April 29--BALTIMORE -- The crack of Chris Davis hitting a three-run homer in the first inning Wednesday afternoon at Camden Yards was not accompanied by the roar of the crowd but a single voice.
"Goodbye! Home run," Orioles broadcaster Gary Thorne said from his booth.
His voice carried out over the nearly 46,000 empty seats as muted cheers bounced back from onlookers peeking into the private game through an outfield fence.
The White Sox and Orioles met on pleasant, sunny day for what is believed to be the first major-league game closed to the public due to security concerns following recent unrest in the city. Every noise was distinct -- media members' computer keyboards clicked, foul balls popped around the vacant stands, outfielders' calls wafted in toward home plate.
"It was just a surreal environment," Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "I don't think we really want to play another one like this. I don't think anybody does. I don't think they do either."
The attendance will go in the record books as zero, but the stadium wasn't completely empty for the Orioles' 8-2 victory. Three seats in front of the plate were occupied by scouts, photographers weaved their way through empty seats and the press box was filled reporters documenting the historic event.
Those that might have truly appreciated the Orioles jumping to a 6-0, first-inning lead against Sox right-hander Jeff Samardzija were separated from the ballpark by a fence or their television sets. Orioles and Major League Baseball officials decided Tuesday to ban the paying public from the game because of the city's recent violent protests stemming from the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old man who suffered a spinal injury while in police custody earlier this month.
The Orioles still tried to keep some normalcy. The National Anthem was played. The players warmed up to music between innings and walked to the plate while the announcer spoke their names over the soundsystem. The videoboard showed the lineups and the players' pictures and stats.
They even played "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" for the seventh-inning stretch, though nobody was around to head to the vacant bathrooms or concession stands.
"I can't even compare it to anything but it was definitely weird," Sox second baseman Micah Johnson said. "It's quiet. There's nothing going on. You hear everything. Obviously it was better for the Orioles than us today. The atmosphere, it's not how baseball is supposed to be played."
The Sox knew their game would be anything but normal, even if there was music and videos.
"I don't think the strangeness has set in right now," Sox infielder Gordon Beckham said before the game. "I've never played in a big-league stadium that was empty. The closest I came was at the end of the season in Cleveland when there was like 1,000 people there. It'll be interesting. We've talked about possibly doing some cheering without any noise just to, kind of, add to it."
On Tuesday, the Orioles made the decision to keep the game private along with MLB, state and local officials to ensure that the game will not divert police and military attention when other areas may need it in a period of unrest in Baltimore. The previous two games in the series were postponed.
Players and coaches weren't quite sure what to expect beyond an atmosphere that could be something like a spring training B game on the back fields. Beckham joked that they should nominate a player to sing "God Bless America" in the seventh inning.
Sox center fielder Adam Eaton wondered how a lack of crowd noise might affect players on the field.
"There are a lot of cues," Eaton said. "...You know, if a ball gets by the catcher, if a guy is stealing, you can hear that all from the crowd, so it is going to be different. But we've done it before when we were in the minor leagues, and we'll have to bring those senses back and really pay attention."
Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he needs to be careful what he says to umpires from the dugout and joked that they should close the press box windows so the teams can't hear the media.
There were plenty of media in attendance Wednesday to be heard.
Two Orioles employees sorted through stacks of orange credentials Wednesday morning at the press entrance, and TV cameras sat trained on the closed gate to Eutaw Street. The Orioles were preparing for a full press box, with 92 seats for the writing press assigned to media members and outlets, though not all were immediately filled.
Scouts and an undisclosed number of employees also are allowed to attend, according to an Orioles spokesman, but the dry erase board in the press box sporting the day's lineups already had an attendance of zero written in marker.
The Sox have been outside observers of the events in Baltimore, told to stick to their hotel rooms, where they ordered in from restaurants, watched movies and played video games, Eaton said. They watched the riots on Monday night with an unsettling feeling of helplessness.
"It's frustrating," Sox designated hitter Adam LaRoche said. "I don't take it personal, but I would if it was my city. If I was from here and saw it, I would totally understand how it's upsetting people. Unfortunately there's a group that's taking advantage of a situation, and it's costing everybody.
"What happened to us, in the scheme of things, is not that big a deal. We have to come back and play two games. Unfortunately we have to play a game here in front of nobody, which really hurts the fans here. So yeah, not a good situation."
It was clear from a news conference with Orioles center fielder Adam Jones that the game contains a different emotional element for the Baltimore players. Jones spoke movingly about understanding the frustration of the Baltimore youth while also thinking some of their actions are unacceptable.
He said he wished the Orioles could play in front of fans but understood the safety concerns that prevented that from happening.
"Sports unite communities, and to have fans would be awesome, so we could give them three hours of distraction from what is going on," Jones said.
