of fans that had plastered itself up against the fences beyond left-center field already had begun chants of, “Let’s Go O’s! Let’s Go O’s!” 
  
 And when Davis’s home run ball landed on Eutaw Street, normally buzzing with barbecue-eating patrons, it rolled to a stop and stayed there, untouched. 
  
 What took place at Camden Yards Wednesday afternoon – a Major League Baseball game with no fans in the stands – has never occurred before. It was, by turns, eerie and amusing, comical and poignant. The Orioles, with their city hurting, spent much of the time leading up to their first game in three days trying to grapple with the situation, their place in a community torn apart by widespread rioting following the death of an African American man who suffered injuries in an incident with police. 
  
 Due to the recent riots in Baltimore, the Orioles and Chicago White Sox played a game with no fans in attendance, the first time that's happened in Major League Baseball history. Fans outside the stadium weigh in on whether it was the right call. (Jorge Ribas/The Washington Post) 
  
 “The last 72 hours, I think, in this city have been tumultuous to say the least,” Orioles center fielder Adam Jones said before the game. “We’ve seen good. We’ve seen bad. We’ve seen ugly. We’ve seen our games canceled, postponed, relocated. A lot of families relocated. It’s a city that is hurting, and a city that needs its heads of the city to stand up, step up, and help the ones that are hurting. 
  
 “It’s not an easy time right now for anybody. It doesn’t matter what race you are. It’s a tough time for the city of Baltimore.” 
  
 [15 questions (and answers) about today’s fan-less game.] 
  
 The violence following the death of Freddie Gray, which ramped up Monday night, led to the first two games of this series to be postponed, and with a 10 p.m. curfew in the city through early next week, Wednesday’s game was moved from a scheduled 7:05 p.m. start to the afternoon. The decision to keep fans out – which has never been made in baseball history – was reached because Orioles officials did not want to draw law enforcement resources away from areas of the city that need it. A scheduled weekend series against the Tampa Bay Rays was moved to St. Petersburg, Fla. 
  
 “Obviously, it’s uncharted territory,” Manager Buck Showalter said. “Nobody’s got experience at it.” 
  
 [Orioles-White Sox box score] 
  
 So the pregame discussion ranged from the grave to the trivial. Players came to the ballpark both Monday, when the game was postponed less than an hour before the scheduled first pitch, and Tuesday for a workout. On Tuesday, armored National Guard vehicles filled the parking lots normally reserved for fans. Such a situation forced players – so single-minded during the season – to serve as social commentators because they knew the eyes of a city would be on them. 
  
 “The last few days have really been eye-opening to me,” Orioles first baseman Chris Davis said. “… Just to see the frustration, the anger, the emotion of the city over the last few days has kind of been shocking to me. We’ve talked a lot about the protests and the rioting and the looting, and I said this the other day: I support productive protests and people getting their point across in a safe manner. It’s unfortunate that it’s escalated to what it has.” 
  
 Wednesday’s game, though, will count, and baseball players are above all else creatures of habit. So they wondered about the little things, too: Will they have to watch what they say to umpires because there will be no din behind which to hide? Will the scoreboard show replays? 
  
 “Is there going to be a national anthem today because there’s nobody there?” catcher Caleb Joseph said. “Is there going to be walk-up music for us in Tampa? … You kind of wonder about all those things. I guess we’ll find out.” 
  
 Indeed, the center field scoreboard posted the statistics of whatever player was at the plate. The Orioles lined up neatly on the field while a canned version of the “Star-Spangled Banner” pumped through the speakers. They played music between innings, music for the Orioles as they walked to the plate. And when Baltimore pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez unfurled the game’s first pitch – a strike to White Sox center fielder Adam Eaton – the pop into Joseph’s glove seemed to echo. 
  
 There was baseball. But no normalcy. 
  
 Jones, the Orioles’ most prominent African American player, spoke passionately during a packed news conference in the hours leading up to the game. Having grown up in inner city San Diego, he has long said he relates to the young people in Baltimore’s toughest neighborhoods. Over the past several days, he has concentrated on keeping his young family safe. But he also said he listened to Baltimoreans on the front lines of the protests, struggling with the violence. 
  
 “I’ve said to the youth, ‘Your frustration is warranted. It’s understandable, understood,’” Jones said. “The actions, I don’t think, are acceptable. But if you have come from where they come from, you understand. 
  
 “But I just think that ruining the community that you have to live in is never the answer, due to the fact that you’re going to have to wake up in three or four days and just go right back to those convenience stores, go right back to all those stores. I think that, this is their cry. And obviously, this isn’t a cry that is acceptable, but this is their cry. And therefore we have to understand it. They need hugs. They need love. They need support.” 
  
 [Outside Camden Yards, definitely not business as usual] 
  
 Quietly, some Orioles expressed frustration that they would go to Tampa for the weekend but the Rays would not flip-flop a series later in the year to play in Baltimore. Rather, the Orioles will serve as the “home” team at Tropicana Field, wearing white pants and batting last. But there was also an overall feeling of understanding. 
  
 “To say that something we’re going to go through on a baseball field in the big leagues is difficult is really insensitive to everything else that’s going on,” Showalter said. 
  
 So what awaits is the game, and whatever healing it provides – even with an audience detached. 
  
 “Sports unite communities, and to have fans, it would be awesome so it could give them three hours of distraction away from what’s really going on,” Jones said. “And that’s what sports brings. It’s a small distraction to the real world. I think the people of Baltimore need that. 
  
 “But at the same time, the safety of those people is very important to the Orioles, to Major League Baseball and to the city of Baltimore. … It’s gonna be weird, but it’s understandable.” ||||| A status board with "0" attendance is shown inside the press box at Oriole Park at Camden Yards as the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox play baseball Wednesday, April 29, 2015 in Baltimore. The... (Associated Press) 
  
 Brendan Hurson, of Baltimore, holds a sign as fans view a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox Wednesday, April 29, 2015, from outside of Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore.... (Associated Press) 
  
 The Baltimore Orioles bat against the Chicago White Sox during a baseball game without fans Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Baltimore. Due to security concerns the game was closed to the public. (AP Photo/Gail... (Associated Press) 
  
 A sign is seen at a souvenir shop before a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, April 29, 2015, near Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. The game was played... (Associated Press) 
  
 Shown is a section of Oriole Park at Camden Yards stadium just before a Baltimore Orioles baseball game against the Chicago White Sox's, Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Baltimore. The game was played in... (Associated Press) 
  
 Fans Romeo Santos, left, and Matt Fouse gather ahead of a Baltimore Orioles baseball game against the Chicago White Sox's, Wednesday, April 29, 2015, outside Oriole Park at CamdenYards in Baltimore. The... (Associated Press) 
  
 A bar showing the baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox sits empty behind center field, Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Baltimore. Due to security concerns the game was closed... (Associated Press) 
  
 A National Guard vehicle passes outside Oriole Park at Camden Yards before a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Baltimore. The game was played... (Associated Press) 
  
 Chicago White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers sits in the dugout of an empty stadium before playing the Baltimore Orioles in a baseball game, Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Baltimore. Due to security concerns... (Associated Press) 
  
 An empty Oriole Park is photographed from the outside before the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles baseball game, Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Baltimore. Due to security concerns the game was closed... (Associated Press) 
  
 Baltimore Orioles pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez delivers a pitch against the Chicago White Sox in the first inning of a baseball game without fans Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Baltimore. Due to security concerns... (Associated Press) 
  
 A Baltimore Orioles employee drives through the stadium concourse before the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles baseball game, Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Baltimore. Due to security concerns the... (Associated Press) 
  
 Baseball fans watch from a hotel across the street during a closed baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Baltimore. Due to security concerns... (Associated Press) 
  
 The game ends, and the song "Orioles Magic" is piped over the loudspeakers as Baltimore celebrates an 8-2 victory in a game that lasted only 2 hours, 3 minutes. 
  
 Hmm, maybe playing without fans in the park is actually the best way to speed up a baseball game. 
  
 After the handshakes near the mound, both teams retreat to their dugouts on a sun-drenched afternoon. 
  
 The integrity of the schedule has been saved, and one of the strangest games in baseball history is over. 
  
 And not a single fan left early to beat the traffic. 
  
 4:00 p.m. 
  
 Perry Saurers left his mitt at home. He didn't have to worry about dropping his popcorn or spilling a beer trying to catch a foul ball when it zipped his way, either. 
  
 Saurers was all alone on the Camden Yards concourse. 
  
 Saurers, a police officer from Howard County who was helping the Orioles authenticate memorabilia from the historic game, leisurely walked after loose baseballs that had rolled under the green seats or were resting in the concrete walkways. He was collecting the souvenirs most fans dream of snagging at the ballpark. 
  
 The baseballs aren't going to be added to his collection, though. He had to turn them over to MLB's authentication program. 
  
 3:49 p.m. 
  
 The Orioles just proceeded with another baseball tradition: announcing the attendance. For the first time in major league history it went, "Today's official paid attendance is zero." 
  
 3:45 p.m. 
  
 Orioles broadcasters point out that without the typical ballpark atmosphere, Camden Yards is a bit like Augusta National Golf Club. 
  
 Gary Thorne put on his "Masters voice" for a brief moment, giving the play-by-play as Adam Jones took his at-bat in the top of the seventh. Thorne told color analyst Jim Palmer he'd talked with a producer before the game about the appropriate way to call a game without fans. 
  
 The approach was tested immediately when Jones hit the first pitch of the at-bat. 
  
 Thorne's call: "Jones will whack the son-of-a-gun to center field. That's very deep, it's deep and it's off the base of the wall. ... Adam Jones has a double, and that green jacket is well within reach, Jim." 
  
 The brief, light moment contrasted sharply from a more serious tone during much of the broadcast, which at times focused little on baseball and more on the strife in Baltimore outside Camden Yards. 
  
 3:40 p.m. 
  
 It's time for the seventh inning stretch — even if there are no fans to stand up and stretch. 
  
 The Orioles organist played the ballpark staple "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" to an empty ballpark after the top of the seventh. 
  
 3:19 p.m. 
  
 Manny Machado drives a pitch from Jeff Samardzija into the bullpen to put the Orioles ahead 8-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning. 
  
 Baltimore's third baseman takes a casual trot around the bases while fans assembled beyond the center-field gate cheer. 
  
 Under normal circumstances, fans would be heading to the concession stands as the fifth inning ends. But that's not happening. For one, the concessions stands are closed. More importantly, there are no fans. Not in the seating bowl, anyway. 
  
 3:16 p.m. 
  
 Orioles first baseman Chris Davis caught a throw from second baseman Ray Navarro on Micah Johnson's grounder for the final out of the top of the fifth inning. Standard baseball play. Davis then took a few steps toward the Orioles dugout on the first base side and underhand tossed the ball about a dozen rows into the empty stands, clattering in the seats. The O's are having a little fun with a 7-2 lead. 
  
 2:50 p.m. 
  
 Chicago second baseman Micah Johnson gets the relay throw from right fielder Avisail Garcia, and those around shout "No!" as he turns to make a throw to the plate. 
  
 That's because Everth Cabrera has stopped at third base. 
  
 These are the things the fans don't usually hear at the game. That, and an infielder yelling, "I got it!" as the outfielder closes in. 
  
 The crack of the bat sounds louder, too, perhaps because it's not accompanied by the sound of a vendor hawking hot dogs. 
  
 2:41 p.m. 
  
 Van Halen "Ain't Talking 'bout Love" between the second and third innings. 
  
 They're playing music as the teams go from the field to the dugout. But the Crab Shuffle and some of the other silly games that usually are usually displayed on the Camden Yards scoreboard are getting a rest today. 
  
 No replays, either. 
  
 Those in the press box might be horrified if they opted to run the "Kiss Cam," but it appears that's not going to happen. 
  
 2:35 p.m. 
  
 Adam Jones says the game needs to be played, but Baltimore needs to heal first. 
  
 The Orioles outfielder said Wednesday that's what's most important to him as his team plays the White Sox without a crowd at Camden Yards. 
  
 Baltimore's home broadcaster MASN-HD cut to comments by Jones during the top of the second inning, as Ubaldo Jimenez tried to protect a 6-0 lead. 
  
 Jones says he hopes the Baltimore community and its children stay strong, get guidance and heed the messages of city leaders. 
  
 2:20 p.m. 
  
 There weren't any fans in the ballpark, but there was cheering from beyond the center-field wall when Chris Davis hit a three-run homer to give Baltimore a 4-0 lead in the first inning. 
  
 Fans watched from behind the iron gate that stands behind the flag court. When Davis' drive cleared the right-field wall, they yelled their approval. 
  
 In addition, fans were lined up on the deck of a hotel that overlooks the stadium. 
  
 On another note, Davis' home run bounced around in front of the warehouse without any fan in pursuit. 
  
 The same applied for foul balls, which remained in the stands without being retrieved. 
  
 2:05 p.m. 
  
 The public address announcer at Camden Yards announced the playing of national anthem, informing "ladies and gentlemen" what was to follow. 
  
 A recorded version was played while the White Sox stood in a line outside their dugout and the Orioles stood at attention in their dugout. 
  
 A custom in Baltimore is shouting "O!" when the song reaches "O say can you see?" 
  
 No one did it, although one person in the press box carried on the tradition by saying it under his breath. 
  
 At the time, the only people in the stands were a couple of scouts behind the plate. 
  
 1:45 p.m. 
  
 With media buzzing over the deserted game, Camden Yards may as well have been setting up for a playoff game, with all 92 seats in the press box full. TV camera crews lined the field and are stationed outside the ballpark. 
  
 But the grandstands are as vacant as they are in the offseason. 
  
 The usually teeming concourse was barren and the concession stands selling $15 crabcakes, $6.50 crab soups and $8 canned beers were locked up. 
  
 And those signs cautioning fans to "Watch Out for Batted Balls" were pointless for a day. 
  
 12:10 p.m. 
  
 Managers of the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees say players in a closed-door game in Baltimore will have to adjust from their usual habits of feeding off a crowd. 
  
 Yankees manager Joe Girardi and Rays manager Kevin Cash say the atmosphere will certainly be odd. 
  
 Said Girardi: "This is going back to the days where just your parents showed up on a cold day." 
  
 The lineup board in the Orioles' clubhouse says it all: In the attendance section there's a round "0'' in orange marker. Just beneath it under "total attendance" the number read 299,598, an average of nearly 33,300 fans through nine games. 
  
 Cash, whose team was visiting the Yankees in New York, said teams "sometimes feed off the opposing crowd when you're going in an opposing city." 
  
 ___ 
  
 12 p.m. 
  
 Being locked out of Camden Yards didn't stop a small gathering of Orioles fans from peering through a fence beyond the bleacher seats in left-center field. 
  
 One Orioles fan yelled: "Let us in!" 
  
 No such luck. 
  
 While watching batting practice from about 450 feet away on Eutaw Street, fan Larry Marsh said that he wishes he was inside, but thinks officials did the right thing in closing the game. He says: "I'm just going to stand here and watch as long as I can." 
  
 The game is believed to be the first held in an empty stadium in the 145-year history of the major leagues. 
  
 ___ 
  
 11:30 p.m. 
  
 White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton created quite a stir on twitter with a playful tweet during a difficult time in Baltimore: "We are gonna do our best to take the crowd out of it early. Wish us luck..." The line was retweeted almost 4,000 times and garnered many comments, positive and negative. 
  
 To Eaton's credit, unlike many stars who delete a controversial post, he left it on his feed but added another: "Take it easy people. Just trying to lighten the mood. I have the up most respect for Baltimore and its people. Always have, always will." 
  
 ___ 
  
 10:30 a.m. 
  
 Only one gate to Camden Yards is open, allowing media in to watch the Orioles play the White Sox in a game fans aren't allowed to attend. 
  
 The press box is nearly filled 3 1/2 hours before the scheduled first pitch on Wednesday. 
  
 While all other gates are locked, a grounds crew is prepping the field to ensure this one-of-a-kind game will actually be played. 
  
 MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says the league's adjustment to rioting and looting around Camden Yards takes into account the safety of the people who would be in the stadium and competitive issues. 
  
 ___ 
  
 8 a.m. 
  
 The first crowdless major league game will have plenty of viewers on TV and online. 
  
 MLB has made the Orioles-White Sox game being played Wednesday in an empty Camden Yards its free game of the day on MLB.TV. The streaming service will carry the game for fans outside the Baltimore and Chicago markets, where the games will be televised. 
  
 Broadcasters WPWR-HD in Chicago and MASN-HD in Baltimore are producing the games and will have to adjust to the lack of ambience normally highlighted to give viewers at home a sense of atmosphere. 
  
 Baseball officials decided to play the games behind closed doors because of a wave of looting and rioting around Camden Yards that broke out amid tensions between residents and police. The turmoil prompting a citywide curfew came hours after the funeral of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who sustained a fatal spinal cord injury while in police custody. |||||
– Baltimore Orioles slog Chicago White Sox 8-2 idag i ett spel noterbart för detta meddelande på Camden Yards: "Dagens officiella betald närvaro är noll." Veckans Baltimore-kravaller resulterade i en aldrig tidigare skådad fansfri tävling som AP beskrev som "en av de märkligaste matcherna i basebollhistorien." Barry Svrluga på Washington Post skriver att "det var, turvis, kusligt och roande, komiskt och gripande." En av de komiska bitarna: Orioles-fångaren Caleb Joseph skrev autografer för beundrande – och inbillade – fans. Även konstigt: Ingen var där för att springa efter fula bollar och homeruns. Utöka denna sammanfattning.
– The Baltimore Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox 8-2 today in a game notable for this message on Camden Yards: "Today's official paid attendance is zero." The Baltimore riots of the week resulted in an unprecedented fans-free competition described by the AP as "one of the strangest games in baseball history." Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post writes that "it was, in turn, eerie and amusing, comical and arresting." One of the comical pieces: Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph wrote autographs for admiration—and imagined—fans. Also strange: No one was there to run after ugly balls and home runs. Extend this summary.
1 av 28 Full Screen Autoplay Stäng Skip Ad × Den tomma känslan på Oriole Park View Foton Baltimore är värd Chicago White Sox i en vanlig säsong spel med inga fans tillåts i parken. Caption Baltimore är värd för Chicago White Sox i en vanlig säsong spel utan fans tillåts i parken. 29 april 2015 Spelet börjar. Fans fick inte närvara på grund av oroligheterna i Baltimore. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Köp foto Vänta 1 sekund att fortsätta. BALTIMORE - När Baltimore Orioles första basman Chris Davis lanserade en boll skyward onsdag eftermiddag, och samtalet av TV play-by-play man Gary Thorne - “Adjö! Home run!” – skramlade runt Camden Yards, en bandad version av nationalsången hade redan kommit och gått. Catcher Caleb Joseph hade redan fejkat signera autografer till inbillade fans, tippa sin hatt till de beundrande ... sätena. En ful boll hade hittat in på läktaren, bara för att studsa ut igen. Och en grupp fans som hade putsat sig upp mot staketen bortom vänster-mittfältet hade redan börjat ramsa på, "Let's Go O's! Låt oss gå O's! "Och när Davis homerun boll landade på Eutaw Street, normalt surrande med grillätande beskyddare, det rullade till ett stopp och stannade där, orörd. Det som ägde rum på Camden Yards onsdag eftermiddag – en Major League Baseball-match utan fans på läktaren – har aldrig förekommit tidigare. Det var, turvis, kusligt och roande, komiskt och gripande. Orioles, med sin stad sårad, tillbringade en stor del av tiden som ledde fram till deras första match på tre dagar med att försöka brottas med situationen, deras plats i ett samhälle sönderslitet av omfattande upplopp efter döden av en afroamerikansk man som drabbats av skador i en incident med polisen. På grund av de senaste upploppen i Baltimore, Orioles och Chicago White Sox spelade en match utan några fans närvarande, första gången som har hänt i Major League Baseball historia. Fans utanför stadion väger in om det var rätt samtal. (Jorge Ribas/The Washington Post) "De senaste 72 timmarna, tror jag, i den här staden har varit tumultartad minst sagt," Orioles centerfältaren Adam Jones sade innan spelet. — Vi ha sett bra. Vi har sett dåligt. Vi har sett fula. Vi har sett våra spel inställda, uppskjutna, omplacerade. Många familjer flyttade. Det är en stad som är sårad och en stad som behöver sina stadsöverhuvuden för att kunna stå upp, kliva upp och hjälpa dem som lider. — Det är ingen lätt tid just nu för någon. Det spelar ingen roll vilken ras du är. Det är en tuff tid för staden Baltimore.” [15 frågor (och svar) om dagens fan-less spel.] Våldet efter Freddie Grays död, som rasade upp måndag kväll, ledde till att de två första matcherna i denna serie sköts upp, och med ett 22:00 utegångsförbud i staden genom tidigt nästa vecka, flyttades onsdagens match från en planerad 19:05 start på eftermiddagen. Beslutet att hålla fans ute – vilket aldrig har gjorts i basebollhistorien – nåddes eftersom Orioles tjänstemän inte ville dra bort brottsbekämpande resurser från områden i staden som behöver det. En planerad helgserie mot Tampa Bay Rays flyttades till St Petersburg, Fla. "Uppenbart, det är outforskat territorium," Manager Buck Showalter sade. "Ingen har erfarenhet på det." [Orioles-White Sox box poäng] Så den förspel diskussion sträckte sig från graven till trivial. Spelare kom till bollparken både måndag, då matchen sköts upp mindre än en timme innan den planerade första planen, och tisdag för en träning. På tisdagen fyllde bepansrade nationalgardets fordon parkeringsplatserna som normalt var reserverade för fans. En sådan situation tvingade spelarna – så eniga under säsongen – att fungera som samhällskommentatorer eftersom de visste att en stads ögon skulle vara på dem. — De senaste dagarna har verkligen varit ögonöppnande för mig, sade Orioles förste basman Chris Davis. ”... Bara för att se frustrationen, ilskan, känslorna i staden under de senaste dagarna har varit chockerande för mig. Vi har talat mycket om protesterna och upploppet och plundringen, och jag sade detta häromdagen: Jag stöder produktiva protester och människor får sin poäng över på ett säkert sätt. Det är olyckligt att det eskaleras till vad den har. "Ondays spel, dock, kommer att räknas, och basebollspelare är framför allt andra varelser av vana. Så de undrade över de små sakerna, också: Kommer de att behöva se vad de säger till umpirer eftersom det inte kommer att finnas något din bakom som att dölja? Kommer resultattavlan att visa repriser? — Kommer det att bli en nationalsång i dag, därför att det inte finns någon där? sade fångstmannen Caleb Joseph. — Kommer det att bli walk-up musik för oss i Tampa? ... du undrar över alla dessa saker. Jag antar att vi kommer att ta reda på det. "I själva verket, mittfältet resultattavlan postade statistik oavsett spelare var vid plattan. Orioles radade upp sig snyggt på fältet medan en konserverad version av ”Star-Spangled Banner” pumpade genom högtalarna. De spelade musik mellan inningar, musik för Orioles när de gick till plattan. Och när Baltimore pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez vecklade upp spelets första tonhöjd – en strejk till White Sox center fältman Adam Eaton – popen i Josephs handske tycktes eka. Det var baseboll. Men inget normalt. Jones, Orioles mest framstående afroamerikansk spelare, talade passionerat under en fullsatt nyhetskonferens under timmarna som ledde fram till spelet. Efter att ha vuxit upp i San Diegos innerstad har han länge sagt att han relaterar till ungdomarna i Baltimores tuffaste stadsdelar. Under de senaste dagarna har han koncentrerat sig på att skydda sin unga familj. Men han sade också att han lyssnade på Baltimoreaner i frontlinjen av protesterna, kämpar med våldet. — Jag har sagt till ynglingen: 'Din missräkning är berättigad. Det är förståeligt, förstått,” sade Jones. — Handlingarna, tror jag inte, äro acceptabla. Men om du har kommit från varifrån de kommer, så förstår du. — Men jag tror bara, att förstöra samhället, som man måste leva i, är aldrig svaret, på grund av att man kommer att behöva vakna upp om tre eller fyra dagar och bara gå direkt tillbaka till de där närbutikerna, gå direkt tillbaka till alla dessa butiker. Jag tror att det här är deras gråt. Och naturligtvis, detta är inte ett rop som är acceptabelt, men detta är deras rop. Och därför måste vi förstå det. De behöver kramar. De behöver kärlek. De behöver stöd.” [Utanför Camden Yards, definitivt inte affärer som vanligt] Tyst, några Orioles uttryckte frustration över att de skulle gå till Tampa för helgen men Rays skulle inte flip-floppa en serie senare under året för att spela i Baltimore. Snarare kommer Orioles att fungera som "hemma" team på Tropicana Field, iklädd vita byxor och slag sist. Men det fanns också en övergripande känsla av förståelse. "Att säga att något vi kommer att gå igenom på en basebollplan i de stora ligorna är svårt är verkligen okänslig för allt annat som pågår," Showalter sade. Så vad som väntar är spelet, och vad som än läker det ger – även med en publik frikopplad. "Sports förena samhällen, och att ha fans, det skulle vara häftigt så det kunde ge dem tre timmars distraktion bort från vad som verkligen händer," Jones sade. — Och det är vad sporten för med sig. Det är en liten distraktion till den verkliga världen. Jag tror att folket i Baltimore behöver det. "Men samtidigt är säkerheten för dessa människor mycket viktigt för Orioles, för Major League Baseball och för staden Baltimore. ... Det kommer att bli konstigt, men det är förståeligt. " "En statustavla med "0" närvaro visas inne i pressboxen på Oriole Park på Camden Yards som Baltimore Orioles och Chicago White Sox spela baseboll onsdag, 29 april 2015 i Baltimore. Den... (Associated Press) Brendan Hurson, av Baltimore, innehar en skylt som fansen ser en basebollmatch mellan Baltimore Orioles och Chicago White Sox onsdag, april 29, 2015, från utanför Oriole Park på Camden Yards i Baltimore.... (Associated Press) Baltimore Orioles slagträ mot Chicago White Sox under en basebollmatch utan fans onsdag, april 29, 2015, i Baltimore. På grund av säkerhetsproblem stängdes spelet för allmänheten. (AP Photo/Gail... (Associated Press) En skylt ses på en souvenirbutik innan en basebollmatch mellan Baltimore Orioles och Chicago White Sox, onsdag, den 29 april 2015, nära Oriole Park på Camden Yards i Baltimore. Matchen spelades... (Associated Press) Shown är en sektion av Oriole Park på Camden Yards stadion strax före en Baltimore Orioles basebollmatch mot Chicago White Sox's, onsdagen den 29 april 2015, i Baltimore. Matchen spelades i... (Associated Press) Fans Romeo Santos, vänster, och Matt Fouse samlas inför en Baltimore Orioles basebollmatch mot Chicago White Sox's, onsdagen den 29 april 2015, utanför Oriole Park på CamdenYards i Baltimore. En bar som visar matchen mellan Baltimore Orioles och Chicago White Sox sitter tom bakom mittfältet, onsdagen den 29 april 2015, i Baltimore. På grund av säkerhetsproblem stängdes matchen... (Associated Press) Ett nationalgardets fordon passerar utanför Oriole Park på Camden Yards inför en basebollmatch mellan Baltimore Orioles och Chicago White Sox onsdag, 29 april 2015, i Baltimore. Matchen spelades... (Associated Press) Chicago White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers sitter i utgrävningen av en tom stadion innan han spelar Baltimore Orioles i en basebollmatch, onsdagen den 29 april 2015, i Baltimore. På grund av säkerhetsproblem... (Associated Press) En tom Oriole Park fotograferas utifrån innan Chicago White Sox och Baltimore Orioles basebollmatch, onsdagen den 29 april 2015, i Baltimore. På grund av säkerhetsproblem spelet stängdes... (Associated Press) Baltimore Orioles pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez levererar en pitch mot Chicago White Sox i den första inningen av en basebollmatch utan fans onsdag, 29 april 2015, i Baltimore. På grund av säkerhetsproblem... (Associated Press) En anställd från Baltimore Orioles kör genom arenans konsert inför Chicago White Sox och Baltimore Orioles basebollmatch, onsdagen den 29 april 2015, i Baltimore. På grund av säkerheten gäller... (Associated Press) Baseball fans titta på från ett hotell tvärs över gatan under en stängd basebollmatch mellan Baltimore Orioles och Chicago White Sox, onsdagen den 29 april 2015, i Baltimore. På grund av säkerhetsproblem... (Associated Press) Spelet avslutas, och låten "Orioles Magic" pipas över högtalarna då Baltimore firar en 8-2 seger i en match som varade i bara 2 timmar, 3 minuter. Att spela utan fans i parken kanske är det bästa sättet att snabba upp en basebollmatch. Efter handslaget nära högen drar sig båda lagen tillbaka till sina utgrävningar en soldränkt eftermiddag. Tidsplanens integritet har räddats, och ett av de märkligaste spelen i basebollhistorien är över. Och inte ett enda fan gick tidigt för att slå trafiken. Klockan 16.00 lämnade Perry Saurers vanten hemma. Han behövde inte oroa sig för att tappa popcorn eller spilla en öl för att fånga en ful boll när den drog åt hans håll heller. Saurers var helt ensam på Camden Yards konsert. Saurers, en polis från Howard County som hjälpte Orioles att autentisera minnessaker från det historiska spelet, gick lugnt efter lösa basebollar som hade rullat under de gröna sätena eller vilade i betonggångarna. Han samlade souvenirerna de flesta fans drömmer om att knapra på bollbanan. Basebollarna kommer dock inte att läggas till hans samling. Han fick överlämna dem till MLB:s autentiseringsprogram. 15.49 Orioles fortsatte just med en annan basebolltradition: att tillkännage närvaron. För första gången i storligans historia gick det: "Dagens officiellt betalda närvaro är noll." 3:45 Orioles programföretag påpekar att utan den typiska bollparksstämningen är Camden Yards lite som Augusta National Golf Club. Gary Thorne tog på sig sin "Masters-röst" för ett kort ögonblick, vilket gav pjäsen för pjäsen när Adam Jones tog sin at-bat i toppen av den sjunde. Thorne sa till färganalytikern Jim Palmer att han hade pratat med en producent innan matchen om det lämpliga sättet att kalla en match utan fans. Inflygningen testades omedelbart när Jones slog första kastet på at-baten. Thornes beslut: "Jones kommer att slå till kulsprutan mot mittfältet. Det är djupt, djupt och från väggen. ... Adam Jones har en dubbel, och den gröna jackan är inom räckhåll, Jim." Det korta, lätta ögonblicket stod i skarp kontrast till en allvarligare ton under stora delar av sändningen, som tidvis fokuserade lite på baseboll med mera på stridigheterna i Baltimore utanför Camden Yards. 15.40. Det är dags för den sjunde inningssträckan — även om det inte finns några fans att stå upp och sträcka på. Orioles-organisten spelade bollparkshäftet "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" till en tom bollpark efter toppen av den sjunde. 3:19 kör Manny Machado ett kast från Jeff Samardzija in i tjuren för att sätta Orioles framför 8-2 i botten av den femte inningen. Baltimores tredje basman tar en ledig trav runt baserna medan fansen samlas bortom center-field grind hejarop. Under normala omständigheter skulle fansen vara på väg till koncessionen står som den femte inningen slutar. Men det kommer inte att hända. För det första är koncessionerna stängda. Ännu viktigare, det finns inga fans. Inte i sittskålen i alla fall. 3:16 p.m. Orioles förstabasman Chris Davis fångade ett kast från andrabasman Ray Navarro på Micah Johnsons markör för finalen ut ur toppen av femte inningen. Standard basebollspel. Davis tog sedan några steg mot Orioles-gräven ut på första bassidan och underhand kastade bollen omkring ett dussin rader in på de tomma läktarna, kladdrande i sätena. O's har lite kul med en 7-2 ledning. 2:50 Chicago andra basman Micah Johnson får stafettkastet från högerfältaren Avisail Garcia, och de runt omkring ropar "Nej!" när han vänder sig om för att kasta till tallriken. Det beror på att Everth Cabrera har stannat vid tredje basen. Det är sånt som fansen inte brukar höra på matchen. Det, och en infielder skrek: "Jag har det!" När outfieldern närmar sig. Fladdermusens spricka låter också högre, kanske för att den inte åtföljs av ljudet av en försäljare som hökar varmkorv. 14.41 Van Halen "Ain't Talking 'about Love" mellan andra och tredje inningen. De spelar musik när lagen går från planen till utgrävningen. Men Crab Shuffle och några av de andra fåniga spel som vanligtvis visas på Camden Yards resultattavla får en vila idag. Inga repriser heller. De i pressboxen kanske blir förskräckta om de väljer att köra "Kyss Cam", men det verkar som om det inte kommer att hända. 2:35 Adam Jones säger att spelet måste spelas, men Baltimore måste läka först. Orioles outfielder sa onsdag att det är det som är viktigast för honom då hans lag spelar White Sox utan publik på Camden Yards. Baltimores hemmaprogramledare MASN-HD klippte till kommentarer av Jones under toppen av den andra inningen, då Ubaldo Jimenez försökte skydda en 6-0 ledning. Jones säger att han hoppas att Baltimores samhälle och dess barn förblir starka, får vägledning och lyssnar på stadens ledares budskap. 14.20. Det fanns inga fans i bollparken, men det hurrade från bortom center-field väggen när Chris Davis slog en tre-run homer för att ge Baltimore en 4-0 ledning i den första inningen. Fans bevakade bakifrån järnporten som står bakom flagggården. När Davis bil rensade högerfältsmuren skrek de sitt godkännande. Dessutom stod fans uppradade på däcket på ett hotell som har utsikt över stadion. Davis homerun studsade runt framför lagret utan att någon fan jagade. Detsamma gällde foulbollar, som blev kvar på läktaren utan att hämtas. 14.05. Den offentliga talannonsören på Camden Yards meddelade att man skulle spela nationalsång, och informerade "damer och herrar" om vad som skulle följa. En inspelad version spelades in medan White Sox stod i en linje utanför deras dugout och Orioles stod i givakt i deras dugout. En sedvänja i Baltimore skriker "O!" när sången når "O säg kan du se?" Ingen gjorde det, även om en person i pressboxen förde traditionen vidare genom att säga det under andan. Då var de enda personerna på läktaren ett par spejare bakom plåten. 1:45 Med media surrande över det öde spelet, Camden Yards kan lika gärna ha satt upp för ett slutspel, med alla 92 platser i pressboxen full. TV-kamerabesättningar kantade planen och är stationerade utanför bollparken. Men läktarna är lika lediga som på lågsäsong. Den vanligtvis myllrande konserten var karg och koncessionen står sälja $ 15 krabbkakor, $ 6,50 krabbsoppor och $ 8 burk öl var inlåsta. Och skyltarna som varnade fansen för "Se upp för slagna bollar" var meningslösa för en dag. 12:10 Chefer för Tampa Bay Rays och New York Yankees säger att spelare i en sluten dörr spel i Baltimore kommer att behöva anpassa sig från sina vanliga vanor att mata av en publik. Yankees manager Joe Girardi och Rays manager Kevin Cash säger att stämningen säkert kommer att vara udda. Girardi sa: "Det här går tillbaka till de dagar då bara dina föräldrar dök upp en kall dag." Uppställningsnämnden i Orioles klubbhus säger allt: I närvarosektionen finns en omgång "0'' i orange markör. Strax under den under "total närvaro" siffran lästes 299,598, i genomsnitt nästan 33300 fans genom nio matcher. Cash, vars team besökte Yankees i New York, sade lag "ibland matas av motståndarpubliken när du ska i en motstående stad." ____ 12 e.m. Att bli utlåst från Camden Yards hindrade inte en liten samling Orioles-fans från att kika genom ett staket bortom läktarsätena i vänster mittfält. En Orioles-fan skrek: "Släpp in oss!" Ingen sådan tur. Medan du tittar på slagträning från cirka 450 meters avstånd på Eutaw Street, fan Larry Marsh sade att han önskar att han var inne, men tycker tjänstemän gjorde rätt i att stänga spelet. Han säger: "Jag tänker bara stå här och titta så länge jag kan." Spelet tros vara det första som hålls på en tom stadion i de stora ligornas 145-åriga historia. White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton skapade stor uppståndelse på twitter med en lekfull tweet under en svår tid i Baltimore: "Vi ska göra vårt bästa för att få ut publiken ur det tidigt. Önska oss lycka till..." Linjen var retweeted nästan 4.000 gånger och fick många kommentarer, positiva och negativa. Till Eatons ära, till skillnad från många stjärnor som tar bort ett kontroversiellt inlägg, lämnade han det på sin feed men lade till en annan: "Ta det lugnt folk. Jag försöker bara lätta på stämningen. Jag har mest respekt för Baltimore och dess folk. Alltid har, alltid kommer." Endast en port till Camden Yards är öppen och media får se Orioles spela White Sox i ett spel som fansen inte får delta i. Pressboxen är nästan fylld 3 1/2 timme före den planerade första planen på onsdag. Medan alla andra portar är låsta förbereder en markbesättning planen för att se till att detta engångsspel faktiskt kommer att spelas. MLB:s kommissionär Rob Manfred säger att ligans anpassning till upplopp och plundring runt Camden Yards tar hänsyn till säkerheten för de personer som skulle vara på arenan och konkurrensfrågor. ____ 8.00 Den första crowdless stora ligan spelet kommer att ha gott om tittare på TV och online. MLB har gjort Orioles-White Sox-matchen som spelas onsdag i en tom Camden Yards sitt gratis spel för dagen på MLB.TV. Den strömmande tjänsten kommer att bära spelet för fans utanför Baltimore och Chicago marknaderna, där spelen kommer att TV-sändas. Programföretag WPWR-HD i Chicago och MASN-HD i Baltimore producerar spelen och kommer att behöva anpassa sig till bristen på atmosfär som normalt lyfts fram för att ge tittarna hemma en känsla av atmosfär. Baseballtjänstemän bestämde sig för att spela spelen bakom stängda dörrar på grund av en våg av plundring och upplopp runt Camden Yards som bröt ut mitt i spänningar mellan invånare och polis. Oroligheten som orsakade utegångsförbud kom timmar efter Freddie Grays begravning, en 25-årig svart man som fick en dödlig ryggmärgsskada medan han satt i polisens förvar. Â°°
1 of 28 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × The empty feeling at Oriole Park View Photos Baltimore hosts the Chicago White Sox in a regular season game with no fans allowed in the park. Caption Baltimore hosts the Chicago White Sox in a regular season game without fans allowed in the park. 29 April 2015 Game begins. Fans were not allowed to attend due to the unrest in Baltimore. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Buy photo Wait 1 second to proceed. BALTIMORE - When Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis launched a ball skyward Wednesday afternoon, and the call of TV play-by-play man Gary Thorne - “Goodbye! Home run!” – rattled around Camden Yards, a taped version of the national anthem had already come and gone. Catcher Caleb Joseph had already faked signing autographs to imaginary fans, tipping his hat to the admiring ... seats. An ugly ball had found its way into the stands, only to bounce out again. And a group of fans who had been grooming their way up against the fence beyond the left-center field had already begun chanting on, "Let's Go O's! Let's go O's! "And when Davis' home run ball landed on Eutaw Street, normally buzzing with barbecue eaters, it rolled to a stop and stayed there, untouched. What took place at Camden Yard's Wednesday afternoon – a Major League Baseball match without fans in the stands – has never occurred before. It was, in turn, eerie and amusing, comical and arresting. The Orioles, with their city wounded, spent much of the time leading up to their first game in three days trying to wrestle with the situation, their place in a community torn apart by extensive post-death riots by an African-American man who suffered injuries in an incident with police. Due to the recent riots in Baltimore, the Orioles and the Chicago White Sox played a game with no fans present, the first time that has happened in Major League Baseball history. Fans outside the stadium weigh in if it was the right call. (Jorge Ribas/The Washington Post) "The last 72 hours, I think, in this city have been tumultuous to say the least," Orioles center fielder Adam Jones said before the game. “We’ve seen well. We've seen bad. We've seen ugly. We've seen our games canceled, postponed, reassigned. Many families moved. It is a city that is wounded and a city that needs its city heads to be able to stand up, get up and help those who are suffering. “It’s not an easy time for anyone right now. It doesn't matter what race you are. It’s a tough time for the city of Baltimore.” [15 questions (and answers) about today’s fan-less game.] The violence following Freddie Gray's death, which raged up Monday night, led to the first two games in this series being postponed, and with a 22:00 curfew in the city through early next week, Wednesday's game was moved from a scheduled 19:05 start in the afternoon. The decision to keep fans out—as has never been done in baseball history—was reached because Orioles officials did not want to pull law enforcement resources away from areas of the city that need it. A planned weekend series against the Tampa Bay Rays was moved to St. Petersburg, Fla. "Obviously, it's unexplored territory," Manager Buck Showalter said. "Nobody has experience on it." [Orioles-White Sox box points] So the prelude discussion ranged from the grave to trivial. Players came to the ballpark both Monday, as the game was postponed less than an hour before the scheduled first field, and Tuesday for a training. On Tuesday, armored National Guard vehicles filled the parking spaces normally reserved for fans. Such a situation forced players—so united during the season—to act as community commentators because they knew a city's eyes would be on them. “The last few days have really been eye-opening to me,” said Oriole’s first baseman Chris Davis. “... Just to see the frustration, anger, feelings in the city over the past few days have been shocking to me. We have talked a lot about the protests and riots and looting, and I said this the other day: I support productive protests and people get their points over safely. It’s unfortunate that it escalates to what it has.” Onday’s game, however, will count, and baseball players are above all other creatures of habit. So they wondered about the little things, too: Will they have to see what they say to umpires because there will be nothing yours behind as hiding? Will the scoreboard show reruns? “Will there be a national anthem today because there is no one there?” said catcher Caleb Joseph. — Will there be walk-up music for us in Tampa? ... you're wondering about all these things. I guess we'll find out. "In fact, the midfield scoreboard posted statistics regardless of player was at the plate. The Orioles lined up nicely in the field while a canned version of the “Star-Spangled Banner” pumped through the speakers. They played music between innings, music for the Orioles when they went to the album. And when Baltimore pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez unfolded the game's first pitch—a strike to White Sox center fieldman Adam Eaton—the pop in Joseph's glove seemed to echo. It was baseball. But nothing normal. Jones, Orioles' most prominent African American player, spoke passionately during a crowded news conference during the hours leading up to the game. After growing up in the inner city of San Diego, he has long said that he relates to the young people of Baltimore's toughest neighborhoods. In recent days, he has concentrated on protecting his young family. But he also said that he was listening to Baltimorens in the front line of the protests, struggling with the violence. — I have told the youth: ‘Your frustration is justified. It’s understandable, understood,” said Jones. — The actions, I do not think, are acceptable. But if you've come from where they come from, you understand. “But I just think, destroying the community, in which you have to live, is never the answer, because you’re going to have to wake up in three or four days and just go straight back to those convenience stores, go straight back to all those stores. I think this is their cry. And of course, this is not a cry that is acceptable, but this is their cry. And that's why we need to understand it. They need hugs. They need love. They need support.” [Outside Camden Yards, definitely not business as usual] Quiet, some Orioles expressed frustration that they would go to Tampa for the weekend but Rays would not flip-flop a series later in the year to play in Baltimore. Rather, the Orioles will serve as the "home" team at Tropicana Field, wearing white pants and punches last. But there was also an overall sense of understanding. "Saying that something we're going to go through on a baseball field in the major leagues is hard is really insensitive to everything else going on," Showalter said. So what's ahead is the game, and whatever heals it provides – even with an audience disconnected. "Sports unite communities, and having fans, it would be awesome so it could give them three hours of distraction away from what really happens," Jones said. “And that’s what the sport brings. It's a little distraction to the real world. I think the people of Baltimore need it. "But at the same time, the safety of these people is very important for the Orioles, for Major League Baseball and for the city of Baltimore. ... It's going to be strange, but it's understandable. "A status board with "0" presence appears inside the press box at Oriole Park at Camden Yards as Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox play baseball Wednesday, April 29, 2015 in Baltimore. The... (Associated Press) Brendan Hurson, of Baltimore, holds a sign that fans see a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox Wednesday, April 29, 2015, from outside Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore.... (Associated Press) Baltimore Orioles bat against the Chicago White Sox during a baseball game with no fans Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Baltimore. Due to security concerns, the game was closed to the public. (AP Photo/Gail... (Associated Press) A sign is seen at a souvenir store before a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, April 29, 2015, near Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore. The game was played... (Associated Press) The show is a section of Oriole Park at Camden Yards stadium just before a Baltimore Orioles baseball game against Chicago White Sox's, Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Baltimore. The match was played in... (Associated Press) Fans Romeo Santos, left, and Matt Fouse gathers for a Baltimore Orioles baseball game against Chicago White Sox's, Wednesday, April 29, 2015, off Oriole Park at CamdenYards in Baltimore. A bar showing the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox sits empty behind midfield, Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Baltimore. Due to security concerns, the game was closed... (Associated Press) A National Guard vehicle passes outside Oriole Park at Camden Yards for a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Baltimore. The game was played... (Associated Press) Chicago White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers is in the excavation of an empty stadium before playing the Baltimore Orioles in a baseball game, Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Baltimore. Due to security issues... (Associated Press) An empty Oriole Park is photographed from the outside before the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles baseball game, Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Baltimore. Due to security issues the game was closed... (Associated Press) Baltimore Orioles pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez delivers a pitch against the Chicago White Sox in the first inning of a baseball game with no fans Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Baltimore. Due to security concerns... (Associated Press) An employee of the Baltimore Orioles runs through the stadium's concert for the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles baseball game, Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Baltimore. Due to safety,... (Associated Press) Baseball fans watch from a hotel across the street during a closed baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Baltimore. Due to security issues... (Associated Press) The game ends, and the song "Orioles Magic" is piped over the speakers as Baltimore celebrates an 8-2 victory in a game that lasted just 2 hours, 3 minutes. Playing without fans in the park might be the best way to speed up a baseball game. After the handshake near the mound, both teams retire to their excavations on a sun-drenched afternoon. The integrity of the timetable has been saved, and one of the strangest games in baseball history is over. And not a single fan left early to beat traffic. At 4:00 p.m., Perry Saurers left his mitt at home. He didn't have to worry about dropping popcorn or spilling a beer to catch an ugly ball when it pulled in his direction either. Sauers was all alone at Camden Yard's concert. Saurers, a Howard County police officer who helped the Orioles authenticate memorabilia from the historic game, went calmly after loose baseballs that had rolled under the green seats or rested in the concrete aisles. He collected the souvenirs most fans dream of crunching on the ball court. However, the baseballs will not be added to his collection. He had to hand them over to MLB's authentication program. 15.49 The Orioles just continued with another baseball tradition: announcing attendance. For the first time in major league history, it went: "Today's officially paid attendance is zero." 3:45 Orioles broadcasters point out that without the typical ballpark atmosphere, Camden Yards is a bit like the Augusta National Golf Club. Gary Thorne took on his "Masters voice" for a brief moment, giving the play for the play when Adam Jones took his at-bat at the top of the seventh. Thorne told color analyst Jim Palmer that he had talked to a producer before the game about the appropriate way to call a match without fans. The approach was tested immediately when Jones hit the first throw on the at-bat. Thorne's decision: "Jones will strike the machine gun at midfield. It's deep, deep, and from the wall. ... Adam Jones has a double, and the green jacket is within reach, Jim." The brief, light moment was in sharp contrast to a more serious tone during much of the broadcast, which at times focused a little on baseball and more on the fighting in Baltimore outside Camden Yards. 15.40. It is time for the seventh innings stretch — although there are no fans to stand up and stretch. The Orioles organist played the ballpark booklet "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" to an empty ballpark after the top of the seventh. 3:19 driving Manny Machado a throw from Jeff Samardzija into the bull to put the Orioles in front of 8-2 at the bottom of the fifth inning. Baltimore's third baseman takes a free trot around the bases while fans gather beyond center-field gate cheer. Under normal circumstances, fans would be en route to the concession stand as the fifth inning ends. But that's not gonna happen. Firstly, concessions are closed. More importantly, there are no fans. Not in the bowl anyway. 3:16 p.m. Orioles first baseman Chris Davis caught a throw from second baseman Ray Navarro on Micah Johnson's marker for the final out of the top of the fifth inning. Standard baseball game. Davis then took a few steps towards the Orioles dig out on the first base side and underhand threw the ball about a dozen lines into the empty stands, clogging into the seats. O's having some fun with a 7-2 lead. 2:50 Chicago second baseman Micah Johnson gets the relay cast from right fielder Avisail Garcia, and those around them shout "No!" When he turns around to throw to the plate. That's because Everth Cabrera has stopped at third base. That's what fans don't usually hear at the game. That, and an infielder shouted, "I got it!" As the outfielder approaches. The crack of the bat also sounds higher, perhaps because it is not accompanied by the sound of a salesman hawking hot dogs. 14.41 Van Halen "Ain't Talking 'about Love" between the second and third innings. They play music as the teams move from the field to the excavation. But Crab Shuffle and some of the other silly games typically shown on Camden Yard's scoreboard get a rest today. No reruns either. The ones in the press box may be horrified if they choose to run "Kiss Cam", but it seems it won't happen. 2:35 Adam Jones says the game must be played, but Baltimore must heal first. Orioles outfielder said Wednesday that's what's most important to him as his team plays the White Sox without an audience at Camden Yards. Baltimore home host MASN-HD cut to comments by Jones during the peak of the second inning, as Ubaldo Jimenez attempted to protect a 6-0 lead. Jones says he hopes that Baltimore's community and its children remain strong, receive guidance, and listen to the message of the city's leaders. 14.20. There were no fans in the ballpark, but it cheered from beyond the center-field wall when Chris Davis hit a three-run homer to give Baltimore a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Fans watched from behind the iron gate standing behind the flag farm. When Davis' car cleared the right field wall, they shouted their approval. In addition, fans lined up on the deck of a hotel overlooking the stadium. Davis' home run bounced around in front of the warehouse with no fucking chase. The same was true of foulballs, which remained in the stands without being picked up. 14.05. The public speech announcer at Camden Yards announced it would play national anthem, informing "women and gentlemen" of what would follow. A recorded version was recorded while the White Sox stood in a line outside their dugout and the Orioles stood at attention in their dugout. A custom in Baltimore screams "O!" When the song reaches "O say can you see?" No one did, although a person in the press box passed on the tradition by saying it under the breath. At the time, the only people in the stands were a couple of scouts behind the plate. 1:45 With the media buzzing over the fate of the game, Camden Yards might as well have set up for a playoffs, with all 92 seats in the press box full. TV camera crews lined the field and are stationed outside the ballpark. But the stands are as free as they are in the off-season. The usually teeming concert was barren and the concession stands to sell $15 crab cakes, $6.50 crab soups and $8 can of beer were locked up. And the signs that warned fans about "Watch out for beaten balls" were meaningless for a day. 12:10 Managers of the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees say players in a closed door game in Baltimore will need to adapt from their usual habits of feeding by an audience. Yankees manager Joe Girardi and Rays manager Kevin Cash say the lawsuit will certainly be odd. Girardi said, "This goes back to the days when only your parents showed up on a cold day." The setup board of the Orioles clubhouse says everything: In the attendance section there is a round of "0''' in orange marker. Just below that under the "total attendance" figure, in 2998, an average of nearly 33,300 fans were read through nine games. Cash, whose team visited the Yankees in New York City, said teams "sometimes fed by opposing audiences when you're going in an opposing city." ____ 12 e.m. Being locked out of Camden Yards did not prevent a small collection of Orioles fans from peeking through a fence beyond the stands seats in left midfield. An Orioles fan shouted, "Let us in!" No such luck. While watching batting training from about 450 meters away on Eutaw Street, fan Larry Marsh said he wishes he was inside, but thinks officials were right to close the game. He says, "I'm just gonna stand here and watch as long as I can." The game is believed to be the first held at an empty stadium in the 145-year history of the major leagues. White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton created great stir on twitter with a playful tweet during a difficult time in Baltimore: "We'll do our best to get the audience out of it early. Wish us luck..." The line was retweeted almost 4,000 times and received many comments, positive and negative. In honor of Eaton, unlike many stars who remove a controversial post, he left it on his feed but added another: "Take it easy people. I'm just trying to ease the mood. I have the greatest respect for Baltimore and its people. Always has, always comes." Only one port to Camden Yards is open and the media gets to see the Orioles play the White Sox in a game that fans may not participate in. The press box is almost filled 3 1/2 hours before the planned first pitch on Wednesday. While all other ports are locked, a ground crew prepares the field to ensure that this one-time game will actually be played. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says the league's adaptation to riots and looting around Camden Yards takes into account the safety of the people who would be in the arena and competition issues. ____ 8.00 The first crowdless big league game will have plenty of viewers on TV and online. MLB has made the Orioles-White Sox game played Wednesday in an empty Camden Yards their free game of the day at MLB.TV. The streaming service will carry the game for fans outside the Baltimore and Chicago markets, where the games will be televised. Broadcasters WPWR-HD in Chicago and MASN-HD in Baltimore produce the games and will need to adapt to the lack of atmosphere normally highlighted to give viewers at home a sense of atmosphere. Baseball officials decided to play the games behind closed doors due to a wave of looting and rioting around Camden Yards which broke out amid tensions between residents and police. The worry that caused curfew came hours after Freddie Gray's funeral, a 25-year-old black man who suffered a fatal spinal cord injury while in police custody. <unk>