MLB First: Closed Game (no fans)

[tradtiger]

For the first time in Major League Baseball history, a game was played today without allowing fans to attend. The Baltimore Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox 8-2 in the contest, where fans could be heard chanting for the Orioles from behind locked gates. The game came on the heels of riots, which had caused two other games to be postponed.

Several major league clubs over the years have suffered from poor attendance -- Tampa Bay comes to mind -- but, at least, the gates were open. Not today.

[8pointer]

That is crazy! I heard about that on the news earlier.

[tradtiger]

Not sure whether to give the league credit for carrying on and getting the game in or to knock them for locking out fans and missing a potentially healing opportunity. Were they pragmatic or cowardly? I mean in 145 seasons this has never happened! Sure, there have been weather issues, an earthquake during a world series, strikes, wars, but never a game played in good weather without fans.

[skeeter]

why not just move the game to chicago?

[Death from Above]

If you cant guarantee the safety of the fans this is the only way to go...I think it was more of a effort to not use resources that the city was utilizing (security)

[Chew]

why not just move the game to chicago?

Do you know how dangerous Chicago is?

[Tmag]

I heard they did it in LA back when the Rodney King riot broke out.

A reporter that went to the game the first night the riots broke out said they were bombarded with bottles and cans as they gathered to enter the stadium. That was the night the Mayor told police to stand down, the reporter said the officers stood and watched and told them to hurry and get into the stadium.

[tradtiger]

If you cant guarantee the safety of the fans this is the only way to go...I think it was more of a effort to not use resources that the city was utilizing (security)

Probably correct. I see now that this weekend's upcoming series with Tampa Bay which was scheduled for Baltimore will be played in the Ray's stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla.

[tradtiger]

I heard they did it in LA back when the Rodney King riot broke out.

A reporter that went to the game the first night the riots broke out said they were bombarded with bottles and cans as they gathered to enter the stadium. That was the night the Mayor told police to stand down, the reporter said the officers stood and watched and told them to hurry and get into the stadium.

The Dodger games were actually postponed and then made up as double headers later. They did not play with a closed stadium.

A Wall Street Journal article notes some other times games were moved or postponed, such as the Astros playing a pair of scheduled home games against the Cubs in Chicago after Hurricane Ike, and the Saints playing games in San Antonio and Baton Rouge after Hurricane Katrina.

[Playa]

It was the right thing to do. Too many parked cars to protect, too many innocent lives to protect.

I seriously doubt many would have gone anyway.

[Lungbustr]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDyGcSLWoAAbGBW.jpg:large

Pretty crazy it happened, but it was the best thing to do in the interest of people's well being.

[Thumper]

The Gray game.