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.
– 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.