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Home , Adam Jones (baseball), Ashur Tolliver, Brendan Harris, Caleb Joseph, Chris Tillman, Daunte Wright protests

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Thursday, April 30, 2015

Game Stories:  Orioles start fast in empty park, emerge from surreal day with 8-2 win over White Sox The Sun 4/29  O's make noise vs. White Sox at empty Camden Yards MLB.com 4/29  More on today's game and quotes from Showalter (O's win 8-2) MASNsports.com 4/29  No fans, but plenty of runs, as O's top White Sox 8-2 MASNsports.com 4/29  Locked Out: Orioles fans booted from ballgame amid unrest AP 4/29  Orioles top White Sox 8-2 at empty Camden Yards AP 4/29  Rapid Reaction: Orioles 8, White Sox 2 ESPN.com 4/29  Orioles beat White Sox 8-2 at empty Camden Yards CSN 4/29  In Front Of Empty Ballpark, Orioles Dispatch White Sox PressBoxOnline.com 4/29  Bob Haynie: Orioles Beat White Sox In Empty Camden Yards CBS Baltimore 4/30

Columns:  Thoughts and observations from a bizarre day at Camden Yards The Sun 4/30  Even with Camden Yards closed to public, fans found way to support O's The Sun 4/29  Fanless game a sign that life has to go on in Baltimore The Sun 4/29  discusses difficulties behind Orioles' scheduling this week The Sun 4/29  O's relates his own experiences to turmoil in Baltimore The Sun 4/29  No-fan facts from closed game at Camden Yards The Sun 4/29  It'll be so quiet inside Oriole Park, players will have to keep their 'mouths shut' The Sun 4/29  O's, White Sox experience a game like no other MLB.com 4/29  Jones empathizes with Baltimore's inner-city youth MLB.com 4/29  Jones, O's eyeing Midsummer Classic trip MLB.com 4/29  Showalter shares thoughts on Baltimore unrest MLB.com 4/29  Listen to broadcaster do his best Masters voice during the O's game MLB.com 4/29  Davis throws balls to no one in particular at empty stadium MLB.com 4/29  Colome, Tillman to duel as Rays, O's begin unique set MLB.com 4/29  Orioles willing to adjust to schedule changes MLB.com 4/29  Hardy close to returning to game action MLB.com 4/29  Gary Kendall on : "He had dominating-type stuff" MASNsports.com 4/30  This, that and the other MASNsports.com 4/30  Wrapping up an 8-2 win MASNsports.com 4/29  Orioles' bats making noise in quiet ballpark MASNsports.com 4/29  Adam Jones: "This isn't a cry that's acceptable, but this is their cry" MASNsports.com 4/29  A few pregame notes from Camden Yards MASNsports.com 4/29  On day that drew no fans, but plenty of attention, Orioles took care of business MASNsports.com 4/30  Machado: "I think this is what the city needed" (plus more clubhouse quotes) MASNsports.com 4/29  O's game blog: O's host with no fans at Camden Yards MASNsports.com 4/29  Caleb Joseph and on playing game without fans and more MASNsports.com 4/29  Zach Britton and on today's game and moving the Tampa series MASNsports.com 4/29  Zach Wilt: Outside gates, hearty fans locked out but not down MASNsports.com 4/30  Empty stadium would be weird for Scully AP 4/30  Orioles-White Sox to experience the sounds of silence AP 4/29  Latest on game with no fans: O's-White Sox ready to play AP 4/29  White Sox-Orioles Preview AP 4/29  Orioles try to help Baltimore heal, while fans just try to watch them win SI.com 4/29  Empty stadium creates bizarre environment for Orioles-White Sox SI.com 4/29  Orioles players sound off on playing at empty Camden Yards SI.com 4/29  Orioles vs. White Sox can be live streamed online for free SI.com 4/29  Players will have to adapt to quiet stadium ESPN.com 4/29  The Fanless Game ESPN.com 4/29  The game with no fans ESPN.com 4/29  This too is Baltimore ESPN.com 4/29  Unique circumstances, but hopeful signs for Orioles CSN Baltimore 4/30  Showalter passionate about Baltimore unrest CSN Baltimore 4/29  Hardy hopes cortisone shot did its job CSN Baltimore 4/29  Zach Britton not pleased with CSN Baltimore 4/29  Orioles playing in an empty stadium was quite strange CSN Baltimore 4/29  Jones says he identifies with Baltimore youth CSN Baltimore 4/29  White Sox centerfielder tweets joke about empty Camden Yards CSN Baltimore 4/29  Manny Machado on Baltimore : 'It sucks about what's happening in the city' CSN Baltimore 4/29  How Hot Was Orioles Adam Jones In April? PressBoxOnline.com 4/30  Schedule Changes Present Challenging May For Orioles PressBoxOnline.com 4/29  Jeremy Conn: Orioles Play To An Empty Camden Yards CBS Baltimore 4/30  [Opinion] Pro: Empty-Stadium Game Is Uncharted Territory CBS Baltimore 4/29  [Opinion] Con: Empty-Stadium Orioles Game An Embarrassment Of Historic Proportions CBS Baltimore 4/29  Gary Thorne does his best Masters voice NBCSports.com 4/29  Buck Showalter had some wise words about what’s happening in Baltimore NBCSports.com 4/29  The White Sox-Orioles game took two hours and three minutes NBCSports.com 4/29  So far, so weird in Baltimore NBCSports.com 4/29  MLB is making the best out of a bad situation in Baltimore NBCSports.com 4/29  The impact of the Orioles' cancelled, moved — and empty stadium — games Baltimore Business Journal 4/29  Orioles Play to Empty House Baltimore Magazine 4/29  Caleb Joseph signs imaginary autographs for invisible fans CBSSports.com 4/29  At empty Camden Yards due to Baltimore riots, Orioles defeat White Sox Daily News 4/29  Orioles-White Sox game: Baltimore's urban stadium becomes no-fans' land LA Times 4/29  Take Me Out to No Crowd Slate 4/29  Are Doing Just Fine Playing Home Game With Zero Fans Slate 4/29  Days After Riots, Baltimore Orioles Played With No Fans Present NPR.org 4/29  Orioles take baseball’s low attendance record from Worcester Boston Globe 4/29  Baltimore Oriole Adam Jones and the Power of Seeing Pain The Nation 4/30  Rudy Giuliani says Orioles should've brought city together, not closed stadium Yahoo! Sports 4/29  The Silence of the Fans 4/29  These People Just “Watched” the Weirdest Baseball Game Ever The Washingtonian 4/29  Eerie scenes from the Baltimore Orioles' game in an empty stadium The Week 4/29  Even with fans shut out, Baltimore Orioles don't stand to lose too much money Fortune 4/29  Orioles win at empty Camden Yards, and hope 'this was something good' USA Today 4/30  At Camden Yards, a sense of empty curiosity for Orioles, White Sox [updated] Washington Post 4/29  15 questions about the Orioles-White Sox game that no fans can attend Washington Post 4/29  Manny Machado keeps mashing Wednesday for Orioles CBSSports.com 4/29  Orioles closer Zach Britton thrives in non-save performance CBSSports.com 4/29  No cheers for Baltimore Orioles during win CNN 4/30

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bal-baltimore-orioles-score-six-in-first-roll-to-82- win-over-chicago-white-sox-at-empty-camden-yards-20150429-story.html

Orioles start fast in empty park, emerge from surreal day with 8-2 win over White Sox

By Dan Connolly / April 30, 2015

When Orioles Chris Davis slammed a three- homer over the right-field scoreboard in the first Wednesday during an historic afternoon at Camden Yards, there was no wild cheering.

There was virtual silence. Crickets, with light typing from a hushed press box mixed in.

Mid-Atlantic Sports Network broadcaster Gary Thorne’s call from the third-floor press box, “Goodbye, ,” resonated off the empty seating bowls. And there were muffled shouts from a small gathering of fans behind the stadium gates beyond left-center field and from the balcony of the Hilton Baltimore, where another small group had congregated.

“When you’re rounding the bases, and the only cheers you hear were from outside the stadium, it’s a weird feeling,” Davis said. “I’ll take any home run I can get at any time I can get it, but it’s definitely more fun when there are fans in the stands.”

That was the extent of the celebration in a six-run first that propelled the Orioles to an 8-2 victory over the in the only contest played between the two this week.

The others were postponed — and rescheduled for a doubleheader here on a mutual off-day May 28 — due to prolonged civil unrest that escalated Saturday and again Monday following the death of city resident Freddie Gray while in police custody.

Because the club did not want to pull security resources away from potential scenes in the city — and because it did not want to postpone all three games of the series — the teams played Wednesday in what is believed to be the first contest in history without any fans.

“It was definitely weird,” Davis said. “Kind of like at a spring training intrasquad game, but even then I feel like we have 30, 40 fans. It’s definitely different.”

The stadium’s seating section, capacity 45,971, was empty with the exception of two scouts, the pitch-information scoreboard operator and the occasional news photographer. No family members, no ushers, not even the stadium vendor with the shrill “beer” call that has become ubiquitous over the years.

“I could hear every word you all were saying up there,” Orioles Buck Showalter joked with reporters after the game. “It was kind of like instructional league, Gulf Coast League, Arizona [Fall] League. … I was real proud of our guys, their concentration level.”

Wednesday’s official attendance was announced as “zero,” breaking the Orioles’ game-low of 655 on Aug. 17, 1972 at Memorial Stadium for a makeup game against the White Sox. It’s believed that the lowest recorded attendance in MLB history had been six between Worcester and Troy of the National League in September 1882.

There was no anthem singer Wednesday — a recorded version was used and only a few “Ohhhs” were audible from the fans outside. And no videos were shown on the board between — “Guess the Attendance” simply didn’t have the same intrigue.

But players were still announced over the loudspeaker, Zach Britton entered in the ninth to his typical AC/DC song and “Thank God I’m A Country Boy” still blared during the seventh-inning stretch.

That’s about the extent of the normalcy on Wednesday, which included a very un-Oriole-like time of game — it lasted just 2 hours, 3 minutes, by far the shortest of the year. It was so eerily quiet that on a popup in the third inning, White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu’s, “I got it,” and Orioles first base Wayne Kirby’s, “Run it out,” were crystal clear.

Several times, Davis caught an inning-ending out at first base and then flipped the ball into the stands, as he would do if fans were there.

“A fun thing to help everybody kind of relax,” Davis said. “The first few were in the lower section, and then I gave some love to the fans in the upper deck.”

Catcher Caleb Joseph also wanted to bring some levity, so he performed a brief pregame routine that he thought would be respectful, but keep guys loose. As he walked to the bullpen to warm up starter Ubaldo Jimenez, Joseph stopped in front of the first row, high-fived the air and mimicked signing a few autographs for the grateful empty seats. He then tipped his cap.

“Laughter does something to the soul sometimes, even when you are sad or when things are going bad,” Joseph said. “We were trying to have fun with it, but still understanding there are real problems in Baltimore right now.”

On the field, the Orioles (10-10) scored six runs immediately against Chicago’s (1-2), who was tagged for eight runs (seven earned) in five innings.

Davis had the big blast in the first, homering onto Eutaw Street, the sixth of his career to land on the walkway behind right. Manny Machado had three hits, including a solo homer against Samardzija in the fifth.

It was plenty of run support for Jimenez (2-1), who lasted seven innings, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out six. He gave up two unearned runs that were set up by a Machado throwing . Jimenez admitted there was extra incentive for him to pitch well Wednesday.

“I thought it was pretty important, because what the city is going through right now is hard,” he said. “I know a lot of people were watching that game on TV, supporting that game for the city.”

The Orioles have won three straight – albeit in a span of five days – after losing a season-worst five straight. After an off-day Thursday, they’ll play three games at in St. Petersburg, Fla., as the home team, batting last and wearing white uniforms. It’s another strange situation in what has been surreal month for the Orioles.

During Showalter’s postgame press conference, a young man who introduced himself only as a city resident with no announced media affiliation asked what words of encouragement the manager could offer African-American youth in the city. Showalter said he didn’t want to act as if he knew what they were going through, but added an appropriate summation of the afternoon and homestand.

“We've made quite a statement as a city, some good and some bad. Now, let's get on with taking the statements we've made and create a positive,” he said. “We talk to the players, and I want to be a rallying force for our city. It doesn't mean necessarily playing good baseball. It just means [doing] everything we can do.”

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/121273484/orioles-make-noise-vs-white-sox-at-empty- camden-yards

O's make noise vs. White Sox at empty Camden Yards

By Brittany Ghiroli and Todd Karpovich / MLB.com April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE -- For the first time in Major League Baseball history, the Orioles and White Sox -- because of in Baltimore -- played a game closed to fans. But the O's did their best to make up for the lack of atmosphere, piling on Chicago starter Jeff Samardzija with a six-run first inning, including Chris Davis' three-run homer, that led to an 8-2 win on Wednesday afternoon.

Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez, who waited two extra days to pitch against the White Sox because of the pair of postponements earlier in the week, didn't disappoint. The righty struck out six and held Chicago to three hits over seven innings, allowing just two unearned runs.

"We all know everything the city is going through," Jimenez said, referring to some of the violent protests in Baltimore spurred from African-American Freddie Gray's death in police custody. "So that's something you put in your mind, you have to go out there and do something that would be good for the fans."

Samardzija lasted five innings and allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits and one walk in the afternoon contest, which was pushed up because of the citywide 10 p.m. ET . Chicago scored a pair of unearned runs in the fifth inning following Manny Machado's throwing error.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Orioles' bats make some noise: The Orioles batted around in the first inning, setting the tone early in an eerily silent stadium. Davis provided the big knock, while Machado went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and Caleb Joseph went 2-for-4 and picked up two RBIs.

"We were yelling, and then we kind of felt bad because we're like, 'Show some sportsmanship a little bit, too," closer Zach Britton said of the home dugout's reaction to Davis' homer.'" You don't want to over-do it because you knew everyone could hear you. It was just weird because it kind of tempered our celebration a little bit."

Ubaldo stays hot: The right-hander continued to enjoy a renaissance of sorts, bouncing back from a rough 2014 season to turn in his third start -- in four games -- without an . Jimenez walked just one in the 89-pitch outing.

"Probably after the first batter I faced, it was the same [as a regular game]," Jimenez said of the atmosphere. "I felt like it was one of those Spring Training 'B' games, or one in the Minors. But after the first guy, I was like, 'This is the situation. This is a game you have to win.'"

Tough outing for Samardzija: The right-hander, who got the start after appealing his five-game suspension for last week's benches-clearing incident against the Royals, struggled early. Samardzija allowed six runs (five earned) in the first inning when he loaded the bases with no outs. Davis did most of the damage with a towering three-run homer to right field. First baseman Jose Abreu also had a costly throwing error that eventually led to a run.

Quiet bats: The White Sox have traditionally been successful against Jimenez, who entered with a 5.01 ERA in 10 starts against them. However, Chicago could not get much going against the right-hander. An error by Machado gave the White Sox their first run in the fifth, and then a groundout by Geovany Soto cut the lead to 7-2. But that was as much as they could muster against Jimenez.

QUOTABLE

"It was just a surreal environment. I really don't think we want to play in another one like this. I don't think they do either." -- White Sox manager , on playing in an empty stadium

"Hopefully, [those watching on TV] see the positive side of things. I hope they see the good side of the city and the people who are out there helping to clean up and rebuild and help get the city back on its feet. I hope that even though the game was closed to the public, what our focus was. We didn't want to take the Guards or the police officers, the people who are protecting the city, you didn't want to take them away from their job and be a distraction. I hope the win kind of gives us a shot in the arm and picks everybody up." -- Davis, on the national attention of Wednesday's game

"Everything in life, this too shall pass. Something's bad if you keep repeating it. We hope to take out of it a starting point for our city." -- Orioles manager Buck Showalter on the magnitude of the game

SILENT STADIUM

Despite the official attendance of zero, a small crowd of fans watched the game from outside the gates of Camden Street and nearby hotel balconies. In lieu of an actual crowd, with only a few scouts seated behind home plate, the typical in-game entertainment was limited and the concourses were completely blocked off. Players from both teams tried to create some atmosphere with clapping and yelling, and Soto threw a ball into the empty bleachers at the end of the second inning to mimic a regular game. The Orioles still played their customary "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" by John Denver for the seventh-inning stretch.

JONES SOUNDS OFF

The Orioles' leader and one of the city's most popular African-American athletes, Adam Jones had some powerful words pregame regarding what's going on in Baltimore. Jones, who has a home nearby, has been a fixture in the community since coming to Baltimore. "This is their cry. This isn't a cry that is acceptable, but this is their cry and, therefore, we have to understand it," Jones said of the violent protests which have enveloped the city. "They need hugs. They need love. They need support. As much as I can give, as much as I know people on the opposition can give, I'm going to try and give as much as I can, because the city needs it.

WHAT'S NEXT

White Sox: Left-hander (2-0, 2.37 ERA) has appealed his five-game suspension for his role in the incident with the Royals, and he will face the Twins on Thursday at Target Field at 7:10 p.m. CT. Sale has been stellar so far, as he goes for his third win in four starts.

Orioles: Baltimore's weekend series against the Rays will shift to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg because of safety concerns, and the O's will board a plane on Thursday's off-day in advance of Friday's 7:05 p.m. ET opener. The O's will still wear white uniforms and second during the series, with taking the hill.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/04/more-on-todays-game-and-quotes-from- showalter.html

More on today's game and quotes from Showalter (O's win 8-2)

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com April 29, 2015

I wonder if it's out of habit today that first basemen Chris Davis and Jose Abreu have tossed the ball into the stands after the final out.

I'm guessing it's a joke.

Earlier today, Caleb Joseph pretended to sign an autograph next to the dugout, then tipped his cap as he jogged onto the field.

It's so quiet inside an empty Camden Yards that Adam Jones heard one member of the media's booming voice from the on-deck circle, looked up, pointed and nodded his head.

Careful what you say around here.

Manny Machado homered in the bottom of the fifth to give the Orioles an 8-2 lead after his throwing error in the top half led to two unearned runs off starter Ubaldo Jimenez.

Machado leads the club with five errors. He also ranks first in dazzling defensive plays.

The Orioles have posted 10 or more hits in four straight games and 10 overall this season.

Jimenez has thrown 89 pitches, 61 for strikes, in seven innings. He's allowed two unearned runs and three hits, walked one and struck out six.

White Sox starter Jeff Samardzija threw 87 pitches in five innings and allowed eight runs (seven earned) and 10 hits.

Earlier today, manager Buck Showalter said the adjustments in the schedule caused by the rioting isn't "a topic of conversation from a competitive standpoint in our locker room."

"We're citizens of this city," he said. "It's important, talking with Mr. Angelos, I was at his office yesterday morning at 9 a.m. til about 12:30. Everything he talked about was about what's best for the city of Baltimore and the safety of our fans and our citizens. Not once did anything about revenue or money (come up), it was all about that. It made me feel good to listen to.

"He loves this community and these people. It's sad were having to go through this. The other thing he wanted to make sure that all resources and we wanted to make sure that all resources that the city needs are in the city and not here at Camden Yards. I don't know how many people would have to be taken out of that to come over here for a game today. And you've got to keep in mind we had a curfew. I know you guys and ladies have been going to a lot of games, not many of them are done in 2 1/2 hours and you can file your stories and get out of here in time and beat that. They did talk about whether or not that was something. We don't want to adjust it.

"If people that are smarter than us are directly involved in this say that's what should be done, then we're not going to ask them to adjust that. That takes away any night games. When you really look at all the facts, it's kind of a decision that in a lot of ways gets made for you."

Showalter is uncomfortable talking about the challenges his team faces, considering what's happened in the city.

"To say something that we are going to go through on a baseball field playing in the big leagues is difficult is really insensitive to everything else that's going on," he said. "It's a small thing for us, comparatively speaking. One of the things that we all, not just me, tried to do when I came here was eliminate excuses. I don't want to hear about payroll, I don't want to hear about things like that.

"This is different. Some are self-inflicted and, quite frankly, I feel like the way I look at it, it is self-inflicted. Even though someone in our locker room didn't (cause problems), but we are citizens of this community and if something is going on here that creates this type of situation, it's a reflection on all of us and we should look at it that way."

Showalter talked about everything that went into moving the weekend series to Tampa and how the inconveniences can't be used as excuses. It's certainly not the first time that the schedule has challenged the Orioles.

"Hey, the game is going to start at 11:15 (a.m.) at instead of 7 (p.m.). You want to complain about it or do you want to go out and try to win a game?" he said. "In the whole scheme of life, compared to what other people are going through, I really don't want to hear it. Strap it on and let's play."

Today's game is historic, as Showalter was reminded, because it's the first time the public has been kept out.

"I'd rather not be doing that, for the right reasons," he said.

"I don't know yet. You all are grown men and women. I understand, why are we here, why are we at this point? Let's not lose sight of why we are at this point. Learn from a lot of things. I try to keep that in mind. That's a small ... I don't even consider it a price to pay. You tell us when and our players hopefully feed off that approach.

"This is what we do and it's a great honor to be able to try and do something that might help things a little bit is the way I look at it."

Update: and Zach Britton each tossed a scoreless inning and the Orioles defeated the White Sox 8-2.

Attendance was announced as "zero."

The Orioles have won three in a row and are 10-10. The game was played in 2 hours, 3 minutes.

Chris Davis' home run ball was the 80th to land on Eutaw St., the 31st by an Oriole and the sixth time Davis has accomplished the feat.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/04/no-fans-but-plenty-of-runs-as-os-top-the- white-sox-8-2.html

No fans, but plenty of runs, as O's top White Sox 8-2

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com April 29, 2015

Well, the Orioles made noise with their bats.

In the first-ever major league game played with no fans, the Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox 8-2 at Camden Yards in a game that lasted just two hours and three minutes.

The Orioles have a three-game win streak for the first time all year and a .500 record at 10-10 for the first time since they were 7-7.

It was their first non-American League East game of the season, and they improved to 16-6 against the White Sox since 2012, including a home mark of 9-3 in that time.

Ubaldo Jimenez made sure the Chicago bats were quiet with another strong outing. He went seven innings, allowing three hits (all singles, includingtwo infield singles) and two unearned runs, with one walk and six . Jimenez improved to 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA, and has not allowed an earned run in three of his four starts. He threw 89 pitches, 60 for strikes.

American League batters are hitting just .118 (10-for-85) against him.

About 72 hours after the O's began a game Sunday in which they scored 18 runs on 20 hits, the runs kept coming.

After matching their biggest inning of the year Sunday, scoring six runs in a frame twice, the O's did that in the last of the first today.

It started with a walk, error and bloop single. Adam Jones' sac fly was his 19th RBI for a 1-0 lead. Chris Davis followed with a three-run homer to right for a 4-0 lead. He hit a 1-1 pitch from Jeff Samardzija for his third homer in five games and fifth on the year. Everth Cabrera and Caleb Joseph added RBI doubles for runs five and six.

Davis' homer landed on Eutaw Street. That is the 80th hit there in the history of Camden Yards, the 31st by an Oriole and sixth by Davis.

The O's added a run in the third. A double by Cabrera followed Manny Machado's leadoff single, and an RBI single from Joseph made it 7-0.

Machado's fifth error on the year - all coming over the last eight games - opened the door for Chicago to score two unearned runs in the fifth. Then, Machado hit a solo homer in the last of the inning for an 8-2 lead. It was his fourth. Machado went 3-for-4 and added a single and double.

The Orioles have scored 26 runs their last two games, 42 in the last five and 59 runs their past nine games.

Now, the Orioles have Thursday off before they head to St. Petersburg, Fla., for three games this weekend. The Orioles will be the home team and bat last each inning. On Friday night at 7:05 p.m., Chris Tillman (2-2, 7.58 ERA) faces right-hander Alex Colome (0-0, 0.00 ERA).

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/04/29/ap-bba-game-no-fans-being-there

Locked Out: Orioles fans booted from ballgame amid unrest

Associated Press / SI.com April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE (AP) Chris Davis might have hit the quietest home run for the home team in Orioles history.

As the slugger pounded the ball deep onto Eutaw Street, just a few feet from where fans normally would have sprinted after a chance to catch a souvenir, there was almost nothing to hear.

The only muffled cheers came from a pocket of diehards locked out of Camden Yards yelling ''Let's Go O's!''

On this day, 30,000 Orioles fans had been muted. The wild applause had been silenced. There were no fans to stand for a standing ovation.

Just Davis' teammates in the dugout coming over for high-fives.

''When you're rounding the bases, and the only cheers you hear were from outside the stadium,'' he said, ''it's a weird feeling.''

Baseball in Baltimore was closed to the public Wednesday. The shutout in the final score was in the attendance total: Orioles 8, White Sox 2, Fans 0.

MLB decided to play the game behind closed doors because of looting and rioting around Camden Yards that broke out amid tensions between residents and police. The turmoil prompted a citywide curfew and began 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 game was one of the oddest in history, brought alive only by sounds that were unmasked by the absence of fans' voices.

No cheering for the Orioles, no jeering the umpires. Not an usher, a wave, or one last call for a cold beer.

The sounds of the game popped for the lucky hundreds of players, media or staff allowed inside, with each ''whack!'' ''crack!'' and ''pop!'' echoing throughout empty Camden Yards. Behind the plate, a couple of scouts kept their eyes on the action.

The players were as audible as kids playing backyard wiffle ball.

When Chicago Micah Johnson got the relay throw from right fielder Avisail Garcia, those around him shouted ''No!'' as he turned to make a throw to the plate.

That's because Everth Cabrera had 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 closes in.

The only place full besides the dugouts was the press box, where all 92 seats were taken. Beyond that, TV camera crews lined the field and stationed outside the ballpark, creating media buzz similar to that of a playoff game.

But the grandstands were 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.

It was believed to be the only time in Major League Baseball's 145-season history that the game went on without fans. Neither the Baseball Hall of Fame nor John Thorn, Major League Baseball's official historian, could find record of a major league game being played behind closed doors amid the worst outbreak of rioting in Baltimore since 1968.

One Orioles fan hollered during batting practice: ''Let us in!''

No such luck.

But baseball fans are a pesky bunch, and just because they were locked out of Camden, they refused to be shooed away from a glimpse at history. Hundreds of fans peered through a fence beyond the bleacher seats in left-center field.

Some fans had a view from the upper, upper deck - a hotel balcony across the street complete with an Orioles banner draped behind them. That's one way to avoid the kiss cam - but it was dark for the day.

Other game routines were intact. Players and umpires still bowed their heads in silence during the national anthem and an organ played the tune of ''Take Me Out To The Ball Game'' during the seventh-inning stretch.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter he heard the bullpen phone ring from the dugout.

''I think everybody was real careful about what they said from the dugout because everybody on the field could hear it, the umpires and them,'' he said.

The empty stands would have been a foul ball collectors dream.

Perry Saurers was able to leave 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, a police officer from Howard County who was helping the Orioles authenticate memorabilia from the historic game, leisurely walked after loose 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.

The Orioles' souvenir shop was closed. A sign on the door said, ''Dear Loyal Orioles Fans Our store is closed today. We will reopen on tomorrow (at)10:00 AM.''

The unrest from the past week wasn't forgotten. Outside Camden Yards, Brendan Hurson carried a sign that read, ''Don't Forget Freddie Gray,'' with the O's in the shape of the Orioles' logo.

He wished the Orioles let fans into the park.

''It would have been a nice chance to show the world that we are a city that's going to move forward from this. Not move on, but move forward. And they blew it.''

The fans who hunkered beyond the fence went wild when Davis went deep in the first inning - because just like the ball, they were outta here.

''I'll take any home run I can get at any time I can get it,'' he said, ''but it's definitely more fun where there are fans in the stands.''

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/04/29/ap-bba-white-sox-orioles

Orioles top White Sox 8-2 at empty Camden Yards

Associated Press / SI.com April 29, 2015

Baltimore (AP) The cheers from the small group of Orioles fans gathered outside the locked gates beyond center field echoed throughout an empty Camden Yards every time the home team scored a run.

There was no roar of the crowd inside the ballpark on this surreal day.

In what was believed to be the first major league game played without fans in attendance, Chris Davis hit a three-run homer in a six-run first inning Wednesday and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox 8-2.

''It was kind of like instructional league, Gulf Coast League, Arizona League,'' Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of the lack of fans.

The game was closed to fans out of concern for their safety following recent rioting in Baltimore after Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man, died in police custody.

The unusual decision to play the game was made because it was the best time to fill out the schedule for both teams.

In a crisp 2 hours, 3 minutes, Baltimore won its third straight since snapping a five-game losing streak.

''It was just a surreal environment,'' White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. ''I really don't think we want to play in another one like this. I don't think they do either.''

Ubaldo Jimenez (2-1) continued his rebound from last season's struggles, allowing two runs - one earned - on three hits with six strikeouts and just one walk over seven innings. Manny Machado hit his fourth home run among his three hits and Caleb Joseph had a pair of RBIs.

''We all know everything the city is going through,'' Jimenez said. ''So that's something you put in your mind, you have to go out there and do something that would be good for the fans.''

White Sox right-hander Jeff Samardzija (1-2) allowed a season-high eight runs - seven earned - on 10 hits, including two homers, over just five innings. Entering the game, he had not allowed a run over his previous 10 innings.

The Orioles batted around against Samardzija in the first. With the bases loaded, Adam Jones hit a sacrifice fly and Davis followed with a three-run homer that landed on a nearly empty Eutaw Street. A double by Everth Cabrera and a single by Joseph rounded out the scoring.

Samardzija continued to labor, allowing another RBI single to Joseph in the third.

''It had a little spring training feel to it,'' Samardzija said about the atmosphere. ''It was a good lineup. They jumped on me in the first and that was that.''

Machado's fifth error in the past eight games on a grounder by Alexei Ramirez gave Chicago its first run in the fifth. A ground-out by Geovany Soto later that inning pulled them to 7-2. Machado made up for his mistake with a solo homer that inning.

At the end of the day, the players were happy to move on from the experience.

''A game with no fans, but they were out at the hotel,'' Jones said. ''You could see on the balcony, you could hear them outside the gates. A lot of people were telling me to look up the check-ins on . So there were people around supporting, just not inside the stadium. But there was still some support.''

EUTAW STREET

Davis got his sixth career Eutaw Street home run, tying former Oriole Luke Scott for the most by any player. It was also the 80th homer to land on Eutaw Street.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Orioles: SS J.J. Hardy (left shoulder strain) felt much better after receiving a cortisone shot last week and will travel with the team to Tampa Bay over the weekend. He hopes to begin a rehab assignment next week.

UP NEXT

White Sox: Chris Sale, who appealed his five-game suspension for his role in a brawl with the Royals, will look to pick up his third win four starts on Thursday against .

Orioles: Chris Tillman (2-2, 7.58 ERA) will open the series Friday against the Rays, which has been moved to Tropicana Field from Baltimore. The Orioles, though, will be the home team.

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/white-sox/post/_/id/24041/rapid-reaction-orioles-8-white-sox-2- 2

Rapid Reaction: Orioles 8, White Sox 2

By Doug Padilla / ESPN.com April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE -- Playing in Major League Baseball's first game without fans, the Baltimore Orioles rolled to an 8-2 victory Wednesday over the Chicago White Sox.

How it happened: In his first outing in a week, Jeff Samardzija was roughed up by the Orioles right out of the gate, giving up six runs (five earned) in the first inning. The White Sox had just four hits, getting two runs in the fifth inning on an error and a ground out. Carlos Rodon made his second-ever appearance for the White Sox, delivering a perfect inning on five pitches, much better than the struggles he had in his debut April 21 when he had location issues in a 2 1/3 inning outing.

What it means: How much the mental side of pitching in an empty stadium affected Samardzija can be up for debate, but he clearly wasn't locating well. After a rough start to the season, when the right-hander gave up nine runs over his first two starts, he settled down with one run over his next two starts. But since his April 22 outing, Samardzija was in a bench-clearing brawl Thursday, was suspended five games (he has appealed, making him eligible to pitch) and then saw this start pushed back because of safety concerns in Baltimore that forced two postponed games.

Outside the box: It was a bad day for Samardzija to have his issues, especially since he was facing a red-hot offense. The Orioles entered with an average of 6.11 runs over their past nine games. In their most recent game, at home Sunday, they scored 18 runs against the .

Off beat: While there were no fans in Camden Yards, a group of three scouts sat in the field-level seats behind home plate the entire game. Otherwise the park was empty, save for about 100 media members in the press box. Fans could be heard cheering and participating in Orioles- related chants from the gates beyond center field. The game was played in a tidy 2 hours, 3 minutes.

Up next: The White Sox will send left-hander Chris Sale (2-0, 2.37 ERA) to the mound Thursday at Minnesota in the opener of a four-game series. The Twins will counter with right- hander Trevor May (1-1, 4.91) in the 7:10 p.m. ET start from Target Field.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/orioles-beat-white-sox-8-2-empty-camden-yards

Orioles beat White Sox 8-2 at empty Camden Yards

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE – During the seventh-inning stretch, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and “Thank God, I’m a Country Boy” were played. Three scouts seated behind home plate stood.

Moments later, Jim Misudek, the Orioles manager of media relations announced the official paid attendance: zero.

There was actually a crowd estimated at about 100 gathered on Camden Street peering in to see whatever they could of the empty ballpark.

What they saw pleased them. In between chants of “O-R-I-O-L-E-S” and “Let’s go O’s,” the Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox 8-2 on Wednesday.

There were some familiar touches. Chris Davis, who often tosses balls into the stands at the ends of innings, threw some into the empty stadium.

Chatter could be heard on the field, but the game was devoid of controversy.

“It was still baseball between the lines. It's still that,” manager Buck Showalter said.

The players seemed to enjoy the novelty.

"It never fails, catch a ball to end the inning, it's just reaction. But I thought it would be fun. The first few were in the lower section and then I gave some love to the fans in the upper deck,” Davis said.

Davis has loads of fans in Baltimore, real and like today, imaginary ones. But he and his teammates tried to make light of a situation that they knew was dangerous.

The first baseman’s three-run home run, part of a decisive six-run first inning, did have that empty feeling.

“I’ll take any home run I can get at any time I can get it, but it’s definitely more fun where there are fans in the stands,” Davis said. The Orioles (10-10) have now won three straight for the first time this season, and both their starting pitching and offense has begun to click.

As Showalter walked to the dugout in the moments before the game began, he reminded himself that this was important.

“You realize that you're a few minutes away from playing a major league baseball game that's going to count. You tried to stay focused on the competition, us trying to get where we want to be at the end of the season. But I also talked to them about the people who are going to be sitting around our city watching this game,” Showalter said.

Besides the self-appointed cheerleaders outside the gates, there were fans who rented a room in the neighboring Hilton Hotel and hung a “Go Orioles” banner outside it.

Adam Jones noticed them.

“A game with no fans, but they were out at the hotel. You could see on the balcony, you could hear them outside the gates. A lot of people were telling me to look up the check-ins on Facebook. So there were people around supporting, just not inside the stadium,” Jones said.

Ubaldo Jimenez (2-1) had another strong start, allowing two unearned runs in seven innings, walking one and striking out six.

“I thought it was pretty important, because what the city is going through right now is hard. I know a lot of people were watching that game on TV, supporting that game for the city. As a player you know that take the mound, you take the field and you know what’s going on outside,” Jimenez said.

On Sunday, in their last game before unrest caused two consecutive postponements, they scored 18 runs, their most in more than nine years scoring six runs in both the third and seventh innings.

They equaled that in the first inning. Eleven batters hit off Jeff Samardzija (1-2). Alejandro De Aza walked, Jimmy Paredes reached on an error and singled to load the bases. De Aza scored on Jones’ fly to right.

Davis hit home run that reached Eutaw Street for a 4-0 lead. Manny Machado and Everth Cabrera doubled, and after Caleb Joseph’s RBI single, it was a 6-0 lead.

Machado’s throwing error led to Chicago (8-10) scoring two runs in the fifth.

Cabrera’s second RBI double in the third scored Machado, and the hit his fourth homer of the year in the fifth.

Davis was asked what he wants people who watched to remember.

“I hope they see the good side of the city and the people who are out there helping to clean up and rebuild and help get the city back on its feet,” he said. “I hope the win kind of gives us a shot in the arm and picks everybody up.”

NOTES: The team had 10 or more hits for the fourth straight game. … Davis’ reached Eutaw Street for the sixth time. … Chris Tillman (2-2, 7.58) faces Alex Colome (0-0, 0.00) as the Orioles travel to Tampa Bay on Friday. … The game was played in two hours, three minutes, the fastest the team played since Oct. 2, 2010.

http://www.pressboxonline.com/2015/04/29/in-front-of-empty-ballpark-orioles-dispatch-white- sox

In Front Of Empty Ballpark, Orioles Dispatch White Sox

By Paul Folkemer / PressBoxOnline.com April 29, 2015

The Orioles didn't have any fans to cheer for them April 29. But it didn't stop them from topping the Chicago White Sox, 8-2, during an abbreviated one-game series.

History was made in Baltimore when, for the first time ever, a regular season MLB game was played in front of a crowd of zero. Because of ongoing riots and violence in Baltimore City, the Orioles and White Sox took the field in a game that was closed to the public. This came after the first two games of the series, scheduled for April 27 and 28, were both postponed.

The absence of fans made for a bizarre atmosphere at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Orioles took the field not to thundering applause but to near silence, aside from the clattering of keyboards in the press box. The national anthem was a pre-recorded instrumental version rather than a live performance. There was no between-innings entertainment on the Jumbotron, and no Oriole Bird to lead cheers.

"It's kind of like Instructional League, Gulf Coast League [or] Arizona League," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "It's different. I was real proud of our guys [and] their concentration level. … You are your motivator. You've got to be self-motivated.

"I know coming up the runway and walking out, it's like you're coming out for batting practice. When we hit here, nobody's in yet. And then you realize that you're a few minutes away from playing a Major League Baseball game that's going to count. You try to stay focused on the competition."

Throughout the game, every big play for the Orioles was met with little more than scattered applause from the O's in the dugout, although there was a small but boisterous group of O's fans outside the gate behind the center field picnic area. Some fans also watched the action from the balconies of the Hilton hotel across the street from the ballpark.

The sounds of the game were more distinct than ever, from the sharp crack of the bat every time a hitter made contact to players yelling "I got it!" on pop flies. Foul ball after foul ball clanged into the seats untouched, free from the swarms of fans normally eager to grab a souvenir.

"It was different [and] weird," reliever Tommy Hunter said. "But it's baseball."

Even without a crowd to please, the Orioles' offense put on a show. The Birds racked White Sox starter Jeff Samardzija for six runs in the bottom of the first inning. The first three batters got aboard via a walk, an error and a single, and after an Adam Jones sacrifice fly, Chris Davis blasted a towering home run that landed on Eutaw Street. In a packed ballpark, the prodigious blast would've brought shrieks of delight. Instead, the only thing that punctuated the silence was MASN announcer Gary Thorne's rambunctious "Goodbye, home run!" call.

That MASN viewership wasn't lost on the Orioles. The Birds knew that even if there was nobody in the stands to cheer them on, there were plenty of O's fans watching and enjoying the game, looking for a diversion from a chaotic week in Baltimore.

"They're always watching," Jones said. "The camera's always on. … We're out there playing for our fans. We play for the city of Baltimore. That's across our chests. So we try to represent them."

The early run support was more than enough for O's starter Ubaldo Jimenez, who kept the White Sox bats in check. Through the first four innings, Jimenez faced the minimum 12 hitters, his only blemish a second-inning single that he erased on a . Jimenez notched four strikeouts during that span.

The White Sox plated a pair of unearned runs in the fifth, made possible by third baseman Manny Machado's team-leading fifth error (Machado later atoned for the miscue by hitting a solo homer in the fifth). Jimenez, unfazed, kept Chicago scoreless the rest of the way. He finished his afternoon with seven innings, allowing no earned runs and striking out six. He lowered his season ERA to 1.59, best on the team.

Jimenez acknowledged that it was strange to pitch in front of an empty stadium, but he didn't let it throw him off his game.

"Probably after the first batter I pitched, it was just the same [as normal]," Jimenez said. "You're a professional player. You have to find a way."

Kevin Gausman and Zach Britton finished things off with a scoreless inning apiece, and the game was finished in a brisk two hours and three minutes. The ballpark public address system played

"Orioles Magic" as the O's congratulated each other on the field, but unlike usual, there was no crowd to sing along.

It was no ordinary game in Baltimore April 29. It was a quiet, low-key scene, akin to an intrasquad game. But the Birds' victory counts in the standings all the same.

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2015/04/30/bob-haynie-orioles-beat-white-sox-in-empty-camden- yards/

Bob Haynie: Orioles Beat White Sox In Empty Camden Yards

By Bob Haynie / CBS Baltimore April 30, 2015

No fans, no problem for the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday afternoon against the Chicago White Sox.

Why the fans weren’t there is obviously a major problem here in the Charm City. In the wake of the rioting on Monday and the city-wide 10pm to 5am curfew imposed by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, the Birds and Sox played a Major League Baseball game on a beautiful day with no fans in attendance.

As the city still simmers and seeks answers about the , baseball resumed here in Baltimore after Monday and Tuesday night’s games were postponed.

The circumstances did not prevent Ubaldo Jimenez from rolling through the Chicago lineup and helping the Orioles to an easy 8-2 victory. The veteran righty threw only 89 pitches in seven innings as the Birds won their third-straight contest. Jimenez gave up three hits and walked just one batter as he improved his record to 2-1.

The Baltimore offense backed up Jimenez in a big way by putting six runs on the board in the first inning against White Sox right-hander Jeff Samardzija. 1B Chris Davis provided the big blow of the inning by mashing a three-run homer onto Eutaw Street to give the Orioles a 4-0 advantage.

3B Manny Machado also homered and went 3-for-4 overall to raise his batting average to .254. For the game, the Orioles smacked out 11 hits, including six of the extra-base variety.

For Jimenez it was another outstanding performance as he continues to put his disastrous 2014 season behind him.

The Orioles now head to St. Petersburg to play in the Tampa Bay Rays at The Trop. The Rays have won six of their last eight games and will be the road team during this unique series.

For the Birds, they will continue to improvise and adapt and, hopefully, come back home on May 11 to a calmer and safer Baltimore.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-some-thoughts-and-observations-from-a- bizarre-day-20150430-story.html

Thoughts and observations from a bizarre day at Camden Yards

By Dan Connolly / The Baltimore Sun April 30, 2015

This is my 15th season covering the Orioles and I’ve been around a whole bunch of strange things. Had to cover a who punched a judge on Christmas Day, a snow squall on Opening Day and a performance-enhancing drug suspension for a guy who months earlier delivered the most public and ardent denial of steroid use in baseball history.

And, yet, Wednesday may have been the weirdest of my career. The crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd are tattooed to my consciousness. Yet Wednesday there was one without the other. The first game in Major League Baseball history without fans -– a direct result of the unrest in the city following the death of resident Freddie Gray while in police custody.

One of the quips I heard about 100 times Wednesday -– yes, 100 -– was that I should add one more chapter to my new book, “100 Things Orioles Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” Joking aside, no question Wednesday’s situation would have made the cut had the manuscript been due later this year. It’s certainly one for history -– and history books.

There were so many strange little moments throughout the afternoon. Probably the one that stands out the most was in the middle of the game when a reporter about six seats away shouted my name to get my attention -– something that occurs several times a game in a bustling, rowdy press box.

Except the press box and the stadium were stone silent. And so when he yelled for me, the sound echoed so much that Orioles center fielder Adam Jones, who was in the on-deck circle, heard it and pointed up to us.

Here are some other thoughts from the day:

** My take on the no-crowd game is simple. The Orioles needed to get in one game of the three- game series with the Chicago White Sox because they can’t have a tripleheader later this season. And the White Sox certainly wouldn’t want to make two trips back. So a game had to be played Wednesday.

The turnaround for attempting to move it to another venue -– such as Nationals Park -– was just too quick. Too many logistical nightmares to have to figure out on short notice (security, concessions, parking, transportation, etc).

We saw -– or really felt -– Wednesday how crucial of an element fans are to this game. There was no buzz, no electricity in the stadium because there were no people besides those who were working. But the City of Baltimore could not risk giving up security resources on Wednesday while there was still unrest percolating in pockets of Baltimore.

It was a weird situation and an unfortunate situation. But it was the right call.

** As journalists, we use the cliché, “face of the franchise” way too often (hence, it became a cliché). I’m sure I used it to describe Brian Roberts on several occasions, and probably , too. But Markakis was sort of half the face, with Adam Jones being the other.

And with Markakis gone, no question Jones is the man with the Orioles. If that was questioned, Jones answered it Wednesday, when he went to the pre-game interview room table – usually Buck Showalter’s domain -- and spoke eloquently and introspectively about the unrest in Baltimore, and his connection to inner-city youth. It was as impressive a display as I can remember by a local athlete. He was honest, direct and genuine. Like all of us, Jones has flaws. But the maturation of this man in the past few years –- and the responsibility he has taken on as the most visible African-American athlete in Baltimore –- has been impressive.

** After the game, Jones, unprompted, made a point that many of us had ignored. Again, it was an example of his leadership. In a post-game interview by his locker, Jones thanked the Chicago White Sox for their patience and professionalism this week. Yes, these guys are professional athletes and are paid handsomely.

But they are also people -– sons and dads and brothers. While plenty of Orioles drove out of the city and stayed out of the city during the tense times, the White Sox were in a downtown hotel without their families, not knowing exactly what was going on. Although they weren’t in danger, I’m sure their families were extremely frightened. This is what Jones had to say after the game.

“I want to applaud the White Sox for sticking in with us; it had to be tough on them also,” Jones said. “All the inconveniences we faced, they faced also, especially on the road without their families. So I want to thank them for being tough about it.”

** One actual baseball thought here: Ubaldo Jimenez has been tremendous. He is 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA in four games. After Wednesday’s performance (three hits and no earned runs through seven innings), he’s allowed 10 hits and eight walks while striking out 22 batters in 22 2/3 innings. This is the Ubaldo the Orioles thought they were buying last year.

With Jimenez’s herky-jerky mechanics, the honeymoon period could end quickly, and Wednesday was as good of a time as any for the wheels to fall off. He hadn’t pitched in a week and he was pushed back from Monday to Tuesday to finally starting Wednesday.

This is a guy who needs routine, and his mechanics easily could have faltered with the rest and uncertainty. They didn’t, and that wasn’t lost on Orioles manager Buck Showalter, who said, “Ubie looked like he's been in a five-man rotation for three or four months, so that bodes well for where he is mechanically.”

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-empty-stadium-0430-20150429- story.html#page=1

Even with Camden Yards closed to public, fans found way to support O's

By Eduardo A. Encina and Chris Kaltenbach / The Baltimore Sun April 29, 2015

Kweisi Mfume found himself among a group of Orioles fans peering through the bars of Camden Yards, attempting to peek in on the first major league game without any paying crowd in baseball history.

The former U.S. Congressman and NAACP president has spent recent days trying to help bring a torn city together after unrest following the death of Freddie Gray. A national television interview brought him toward the ballpark, but he stayed to mingle with a group of about 50 Orioles fans who cheered the team to an 8-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox in front of a paid crowd of zero fans inside the ballpark.

The gates to Camden Yards were locked. The Eutaw Street corridor beyond the right field fence — full of hustle and bustle during every game day — was bare. In deference to the pervasive unease affecting Baltimore following the death of Gray, a 25-year-old African-American city resident who died in police custody earlier this month, and the ensuing 10 p.m. city curfew, game time was moved to 2:05 p.m. and not a single fan was allowed through the gates.

Fans were forced to take it in from an obstructed view through the sealed gates and balconies at the Hilton Baltimore.

An Orioles season-ticket holder since the mid-1980s, Mfume recounted his first baseball game as a kid, going to Memorial Stadium in the Orioles' first season in 1954. He said he remembers seeing the franchise's first black player, left-hander Jehosie "Jay" Heard, on the field despite having to sit in the colored section of the stadium.

"It's surreal," Mfume said of the scene outside Camden Yards. "It's kind of eerie, especially when you juxtapose it to what's happening on these corners that I've just left all over the city. [Orioles executive vice president] John Angelos was right on the money, in my opinion, when he said [in a tweet that] a baseball game, to paraphrase, pales in comparison to the hurt and the pain and the anguish in what's going on in our city. The fact that they canceled two of those [games], I was not surprised."

Baseball did resume in Baltimore on Wednesday afternoon – even if the public was not invited – an idea that allowed authorities to allocate resources, including police officers and national guard troops, to be stationed elsewhere in the city.

That didn't prevent Les Bowman and Larry Marsh from making the three-hour drive to Baltimore from their home in Chincoteague, Va. They felt drawn to the city and wanted to help in the cleanup, filling two bags of trash along the way.

By 11 a.m., they were among the first fans claiming a spot, a group that was less than 10 people at first that gathered behind the ballpark gates beyond left-center field, the clearest view of the playing field.

"It's a bummer," Bowman, 28, said of the game being closed to the public. "But at the same time, I completely understand. Even though we don't live here, we love the city. We actually stick up for the city back home. The city gets a bad rep back home. We're constantly sticking up for it. Really, we wanted just to help the city. We wanted to do something. We know there's not a whole lot we can do. It's got to come from a lot higher up. But we have to start working together, get past this and put Baltimore back in the forefront."

Inside the park, this was baseball as it no doubt would be played in "The Twilight Zone."

Few were lucky enough to be inside the gates – nearly 100 press members, a handful of major league scouts and the occasional Orioles staffer – so it wasn't hard to hear what anybody was saying. Infield chatter could be heard clearly and the cheering from fans gathered outside the gates on Camden Street sounded like shouting in a church.

"There wasn't anything normal about today," Orioles reliever Tommy Hunter said after the game, having watched from the bullpen. "Maybe the silence had something to do with it. You could hear the umpire's call from home, about 423 feet away. … It was interesting."

Even without fans in the stands, a handful of distinctive Camden Yards touches endured. Public address announcer dutifully announced each batter. The prerecorded "Star- Spangled Banner" included a muffled "O" roar. And "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" was played during the seventh-inning stretch.

There were none of the video board extras. There was no hot-dog race, no crab version of three- card Monte.

The fans, however, were heard. As the group behind the left-center field gates grew, they chanted, "Let's Go, O's" — even as armored police vehicles drove behind them along Camden Street.

Garrett Baldwin, who lives nearby in the Ridgely's Delight neighborhood, booked a room at the Hilton Baltimore across the street and watched the game from the hotel's fourth-floor deck. He shouted loudly, cheering on Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez, who looked not much larger than an ant from this distance.

Still, it was baseball, and that's what Baldwin said Baltimore needed.

"Just to be able to look in and see this, it's tragic, but it's historic," he said. "Baseball's always been a constant in this town. It's a great reminder of everything that is possible. This city really was united around the Orioles in October. It was kind of a glimmer of hope and I think this city will continuously unite around this team again as we continue to move past this very difficult and volatile social and political process."

Chris Pitro of Charles Village and Paul Dorin of Canton reserved Room 567 in the Hilton, paying $219 for a suite that had a balcony looking into the ballpark. As they watched from the balcony and a hotel window that provided an unobstructed view, they had the game playing on TV and the radio broadcast blaring. They invited about five friends and cheered the Orioles from the balcony.

"They said it was no fans, but fans are watching wherever they can like us," said Pitro, 36.

Steve Orzol, 53, of Joppa, walked along Camden Street holding a largest sign with a likeness of the Orioles' cartoon bird, but with a tear falling from its eye. He called Wednesday a sad day for Baltimore, saying that he tweeted at Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, pleading that she do something to open the gates for the game.

"I told her she needs to do the right thing," Orzol said. "You have to let the fans in the game somehow. You have to talk to Major League Baseball, whatever, because you're staining Baltimore right now. You can do the right thing and we can look like a great city. If you open up these gates, show the country that it's not as bad as you think Baltimore is. What is this going to do to tourism?"

Asked whether he believed Wednesday's game should have been played, Mfume said he believes that judgment should be made by each individual.

"But what I sense is that there was an effort here — reading between the lines of many of the players — to give people for two or three hours a sense of normalcy during a very disruptive situation," Mfume said. "It by no means takes the attention away from the real issue. The real issue is justice for the Gray family."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-schmuck-orioles-column-0430-20150429- column.html

Fanless game a sign that life has to go on in Baltimore

By Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun April 29, 2015

There wasn't a single fan in the stands at Oriole Park for Wednesday's game between the Orioles and Chicago White Sox, and yet it seemed like the whole world was watching.

The fact that Camden Yards would be a no-fan zone already was national news and the press box was packed with inquiring journalistic minds looking for the greater meaning behind what was — in its most basic form — simply a baseball game that the Orioles won in resounding fashion under extremely unusual circumstances.

Of course, there is nothing simple or basic about what has been happening in Baltimore for the past couple of weeks. Neither the civil unrest that has gripped the city nor the human tragedy that spawned it lends itself to easy answers, but there was a message in the curious scene that played out on Wednesday afternoon that had nothing to do with where the Orioles finished the day in the American League East standings.

"The Orioles support the city of Baltimore," Adam Jones said. "In everything, we support Baltimore. We're out there playing for the fans. We play for the city of Baltimore. That's what we wear across our chest, so we're trying to represent them in the best way."

Embedded in that statement is the economic and competitive sacrifice that the Orioles had to make for the sake of a city in turmoil. Based on the average ticket price at the ballpark and the average crowd for a midweek game this time of year, the club probably forfeited more than $1 million (including concessions and parking) on Wednesday and will lose much more playing three home games at Tropicana Field in Florida this weekend — unless they get some economic relief from Major League Baseball's central fund.

They did all that without complaint and the fact that they did something Wednesday that had never been done before — playing a game with the fans essentially locked out — has garnered them international attention that undoubtedly will cut several ways.

The empty ballpark will rightfully be viewed as a sign that life has not returned to normal after the worst rioting in the city since 1968. Sadly, it will also play into the perception that Baltimore is such a dangerous city that it isn't even safe to go to a major league game.

Instead, the players hope that the decision by MLB and the Angelos family to take such drastic and expensive action will be viewed by those watching from afar as a sign of solidarity with the citizens of Baltimore, since the whole point of it was to reduce the strain on the city's first responders and emergency services. The fact that they won their third straight game was just a happy diversion.

"I hope they see the positive side of things," Chris Davis said. "I hope they see the good side of the city and the people that are out there helping clean up and rebuild and get the city back on its feet. I hope that even though the game was closed to the public, they understand what our focus was and we didn't want to take any of the guards or the police officers or any of the people that are protecting the city. We don't want to take them away from their job and be a distraction."

That point was driven home throughout a game where crowd noise was replaced with the sounds of police helicopters above and the sirens of emergency vehicles outside the ballpark.

"Hopefully, something good, something positive can come from this and help us move forward," Davis said.

Time will tell. The Orioles are headed south on Thursday, but the wounds that sparked two nights of violence remain open and the possibility of further unrest has the city very much on edge.

The baseball game wasn't important because it was a baseball game. It was important because it was also a sign that life has to go on. Those who have been critical of the Orioles for playing at all don't get that, but those of us who were there when a terrible earthquake rocked the Bay Area during the 1989 have seen that there is some healing power in our national pastime.

No kids' game is going to solve the deep-rooted problems that plague our society, but sports do have the ability to bind a community together and, if nothing else, give a troubled town a chance to feel good about itself for one very strange afternoon.

It was a bit surreal, but that's OK. I think we've figured out over the past few days that reality isn't all it's cracked up to be.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-notebook-0430-20150429-story.html

Buck Showalter discusses difficulties behind Orioles' scheduling this week

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun April 29, 2015

In addition to Wednesday's closed game against the Chicago White Sox, the schedule changes forced by the Freddie Gray unrest in Baltimore have created logistical issues that the Orioles needed several days to figure out.

Manager Buck Showalter outlined some of the challenges the team faced in scheduling the past week, from collectively bargained off-day guarantees to travel considerations given to players and their families.

Showalter said that the Major League Baseball collective bargaining agreement bans teams from playing more than 20 consecutive days.

The mutual off-day on May 28, when the teams will make up Monday's and Tuesday's games as part of a single-admission doubleheader, doesn't violate that provision. Any other off-day make- up would, meaning the team had to play Wednesday in front of an empty ballpark.

The manager wasn't sure whether Thursday's off-day, which was supposed to fall between two home series, would now involve a team workout to keep them sharp after two days off. But travel to and from Florida wasn't worked out until Wednesday morning, Showalter said.

"We knew we'd probably get [a plane], but we didn't know the size of it," Showalter said. "I was trying to figure out a way to give the players' families the option if they wanted to go with us to Tampa."

The Orioles aren't going through their typical provider, Delta, but he said there would be room on their flight for families if they want to leave the city ahead of more scheduled protests and travel with the team.

They also had to decide whether to fly back to Baltimore after Sunday's 2:05 p.m. game at Tropicana Field, or fly directly to New York. The Orioles have another off-day between the series at Tampa Bay and the two-game set against the at Citi Field.

"These contracts with the hotels are done well in advance," Showalter said. "But we're going to come back here on Sunday instead of going directly to New York. Some players, depending on where they live, are going to leave their families here, and I want them to be able to come back and then we'll take a train up [to New York] on Monday."

Concern for residents, employees

Showalter said he spent over three hours with owner on Tuesday morning as team and league officials worked through possible scheduling solutions, and baseball interests were far from anyone's mind.

"Everything he talked about was about what's best for the city and Baltimore and the safety of our fans and the citizens," Showalter said. "Not once did anything about, you know, revenue or money [enter the conversation]. It was all about that. It made me feel good to listen to. He loves this community and these people and it's sad we are having to go through this."

Part of the consideration in playing before an empty stadium was the desire to have as many law enforcement resources as possible in areas that need it, not at the stadium, Showalter said.

He also said Angeloswas taking the lost income from its ushers, vendors and employees into consideration.

"That's what hit me the other day, going home the first day of how many people were punching out, and how many people, concessionaires, ushers [there are] — people that work in this stadium and depend on these games," Showalter said. "Believe me, it was a topic with Mr. Angelos. That really bothered him, too."

Mixed opinions on lack of series swap

The Orioles have several more trips to Tampa Bay scheduled this season in addition to the rescheduled series, but the Rays won't be swapping one of their scheduled home series in return for this weekend.

"Going to Tampa, I think it's unfortunate that they won't compromise and come here at the end of the season," Britton said. "You'd think they'd have some compassion for what's going on in the city. This is a bigger issue than just baseball and you'd think that they'd have some compassion and come up here when we're supposed to go there. But, unfortunately, that's not the case."

Showalter was more diplomatic, saying he understands everything that goes into making — and subsequently adjusting — the schedule.

"I try to, and we do, put myself in somebody else's shoes," he said. "If Tampa had called us about flip-flopping a series — I think they have a concert scheduled — there are so many things."

Hardy traveling to Tampa Bay, rehab possible next week

Shortstop J.J. Hardy participated in his first baseball activities since Saturday's cortisone shot in his injured left shoulder Wednesday. He said the shot has been effective, and hopes to work up to game action soon.

Hardy will be traveling to St. Petersburg, Fla., with the team this weekend, and said he could play rehab games once the team returns — though he doesn't want to give a timetable.

"It's hard to say," Hardy said. "I thought two weekends ago was realistic, and then it didn't work out. Then, I figured this last weekend was going to be it and it didn't work out, so I'm really not putting a timetable on it, but I'm hoping."

Around the horn

Catcher (elbow) will catch in extended spring training on Thursday. … Second baseman Jonathan Schoop, who is on the disabled list with a right knee sprain, had his knee drained, Showalter said. … Infielder Ryan Flaherty (groin) took 75 swings Wednesday, and will likely be ready to return to the Orioles on the first day he's eligible, which is May 8. … Reliever Wesley Wright (shoulder inflammation) could be throwing by early next week, Showalter said.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-adam-jones-0430-20150429- story.html

O's Adam Jones relates his own experiences to turmoil in Baltimore

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun April 29, 2015

Adam Jones knows aspects of his life growing up in were the same as those of the Baltimore youth whose emotions over the death of Freddie Gray have garnered national attention.

He rode city buses to the mall after school, just like the students who were met Monday by police in riot gear at Mondawmin Mall at the outset of that day's violent protests. He saw resources dedicated to his education and recreation stripped away.

Baseball changed his path and his circumstances, but Jones, as one of the most popular athletes in the city and someone who can relate to their struggles, said Wednesday that the city's youth need a shoulder to cry on.

"I'm not far from these kids, so I understand all the things they are going through," Jones said in a thoughtful 15-minute media session ahead of the first game played behind closed doors in the history of Major League Baseball.

"I say to the youth, your frustration is warranted. The actions, I don't think are acceptable. If you come from where they come from, you understand, but ruining the community that you have to live in is never the answer. … This is their cry. This isn't a cry that is acceptable, but this is their cry and therefore, we have to understand it."

Jones, like so many city leaders in the wake of Monday's riots that led to 20 injured police officers, 235 arrests and countless city businesses destroyed, stressed the positive demonstrations that have occurred since Gray's death on April 19. Gray suffered a severe spinal cord injury during his arrest on April 12, and since his death, demonstrators have been overwhelmingly peaceful in calling for justice. A portion of Saturday's protests turned violent, and Monday evening was violent from the outset.

"The last 72 hours, I think in this city, have been tumultuous to say the least," Jones said. "We've seen good, we've seen bad, we've seen ugly. … The big message is stay strong, Baltimore. Stay safe. Continue to be the great city that I've known to love over the last eight years I've been here. Continue to be who you are. I know there's a lot of damage in the city. There's also been a lot of good protesting.

"Obviously, you can see everybody's not on the same page. The youth are hurting, as the older guys, the older community owe it to the youth to continue to educate them, continue to strengthen them, continue to be by their sides. That's what they need."

Many Orioles spoke about the impact the had on their families, their routines and their lives both on and off the field. But Jones' comments were separated from the normal open locker room setting. As he has before, Jones used his experiences to try to relate real-life struggles with their impact on a baseball game.

Manager Buck Showalter asked how he did, and when he was told Jones spoke well, Showalter said he wasn't surprised. Whenever he's called upon to speak about race relations or city issues, Jones comes through.

Earlier this month, Jones spoke of sports as a unifying factor in society on Day. He said as much on Wednesday, and lamented the "showcase game" atmosphere created by the lack of fans.

"I wish that we had fans to help with the healing process," Jones said. "The other part of deciding to play the game, that's up to the commissioner and owners. That's way out of my hands, but sports bring people together — black, white or indifferent.

"They bring us together, and for those three hours, they can have beers, can have hot dogs, nachos, some Boogs [barbeque] and forget about our daily lives. But today, we just have to play a Major League Baseball game without any fans."

Like Showalter and his Orioles teammates, Jones understood the circumstances of Wednesday's game had little to do with baseball, but that didn't mean the players would treat it as anything other than a game they need to win. By putting on the uniform, they owe it to themselves and the fans watching on television to be focused once the first pitch is thrown.

Passion is typically derived from the fans, he said, but as professionals, it's on the Orioles and Chicago White Sox to generate it on their own.

"I love fans," he said. "They're the passion behind us, but [it's] for their personal security. It doesn't matter how many [police] you have out there. For individual security, it makes sense to not have any people here today."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-behind-the-scenes-0430-20150429- story.html

No-fan facts from closed game at Camden Yards

By Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun April 29, 2015

National anthem — The Orioles played the national anthem over the public address system for the first time in recent memory. That didn't stop a small group of fans watching through the fence behind the bullpens from shouting, "O," at the appropriate moment.

First pitch — Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez threw the first pitch of the game to Chicago White Sox outfielder at 2:06 p.m. — 4 hours, 59 minutes before originally scheduled.

Twitter alert — Eaton got some heat on Twitter for a tweet before the game in which he joked, "We're going to try and take the crowd out of the game early." Turns out, they did. The Orioles scored six runs in the first inning.

Human PA system — When Chris Davis and Manny Machado hit home runs in the early innings, MASN play-by-play man Gary Thorne's, "Goodbye, home run," call could be heard clearly in the stadium without amplification.

Full-court press — The curious case of the empty ballpark drew a very large local and national media contingent. The 92 seats in the press box were all taken and they weren't nearly enough. Ironically, on a day when there were no fans in the stands, the press level was standing room only.

Foul-ball cleanup -- There was no system in place to chase down foul balls, but team employees casually gathered them in the area behind home plate throughout the game. Chris Davis’ home run ball sat on Eutaw Street for several innings. The only one that was retrieved quickly was a foul ball that trickled all the way from the upper deck into a MASN camera well down the third- base line.

The actual crowd count — Three. There were two scouts and the pitch-count operator in the lower bowl of the stadium.

The official crowd count — The Orioles were required by MLB rules to announce the paid attendance which, of course, was zero.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck-blog/bal-itll-be-so-quiet-inside-oriole-park- players-will-have-to-keep-their-mouths-shut-20150429-story.html

It'll be so quiet inside Oriole Park, players will have to keep their 'mouths shut'

By Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun April 29, 2015

Orioles J.J. Hardy said he doesn't know what to expect when the Orioles take the field with no fans in the stands, but he does know one thing. The lack of crowd noise will force players to behave themselves better in the dugout.

"I think a lot of the guys on the bench, like myself, I'm going to have to keep my mouth shut a little bit more, so I don't get tossed,'' Hardy said, "because now the umpires are going to be able to hear everything you're saying, where before you could say a lot of stuff and they wouldn't hear it."

Hardy, who will be a spectator today because he is on the disabled list, said the closest he ever came to playing in front of no one as a professional was on an ugly night in Canada at the Class- AAA level.

"The smallest crowd I think I ever remember playing in front of was Triple-A Ottawa against the Orioles in 2004,'' he said. "It was cold. It was wet. It was snowing. I think there was a big hockey game. And there was nobody at our game. There was probably 50 people.

"Of course, we prefer to have fans, but obviously the situation doesn't call for that and we need to get this game in. We can't figure out three makeup dates for this series. I don't even know if that would be possible with their (the White Sox's) off-days."

Hardy, like everybody else, is just wondering what it will be like to do what has never been done before in modern baseball history, playing before a lockout audience.

"It's just going to be so different,'' he said "I don't have any idea what to expect."

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/121326378/os-and-white-sox-experience-a-game-like-no- other-in-empty-camden-yards

O's, White Sox experience a game like no other Players react to first contest in big league history without fans

By Paul Hagen / MLB.com April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE -- Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez struck out White Sox leadoff hitter Adam Eaton in the first inning and the home crowd cheered in approval.

Except that the crowd in this case was maybe a hundred people gathered outside Oriole Park at Camden Yards, peering in from afar through the iron-grilled gate on Camden Street behind left- center field.

This was a day like no other in baseball history. Civil unrest in the wake of the passing of Freddie Gray, an African-American man who died while in police custody, touched the park on Saturday night, and it caused the postponement of Monday and Tuesday night's scheduled games against the White Sox. The series finale was moved up to Wednesday afternoon, and in an unprecedented move to allow police resources to be deployed where they were needed most, fans weren't allowed to attend.

Orioles broadcaster Jim Hunter opened the telecast, saying, "This is in no way a normal day in the ballpark. The lifeblood of Major League Baseball, its fans, will be missing."

As a result, the game was played before three scouts and 45,968 empty forest green seats.

Before the game, several players said they expected the atmosphere to be similar to morning "B" games on a back field in Spring Training. And that turned out to be about right. The chatter from the dugouts, the fielders calling to each other, the umpires -- all were easily heard across the diamond. O's manager Buck Showalter said he could hear the bullpen phone ringing when he called from the dugout.

"It was different," Showalter added. "I think everybody was real careful what they said in the dugout, because everybody on the field could hear it, [including] the umpires."

The Orioles made noise early, though, scoring six runs in the bottom of the first and cruising to an 8-2 win.

Five-and-a-half hours before the first pitch, a handful of fans were lined up at the ticket windows outside. But they were there exchanging tickets, not buying them for the game that would start in a few hours.

Since there were no fans, there were no ushers. Foul balls hit into the stands eventually rolled to a stop and then remained there.

The scoreboard was operational, and the public address announcer introduced each batter. John Denver's "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" played as usual during the seventh-inning stretch, but the O's mascot, the Bird, didn't dance along on top of the dugout.

Nobody was allowed on the main concourse, where all the concession stands were closed. So was Dempsey's restaurant and the other businesses in the iconic warehouse behind Eutaw Street, which was also shut down.

This announcement was made in the press box in the bottom of the seventh: "For record-keeping purposes, today's official attendance is zero." Normally the number is based on tickets sold, not turnstile count.

Outside the park, it was quiet, with the exception of the hardy souls who strained to follow the action. One was Jake Trout, who carried a black-and-orange sign that read "We Are All One Baltimore" and wore an Adam Jones jersey.

"I'm here to cheer on the team," he said. "I think the biggest reason is that it just shows -- everybody who's here shows -- that we're not afraid. Just because there are people who are trying to take advantage of a terrible situation, we're not going to hide. We're not in fear. We're not going to slink away."

Trout said he would have liked to have watched from a seat inside.

"It's unfortunate," he said, "but it makes sense to try to keep the police personnel and everybody like that in areas where it's needed more."

Across the street, popular watering holes Pickles and Sliders were open for business. At Pickles, the game was being shown on the numerous television sets, but the crowd was sparse despite the Game Day Special: a foot-long hot dog smothered in nacho cheese with bacon, jalapenos, diced tomatoes, onions and a side of sweet slaw.

Showalter's pregame media availability started with the usual injury updates but quickly took a more serious turn. The manager was emotional when talking about a meeting with owner Peter Angelos on Tuesday morning.

"Everything he talked about was about what's best for the city of Baltimore and the safety of our fans and our citizens. Not once did anything about revenue or money arise," Showalter said. "The other thing was that he wanted to make sure that all resources … that the city needs are in the city and not here at Camden Yards."

Showalter said Angelos also expressed concern for the gameday employees and the area businesses that were impacted, not just from Wednesday's action but the fact that the next three home games will be played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg instead.

There were no fans in the stands, and yet there was a sense that the whole world was watching.

"I talked to the players about the people who were going to be sitting around our city -- I understand about the country and whatever -- but who were sitting around our city watching our game," Showalter said. "How many things have gone normal in the last few days? So that's kind of what I took out of it."

Reliever Tommy Hunter shook his head.

"There was nothing normal about that game," he said.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/121297962/paul-hagen-adam-jones-empathizes-with- baltimores-inner-city-youth

Jones empathizes with Baltimore's inner-city youth O's center fielder understands frustration of protesters

By Paul Hagen / MLB.com April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE -- Adam Jones is more than the Orioles' center fielder and cleanup hitter, although both are significant roles. He's even more than the face of the franchise, which carries its own sense of responsibility.

Jones is also the city's highest-profile African-American professional athlete. Most of the time, that's a good thing. For the past week, as streets in his adopted city were overrun with looters and fires raged after Freddie Gray, a young African-American man, died while in police custody, it has taken a toll.

"It's not the easiest [situation to be in]," Jones conceded Wednesday, before the Orioles played a home game behind locked gates with no fans in attendance. "But I understand."

Jones understands because he grew up in San Diego under similar conditions to those who protested. He understands, too, because the social issues in play strike close to his heart. That, after all, is why he's built and helps maintain two inner-city recreation centers in Baltimore and is working on a third.

"It's just not easy, seeing a community that you're trying to effect change in, seeing these kind of things," he said. "These kids are hurting. These kids have seen the pain in their parents' eyes, the pain in their grandparents' eyes over decades. This is their way of speaking on behalf of their parents and behalf of their grandparents and people who have been hurt."

So, yes, without condoning the violence, Jones can identify with the frustrations and the emotions that led to the civil unrest, which led in turn to the unprecedented decision to play a game with an official attendance of zero.

"I say to the youth, 'Your frustration is warranted. The actions, I don't think are acceptable.' If you come from where they come from, you understand. But 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 go back to those convenience stores, go back to all these stores.

"This is their cry. 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. As much as I can give, as much as I know people on the opposition can give, I'm going to try and give as much as I can, because the city needs it."

It wasn't that long ago, Jones noted, that he was an underprivileged teenager using public transportation, meeting his friends at the mall, dreaming of a better life. He had baseball and enough talent to make it to the big leagues, to become an All-Star. Most aren't that fortunate.

"I'm not far from these kids, so I understand all the things they are going through," he said. "It's important to me to reach out to them. That's why my biggest thing is I like to reach out to 12- to 17-year-olds. Those are the ones that need the most help, the ones you are trying to effect their minds, get in their heads. Get them ready for the real world, as opposed to the false realities we see on TV."

Before he took questions, Jones made a few introductory comments that revealed a glimpse of the deep emotions he's experiencing, of the bond he's formed with his home away from home.

"The last 72 hours have been tumultuous to say the least. We've seen good, we've seen bad, we've seen ugly," he said, speaking without notes. "It's a city that's hurting, a city that needs its [leaders] 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. My prayers have been out for all the families, all the kids out there.

"The big message is: Stay strong, Baltimore. Stay safe. Continue to be the great city that I've come to know and love over the eight years I've been here. Continue to be who you are. I know there's been a lot of damage in the city. There's also been a lot of good protesting, a lot of people standing up for the rights that they have in the Constitution, in the Bill of Rights, and I'm just trying to make sure we're on the same page."

At the moment, obviously, everybody is not on the same page. But baseball has often been a rallying point in the past, and Jones clearly hopes it can serve that function again.

"Sports brings people together, black, white or indifferent," he said. "They bring us together, and for those three hours, they can have beers, can have hot dogs, nachos, some Boog's [barbecue] and forget about our daily lives. Sports unites communities.

"It's not easy. This whole process is not easy. We need this game to be played, but we need this city to be healed first. That's what's important to me, that the city is healed. Because this is an ongoing issue. I just hope that the community of Baltimore heads the message of the city."

Baseball can be a difficult game, but life can be infinitely harder. Jones can't fix all the problems by himself. But his powerful, eloquent words Wednesday that back up his actions off the field set a great example.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/121237868/jones-os-eyeing-midsummer-classic-trip

Jones, O's eyeing Midsummer Classic trip

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles, the defending American League East champions, have several players on an early tear and could have quite a presence at the 86th All-Star Game on July 14 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

Outfielder and five-time All-Star Adam Jones leads the group, which also includes Manny Machado, Alejandro De Aza, Chris Davis, Steve Pearce and new Oriole Travis Snider. Injured O's J.J. Hardy and Jonathan Schoop are also on the list along with catcher Caleb Joseph, who has done an admirable job filling in for Matt Wieters.

Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on their computers, tablets and smartphones -- using the 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot until Thursday, July 2, at 11:59 p.m. ET. For the first time, voting is exclusively online, where fans may submit up to 35 ballots.

Fans may also receive the ballot by texting VOTE to 89269 (USA) or 101010 (Canada). Or text VOTA for a ballot in Spanish. Message and data rates may apply. Up to five messages. No purchase required. Reply STOP to cancel. Reply HELP for info.

Following the announcement of the 2015 All-Stars, be sure to return to MLB.com and cast your 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote for the final player for each league's All-Star roster. On Tuesday, July 14, watch the 2015 All-Star Game live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2015 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote.

MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage of All-Star Week festivities.

The 86th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/121325992/orioles-manager-buck-showalter-shares- thoughts-on-baltimore-unrest

Showalter shares thoughts on Baltimore unrest

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE -- While center fielder Adam Jones opined before the game about the situation in Baltimore, it wasn't until after his team's 8-2 win over the White Sox on Wednesday afternoon that manager Buck Showalter was asked directly what his advice would be right now to young African-Americans in Baltimore.

"You hear people try to weigh in on things that they really don't know anything about. ... I've never been black, OK? So I don't know, I can't put myself there," Showalter said. "I've never faced the challenges that they face, so I understand the emotion, but I can't. ... It's a pet peeve of mine when somebody says, 'Well, I know what they're feeling. Why don't they do this? Why doesn't somebody do that?' You have never been black, OK, so just slow down a little bit.

"I try not to get involved in something that I don't know about, but I do know that it's something that's very passionate, something that I am, with my upbringing, that it bothers me, and it bothers everybody else. We've made quite a statement as a city, some good and some bad. Now, let's get on with taking the statements we've made and create a positive. We talk to players, and I want to be a rallying force for our city. It doesn't mean necessarily playing good baseball. It just means [doing] everything we can do. There are some things I don't want to be normal [in Baltimore again]. You know what I mean? I don't. I want us to learn from some stuff that's gone on on both sides of it. I could talk about it for hours, but that's how I feel about it."

http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2015/04/29/121348028

Listen to broadcaster Gary Thorne do his best Masters voice during the O's game

By Gemma Kaneko / MLB.com April 29, 2015

The strange silence that the White Sox and Orioles played in on Wednesday reminded Baltimore broadcaster Gary Thorne of another sport where no one makes any noise and seems to be witnessed entirely by an audience of ghosts.

Yes, Thorne did his best Masters voice and his dulcet tones are surprisingly soothing. Watch the video above to hear him calmly call Adam Jones' double like he's talking about Rory McIlroy at the 18th hole. Well, they probably don't use the verb "whack" in golf. But maybe they should.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/121332688/orioles-first-baseman-chris-davis-throws-balls- to-no-one-in-particular

Davis throws balls to no one in particular at empty stadium

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE -- Just because there weren't any fans in the stand didn't mean first baseman Chris Davis couldn't keep his tradition going.

The All-Star, who slugged a three-run home run to little fanfare in the first inning, tossed a ball into the empty stands several times during the Orioles' 8-2 win over the White Sox on Wednesday afternoon.

"It was something I joked about before the game started that I was going to do, just as a fun thing to help everybody kind of relax," Davis said of his antics, which stood out in a game in which paid attendance was officialy zero. "It never fails, catch a ball to end the inning, it's just reaction. But I thought it would be fun. The first few were in the lower section and then I gave some love to the fans in the upper deck."

Davis, like his teammates, was well aware that just because fans were not admitted -- because of riots in Baltimore -- didn't mean that the whole country wasn't watching the first no-fans game.

"Hopefully, [they] see the positive side of things," Davis said of the national spotlight on Wednesday's game. "I hope they see the good side of the city and the people who are out there helping to clean up and rebuild and help get the city back on its feet. I hope that even though the game was closed to the public, [people see] what our focus was. We didn't want to take the [National] Guard or the police officers, the people who are protecting the city, you didn't want to take them away from their job and be a distraction. I hope the win kind of gives us a shot in the arm and picks everybody up."

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/121269124/colome-tillman-to-duel-as-rays-os-begin- unique-set

Colome, Tillman to duel as Rays, O's begin unique set

By Bill Chastain / MLB.com April 29, 2015

Alex Colome will make his first start of the season -- and first appearance -- when the Rays and Orioles meet Friday night at Tropicana Field. Chris Tillman will start for Baltimore.

Because of the unrest in Baltimore, the series was relocated to Tropicana Field, and the Orioles will be the home team.

Colome had visa issues in Spring Training, followed by a case of pneumonia, which delayed his start to his season.

"It's like being at your own house, but visiting," Colome said.

Tillman will look to rebound after taking the loss in his last start at Toronto when he allowed seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings.

Three things to know about this game:

1. The Orioles hold a 2-1 advantage over the Rays after winning a three-game series at Tropicana Field to begin the season.

2. Colome said he is prepared to throw 90-100 pitches, but the chances of that happening are not likely since he threw just 65 in his final Minor League rehab start on Sunday.

3. Evan Longoria has six home runs and a .389 batting average in 36 career at-bats against Tillman.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/121301694/orioles-adjust-to-scheduling-changes

Orioles willing to adjust to schedule changes Home series against Rays at Tropicana Field begins 9-game trip

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE -- For the Orioles, who played in an empty stadium at Camden Yards in Wednesday's 8-2 victory against the White Sox, the adjustments are just beginning. Because of protests in the city, the Orioles' weekend series against the Tampa Bay Rays will shift to St. Petersburg, though the O's will still wear their home whites and get to bat second.

Baltimore, which will employ the workers at Tropicana Field and pay for any stadium expenses, will get the money from the weekend's tickets -- which are $15 for general admission -- and concessions. But the Orioles will essentially lose five home games -- with Monday and Tuesday's postponed contests now a single-admission doubleheader -- without any revenue or the comfort of their home fans.

"I don't think I just speak for myself, but a couple guys in the clubhouse, too, the unfortunate thing is we can't just swap," Orioles closer Zach Britton said of the weekend series. "[The Rays] won't just come back to our place [in July's scheduled meeting]. You would think they would see the situation we are in and understand that this is a lot more important than baseball and we are doing this for the right reasons. And that they would be willing to go back to our place when we were supposed to be at their place." owner Stu Sternberg told reporters there wasn't a whole lot of back-and-forth between Major League Baseball and the Rays before the final decision was announced.

"[A series swap] came up," he said. "I wouldn't say [they] asked, 'Will you please do it?' It was up for discussion."

And, similar to playing in a neutral site like Washington or Philadelphia, the swap was deemed not the best solution. Instead, the O's will board a plane big enough to accommodate their families -- which traveling secretary Kevin Buck was able to secure at the last minute -- on Thursday's off-day to start what is now a 10-day, nine-game road trip.

"It's tough, everyone knows how much we like playing in front of our fans, how important baseball is to the city of Baltimore," said Orioles starter Chris Tillman, who will start Friday's game. "It goes to show how bad this really is, that we actually have to move it. You know, better safe than sorry."

And while there's no denying the abrupt change in schedule, Tillman and the rest of the Orioles, who have been closely following the coverage of the Freddie Gray protests on clubhouse TVs, aren't complaining about their plight.

"To say something that we are going to go through on a baseball field playing in the big leagues is difficult is really insensitive to everything else that's going on. It's a small thing for us, comparatively speaking," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "One of the things that we all, not just me, tried to do when I came here was eliminate excuses. I don't want to hear about payroll, I don't want to hear about things like that. This is different.

"Some are self-inflicted and, quite frankly, I feel like, the way I look at it, it is self-inflicted. Even though someone in our locker room didn't [cause problems], but we are citizens of this community. And if something is going on here that creates this type of situation, it's a reflection on all of us, and we should look at it that way."

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/121282132/orioles-shortstop-jj-hardy-close-to-returning- to-game-action

Hardy close to returning to game action Wieters, Flaherty also take positive steps

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE -- While most of the pregame news on Wednesday centered around the Orioles- White Sox game having no fans permitted, there were some positive notes on the O's injury front.

Shortstop J.J. Hardy planned to test his left shoulder, and he will go with the team to St. Petersburg to continue his rehab. If he feels OK, he could play in games after that.

"Definitely [feeling a lot better]," said Hardy, who had an injection in the area on Saturday and was shut down the past few days. "Think the cortisone has worked."

Catcher Matt Wieters ( surgery) will play in an extended spring game on Thursday, and Ryan Flaherty (groin strain) -- who is still with the team -- took 75 swings on Wednesday and should be ready to come off the disabled list when eligible.

Manager Buck Showalter also said Jonathan Schoop had fluid drained from his right knee to help get the last bit of swelling out, and Wesley Wright (trapezius strain) will be able to resume throwing early next week in Sarasota, Fla.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/04/gary-kendall-on-dylan-bundy-he-had- dominating-type-stuff.html

Gary Kendall on Dylan Bundy: "He had dominating-type stuff"

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com April 30, 2015

The box score says Double-A Bowie pitcher Dylan Bundy turned in his finest start in 2015 yesterday afternoon in Erie, Pa. His manager says it wasn't the first time that Bundy impressed. The results just happened to match his stuff.

Bundy, still ranked as the Orioles' top pitching prospect, struck out five batters in three perfect innings.

Before yesterday, Bundy had allowed four runs and eight hits in nine innings, with two walks and nine strikeouts. He gave up two runs and four hits over three innings in each of his last two starts.

"It was his best start, but all of his starts have been really good," said Baysox manager Gary Kendall, whose team is off today before beginning a seven-game homestand. "He's had good stuff and the results haven't gone with it. His other outings have been very good and it may have been a two-out cheap hit after a walk that cost him a run or something like that and it messed up his line. But each outing, he's gotten better.

"Yesterday, he had dominating-type stuff. I only had him one year in 2012 and in those innings back then he'd throw a but there wasn't a slider. Yesterday, his slider was superb. I mean, above-average. He located his fastball to both sides of the plate and his angle was good, it was down. Just a really clean delivery. You just knew the difference from when it left his hand and it was really nice to sit back and watch."

Because there's always going to be an obsession over Bundy's velocity, I fed into it by asking whether he still topped out at 94 mph.

"He was in that range," Kendall said. "The gun readings in Erie were really off, but the range yesterday was 90-94. He's sitting at 92-93. But the way he stayed over the ball and the angle of it, he looked better. Just cleaner."

Bundy, who underwent ligament-reconstructive surgery on his right elbow in 2013, will be restricted to three innings and around 60 pitches for one more start.

"Then we're going to increase it to four and hopefully by the end of the year build up to a five- inning plateau," Kendall said.

The Baysox are using a five-man rotation, but an extra reliever in the bullpen allows them to cover for Bundy.

"We don't piggyback because it's a different guy," Kendall said. "Yesterday, Ashur Tolliver picked him up in the fourth inning. We've got to get some length out of the bullpen, but going with 13 helps."

Brandon Snyder, the Orioles' first-round pick in 2005, homered yesterday in his second game with Bowie. It was Snyder's first hit with the Baysox since 2009.

The Orioles signed Snyder, 28, out of the independent Atlantic League.

"It's good to have Brandon back," Kendall said. "What's funny is the other night I couldn't sleep. I up at 2:30 in the morning and wondered what he was doing. We have a mutual friend, Mark Harris, who's the hitting coach in Harrisburg. We talked about him earlier in the year and Mark said he was playing independent baseball in Southern Maryland. I texted Brandon and asked what he was doing and his interest level in coming back, not just with us but anybody if the opportunity presented itself. I went back to sleep and woke up at 8:30 because the phone rang, and it was him on the other end. We talked and it just worked out."

Once Brian Graham got involved, a minor league deal easily was struck.

"We had an injury to (Mike) McDade and Brandon called Graham and he decided it was a good signing," Kendall said. "He played first base for us the last two days and he's done real well. It's good to have him back in the fold. I last managed him in 2006 in Delmarva. It's been a while but it's good to have him back.

"He has good memories of Baltimore. He drove up to Erie and we sat and talked about all the good things, so he has a lot of positive things to say. He still had his Orioles gear, believe it or not, so we didn't really have to send down for it. It was a lot of nostalgia. He had the old bird and different things, but he still had his Orioles gear."

Snyder's age doesn't necessarily make him stand out in the Eastern League.

"What's amazing in this whole league so far, Jake Fox is in New Hampshire," Kendall said. "Brendan Harris was the shortstop yesterday in Erie and he's 34. Brandon's not real old. Not that 28 is great and all that, but it's really not that old in Double-A anymore, surprisingly."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/04/this-that-and-the-other-81.html

This, that and the other

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com April 30, 2015

The Orioles finally start playing again and now they're off.

This break in the schedule was planned. The Orioles will fly to Tampa later tonight, which wasn't supposed to happen until the three-game series moved south.

Manager Buck Showalter considered holding a workout today at Camden Yards, but he wanted to check whether his team was rusty after back-to-back postponements. The Orioles batted around in the first inning, scoring six runs, and defeated the White Sox 8-2.

Didn't look rusty to me.

The Orioles are riding a season-high three-game winning streak. It sounds like a short ride, but it counts. They'll be the home team for the weekend series at Tropicana Field, which means the gray road pants stay in Baltimore.

The Rays are selling $15 general admission tickets to the Friday and Sunday games and $18 general admission tickets on Saturday. The Orioles were allowed to choose the starting times and, giving the series a Camden Yards feel, went with 7:05 p.m. the first two nights and 1:35 p.m. on Sunday.

The Rays told their media that they're going to offer a "generic" presentation for the games. The Oriole Bird is invited to show up. I assume that D.J. Kitty will find another gig or just lay low for the weekend.

Orioles fans have been known to take over Tropicana Field, so the atmosphere doesn't figure to be too unsettling. The team just played in an empty ballpark. How much stranger can it get?

Infielder Ryan Flaherty has been watching televised footage of the protests and rioting in Baltimore, but he's been able to stay out of harm's way.

"(Tuesday) was a little bit weird driving to the field and seeing armored tanks and stuff, but the Federal Hill side isn't bad," he said. "I haven't been to the other side, so I don't really know. It was kind of surreal leaving the stadium on Monday, the sirens. That was a little bit eerie. But personally I haven't seen anything.

"I've actually kept the news on in my apartment. Even when I went to the field I left it on. It's kind of a crazy situation."

Flaherty, on the disabled list with a groin injury, sat in the dugout yesterday while the Orioles and White Sox played a game without fans in the seats. The attendance was announced as "zero."

"It's never happened in baseball, maybe even professional sports. It's surreal, but it just goes to show that there's more important things going on in the city than just a baseball game." Flaherty said.

"It's sad. I've been here four years now and I like the city a lot. It's a nice city and it's sad to see that happen and hopefully it ends in a peaceful manner."

Flaherty is trying to get back in the lineup. He took 75 swings yesterday and is approaching a rehab assignment.

"I feel good. I hit today in batting practice and I've been throwing and stuff. It feels good," he said.

"We haven't discussed the exact date but it feels good and I'm sure it'll be pretty soon."

J.J. Hardy took some swings yesterday after receiving a cortisone injection in his left shoulder Saturday and being shut down. He still hasn't played a single game for the Orioles or one of their affiliates this season.

"I think the cortisone has worked," he said.

And if yesterday's session went well?

"Start progressing more," he said. "Just doing more baseball activities and working up to the games."

Hardy will accompany the Orioles to Tampa and continue his workouts, which most likely eliminates the chance of starting his rehab assignment over the weekend.

"Probably not for at least these three days down in Tampa, but hopefully right around there when we come back here after Tampa, it would be nice to go play somewhere," Hardy said.

"It's hard to say. Like I said last time, I thought two weekends ago was realistic and then it didn't work out. And then I figured this last weekend was going to be it and it didn't work out. So I'm really not putting a timetable on it, but I'm hoping. I'm hoping for it."

Triple-A Norfolk knuckleballer Eddie Gamboa held Buffalo to one run and three hits over six innings yesterday.

Brandon Snyder hit his first home run since signing a minor league deal and being assigned to Double-A Bowie. Dylan Bundy struck out five batters over three scoreless innings and didn't allow a hit or walk a batter.

Major League Baseball released the All-Star ballots yesterday and it includes nine Orioles - Hardy, first baseman Steve Pearce, second baseman Jonathan Schoop, third baseman Manny Machado, designated hitter Chris Davis, catcher Caleb Joseph and Alejandro De Aza, Adam Jones and Travis Snider.

Hardy makes it on the ballot, but catcher Matt Wieters is excluded. Davis is slotted as the designated hitter instead of the first baseman.

The 86th All-Star Game will be held on July 14th at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. For the first time, balloting will be conducted exclusively online, with fans casting their votes for starters 35 times exclusively at MLB.com and all 30 team web sites.

I'm glad that I grew up in an era when I could sit in the stands and use a pencil to punch out the holes on a paper ballot, and try desperately to replace the little square when I accidentally poked the wrong one.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/04/wrapping-up-an-8-2-win.html

Wrapping up an 8-2 win

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com April 29, 2015

A game was played inside an empty ballpark today with the world watching.

If it blinked, it missed everything.

The Orioles completed their 8-2 victory over the White Sox in 2 hours and 3 minutes. We learned that fans must be the problem with the pace of game.

Ubaldo Jimenez allowed two unearned runs and lowered his ERA to 1.59 in 22 2/3 innings. Manny Machado committed an error, but he also went 3-for-4 with a double, home run and three runs scored. Chris Davis homered onto Eutaw St.

Adam Jones extended his home hitting streak to 10 games (.459/.488/.892), going 17-for-37 with two doubles, a triple, four home runs, 12 RBIs and 12 runs scored. The Orioles improved to 21-1 when Caleb Joseph has an RBI.

It happened in a mostly quiet setting, though manager Buck Showalter pointed at reporters and said, "I could hear every word you all were saying up there."

"It was kind of like instructional league, Gulf Coast League, Arizona League. It was different," he said.

"I was real proud of our guys, their concentration level. We talked a little bit in the advance meeting today how every game is an opportunity to get closer to our goal regardless of circumstances. They really played well."

Showalter said the Orioles tested the bullpen phone before the game, and he could hear it ringing while sitting in the dugout.

"I think everybody was real careful about what they said from the dugout because everybody on the field could hear it, the umpires and them," Showalter said.

Showalter had another quip when asked whether he noticed the empty ballpark while focusing on the game.

"That would be pretty self-incriminating. I can't win answering that question," he said.

"It was still baseball between the lines. It's still that. There are so many things that cross your mind. Some of the altercations we've had early in the season, I was thinking how much of that is feeding off crowd reaction? Would we have had those same altercations if there wasn't? But thank goodness there are. And it reminded me a little bit of some of the pictures you saw during the strike year of empty stadiums. There's a lot of thoughts that go through your head.

"Coming up the runway and walking out, it's kind of like batting practice. When we hit, nobody's here yet. You realize that you're a few minutes away from playing a Major League Baseball game that's going to count. You tried to stay focused on the competition, us trying to get where we want to be at the end of the season. But I also talked to them about the people who are going to be sitting around our city watching this game. How many things have gone on around here normal here in the last few days in our society."

A group of fans gathered behind the bullpen area in left-center field and cheered the Orioles.

"They were heard," Showalter said, smiling.

Davis' home run ball was heard bouncing onto Eutaw St., but it wasn't accompanied by the usual eruption of crowd noise.

"I was just hoping it stayed fair and we got three ducats on the board," Showalter said. "You'd like to have that reaction at home. We're going into another situation where there probably won't be that many people there. You are your motivator. You've got to be self-motivated.

"We don't feel like we sacrificed anything in terms of baseball and the season. At the end of the day, we're both playing in the same environment and we're going to be playing in a similar environment tomorrow. They were asking me whether we were going to wear white pants or gray, etc. "

Asked what he took away from today's game, Showalter replied, "Everything in life, this too shall pass. Something's bad if you keep repeating it. We hope to take out of it a starting point for our city. The curfew put us in a challenge to play games at night. So we had to move the game to 2 o'clock and to Tampa.

"Maybe that's a little too self-absorbed to think that could happen. It's kind of like in '95, Seattle, turning point. This is a lot more serious to me than a baseball strike."

Showalter was asked whether he had a message for young black males in the city.

"You hear people try to weigh in on things that they really don't know anything about," he replied. "I tell guys all the time when they talk about ... I've never been black, OK? So I don't know, I can't put myself there. I've never faced the challenges that they face, so I understand the emotion, but I can't ...

"It's a pet peeve of mine when somebody says, 'Well, I know what they're feeling. Why don't they do this? Why doesn't somebody do that?' You have never been black, OK, so just slow down a little bit. I try not to get involved in something that I don't know about, but I do know that it's something that's very passionate, something that I am with my upbringing that it bothers me and it bothers everybody else. We've made quite a statement as a city, some good and some bad. Now, let's get on with taking the statements we've made a create a positive.

"We talk to players, and I want to be a rallying force for our city. It doesn't mean necessarily playing good baseball. It just means everything we can do... There are some things I don't want to be normal. You know what I mean? I don't. I want us to learn from some stuff that's gone on on both sides of it. I could talk about it for hours, but that's how I feel about it."

Jimenez is 5-0 with a 2.72 ERA in his last six starts at Camden Yards. He held the White Sox to two unearned runs and three hits over seven innings today, with one walk and six strikeouts. Kevin Gausman and Zach Britton each tossed a scoreless inning to complete the win.

"It's so hard," Showalter said. "Things like this, you get a few rainouts or whatever and your mechanics get tested. The guys that are together mechanically don't have as much of an adjustment.

"Gaus hadn't pitched in six days and I didn't want him to go eight because if they don't pitch today you have to add two to it. And Zach would have been five days. We still have I think three guys down there I wish I could have pitched today, but Ubaldo wouldn't let us. You're so careful about changing the karma of that game with the way he's pitching. Ubie looked like he's been in a five-man rotation for three or four months, so that bodes well for where he is mechanically."

White Sox infielder Micah Johnson seemed to be rattled by empty setting.

"It was weird," he said. "You can't compare it to anything. It was definitely weird. It was quiet, there's nothing going on. You hear everything. The atmosphere, it's just not how baseball is (supposed) to be played.

"Being out there with nobody saying anything, it's definitely different. Baseball, especially at this level, two really competitive teams and no one can watch, it's not how it's supposed to be played. It's unfortunate.

"You heard some of the announcing when you got up there. That's how quiet it was. You hear literally everything.

"It's weird out there, especially on defense. You've got the glare from all the empty seats from the sun. It's something you don't ever have to deal with or prepare for. Hopefully that never happens again."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/04/orioles-bats-making-noise-in-quiet- ballpark.html

Orioles' bats making noise in quiet ballpark

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com April 29, 2015

A group of fans have gathered at Gate H beyond left-center field today and are offering their support for the Orioles, who batted around in the bottom of the first inning and scored six runs.

The fans yelled "O" during the anthem, spelled out O-R-I-O-L-E-S and began a chant of "Let's Go Orioles." We can hear every letter and word from the press box.

Chris Davis hit a three-run homer to right, the ball landing on Eutaw St., as part of the offensive onslaught against White Sox starter Jeff Samardzija. We heard MASN's Gary Thorne yell "Goodbye, home run" as though we were watching at home.

The Orioles have batted around and scored six runs in three of their last seven innings dating back to Sunday's game against the Red Sox. The next two games were postponed due to safety concerns.

Leadoff hitter Alejandro De Aza walked and singled in the first. Jimmy Paredes reached on an error and grounded out to end the inning.

Adam Jones lifted a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded and no outs before Davis' home run. Manny Machado and Everth Cabrera doubled and Caleb Joseph poked an RBI single into right field.

Joseph also had an RBI single in the third to increase the lead to 7-0. Cabrera is 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles.

A recorded version of the anthem was played before the game and some players are using their walk-up music when they're introduced over the PA system. Foul balls clank in the empty seats, making me wonder if they will be cleaned up later like peanut shells.

Delmon Young popped up leading off the bottom of the second and first baseman Jose Abreu easily could be heard calling for the ball while first base coach Wayne Kirby yelled "Run it out."

The scene really does remind me of a spring training intrasquad game.

Ubaldo Jimenez has thrown four scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out four.

Manager Buck Showalter met with the media earlier today as he always does and provided updates on the injured Orioles.

"(Ryan) Flaherty took 75 swings today," Showalter said. "He's doing well. I feel real confident he's going to make the DL period. In fact, I think you'll see him out playing the first part of the week on a rehab assignment. His day is the 8th. Does that sound right? Somewhere in there.

"This is J.J. (Hardy's) third day and he's going to hit today, so we'll get a pretty good feel for where he is with his shoulder. Hope we get some good response there. Matt (Wieters) will catch tomorrow down there. Not today. Decided to get one more day there. Jon (Schoop) got his knee aspirated just so we could get that last fluid out of there and get with some strengthening exercises. Wes Wright, I think we're going to see him out there throwing the first of the week, so that's good to see. He's going to move quickly once that happens."

Showalter knew that the interview room was packed with media because of the historic circumstances surrounding today's game. He spent more than three hours yesterday in owner Peter Angelos' office discussing the alternatives.

"Peter and the front office and everybody took input from a lot of people," Showalter said. "Obviously, it's uncharted territory and nobody's got experience at it. In fact, I know we were asked to keep notes in case we get to this again, there are some things you can refer back to, the things you did that worked out well and things that looking back on you might want to do differently next time. That's kind of the world in general. But I think a lot of people are kind of... Do you remember when they had the football game with no announcers? Why didn't they continue to do that? So it must have not worked well."

The Orioles didn't want to postpone this game, as well, and wipe out the entire series.

"Our problem is the doubleheader in May, the 28th, was there, but after that making up the other game..." he said. "And we thought it was in some ways important to get some things going. You don't want to have the first time you play here be a week or two. You don't know what tomorrow's going to bring, a week from now is going to bring.

"It makes you realize how unimportant really in a lot of ways this is compared to some things that are going on, so you try to keep that in mind and look at things realistically about where this fits in the scheme of things. I'm talking about the baseball game. There are so many things and you prioritize what's most important. We tried to do that."

Showalter said no consideration was given to moving the weekend series against the Rays to Sarasota.

Everybody's got a thought or a suggestion. Believe me, we heard them all," Showalter said. "First of all, I try to, and we do, put myself in somebody else's shoes. If Tampa had called us about flip-flopping a series. I think they have a concert scheduled. There are so many things. People have booked... At the same time we have three games here that are going away. I was thinking about all the businesses and everything that depend on those games being played here. There's so many people impacted by it. But I don't know. Two wrongs make a right type thing? I don't know.

"I know they talked with Tampa. Yesterday, we had to decide who was going to wear the white uniform and the gray and who was going to take BP first. There was another one. Oh, start times. They make them or do we make them? So it's just a lot of uncharted territory and you try to do what's right and know you're going to make some mistakes along the way."

Showalter has been watching footage of the rioting like everyone else

"I think we all have a reaction, we all have an opinion, we all have a thought on it, but does it help you get to the end game? he asked. "What is the end game? I'm trying to be cautious about it. We have enough people weighing in on something and a lot of people don't know all the facts. And I'm not an expert on... I have some opinions.

"I've watched it very closely like we all have and I just hope at the end of the day when it's all said and done we can grab some positive out of it. But I do. You know I have an opinion on it and a thought on it. I'll tell you what, it's sad on a lot of fronts. And keep in mind how we got to this point. I think I'm kind of past pointing a finger. I just want to see the city, I want it to be like it was. There are some things you don't want it to be like it was."

What about the impression that the violence has left on new players?

"I thought about that," Showalter said. "That's probably something I'll think about more. I don't want to be cold to it, but it's like what the agent says when it's not about the money, it's about the money. But we've been offering something here and we will continue to be able to do it, which is opportunity. But I think it's yet to be seen how it will reflect on something like this down the road.

"Every city's got their challenges, OK? That would be a question for the players, how much they really consider that. We have a lot of great things to offer here and when this is said and done, I think there's a chance that our city will be better than it was before in a lot of ways, if you know where I'm going. I hope."

Showalter also was asked about the mindset of his team.

"There's no blueprint," he said. "I wish I was that reader of the tea leaves. We were talking about whether we're going to have a workout tomorrow before we left and I decided I want to see what level of rustiness there is. We've got an advance meeting today. We've never had an advance meeting in the daytime. There's a lot of new things.

"We're going to hit in the home team's slot in Tampa. We're going to wear white pants on the road. There's a lot of different things, but it's what these guys do a lot. They make a lot of adjustments on the fly. You play with a team and you get traded and three days later you're across in the other lockerroom. I don't think a lot of us can identify with what a challenge that is. And every night I'm (amazed) by the concentration level they're able to have.

"In the spring we piped in a lot of loud sound to try to simulate stadium noise. We didn't practice the quiet one. You've also got to be careful about the sweet nothings you throw out of the dugout with umpires. They're going to be able to hear everything."

So can the White Sox from the opposite dugout.

"When it's all said and done I guarantee there are some things that go on out there that we really haven't thought about being different," Showalter said. "Like replay or no replays on the board. We can hear the phones. There are certain stadiums that I try to time when I call the bullpen because there's nothing worse than a pitcher standing on the mound and they know the sound of the bullpen phone and he's thinking as he's getting ready to throw, 'Geez, he's getting ready to get somebody up for me in the bullpen.' Here, I could just about holler down there."

I'll have more from Showalter in my next entry.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/04/adam-jones-this-isnt-a-cry-thats-acceptable- but-this-is-their-cry.html

Adam Jones: "This isn't a cry that's acceptable, but this is their cry"

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com April 29, 2015

Center fielder Adam Jones had something he needed to say this morning and the Orioles were happy to accommodate him.

Jones has been deeply moved by the rioting and protests in the city. He's watched the footage on television, he's tried to reach out to people.

Today, he spoke up.

"The last 72 hours I think in this city have been tumultuous, to say the least," Jones said. "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's hurting, 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. My prayers have been out for all the families, all the kids out there. They're hurting.

"The big message is: Stay strong Baltimore, stay safe. Continue to be the great city that I've known to love over the last eight years I've been here. Continue to be who you are. I know there's been a lot of damage in the city. There's also been a lot of good protesting, a lot of people standing up for the rights that they have in the Constitution, in the Bill of Rights, and I'm just trying to make sure we're on the same page.

"Obviously, you can see everybody's not on the same page. The youth are hurting and as the older guys, the older community, we owe it to the youth to continue to educate them, continue to strengthen them, continue to be by their sides. That's what they need. I don't think they need more antagonizing. They need a shoulder to cry on. I think the city leaders can be that for these kids and for the community."

What comfort can Jones offer?

"The comfort I can give them is someone has your back," he said. "When you look at the picture and no one is fighting for you. There's people like myself. I can't just name all the athletes because there are so many city leaders that are actually doing things in Baltimore that are affecting change. I say to the youth, your frustration is warranted. The actions I don't think are acceptable. If you come from where they come from, you understand, but 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 go back to those convenience stores, go back to all these stores.

"This is their cry. This isn't a cry that is acceptable, but this is their cry, and therefore we have to understand it. Like I said, they need hugs, they need love, they need support. As much as I can give, as much as I know people on the opposition can give, I'm going to try and give as much as I can because the city needs it.

"I would say it's uneasy, but I feel the pain of these kids. Let's not forget I grew in similar tracks as them.

"It's just not easy, seeing a community that you're trying to affect change in, seeing these kind of things. These kids are hurting. These kids have seen the pain in their parent's eyes, the pain in their grandparent's eyes over decades. This is their way of speaking on behalf of their parents and behalf of their grandparents and people who have been hurt."

Jones hasn't had an opportunity to speak with Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

"Her agenda, it would be really hard to get to her," Jones said. "At the same time, I have a family I have to protect. I have to make sure my family is obviously, my No. 1 priority. I have to make sure they are protected. I have been in contact with the public on the front line, they're out there marching. There has been a lot of positive feedback. Obviously what we see on TV is the negative things, but there have been a lot of positive change for the city."

Jones said playing a game today with no fans will feel "like a showcase game."

"There's going to be no one here, literally nobody in the stands," Jones said. "It's shocking because these are things that unite communities in dark times. It's not just baseball, it's whatever sport is going on at the time. I understand the safety issues. I drove around the city and see the National Guard here.

"Sports unites communities. To have fans, it would be awesome because it can give them three hours of distractions and that's what sports brings. It's a small distraction from the real world. I think the people of Baltimore need that, but at the same time the safety of those people are very important to those people, the Orioles, Major League Baseball and to the city of Baltimore. Therefore, it's understandable why they're not allowing any fans. It's going to be weird, but it's understandable.

"Listen, I wish that we had fans to help with the healing process. The other part of deciding to play the game, that's up to the commissioners and owners. That's way out of my hands, but sports bring people together, black white or indifferent. They bring us together, and for those three hours, they can have beers, can have hot dogs, nachos, some Boogs and forget about our daily lives. But today, we just have to play a Major League Baseball game without any fans. I think it's the first time in history. Hopefully some people in the warehouse are looking so we can have some onlookers, because I don't think Eutaw Street will be open."

Should the city and Orioles have beefed up security and played the game under normal circumstances?

"That part's not up to me," Jones replied. "I can't answer that because I'm not in that position. I play center field, not manage security for Camden Yards. I love fans. Sports are generated, they derive from the fans. They're the passion behind us, but for their personal security. It doesn't matter how many you have out there. For individual security, it makes sense to not have any people here today.

"It's not easy. This whole process is not easy. We need this game to be played, but we need this city to be healed first. That's important to me, that the city is healed, because this is an ongoing issue. I just hope that the community of Baltimore heads the message of the city leaders."

Jones was asked about the lack of facilities for kids in the city.

"I've built two centers and helped maintain two centers in Baltimore. I'm working on my third right now," he said. "I haven't been around the city enough to really see how many places are affected, but I do know one thing - inner city projects, communities, the funding is definitely being stripped. I know that part, that's from San Diego. That's been happening anyway.

"It's good that you have guys like myself that are going out there and putting their own time. It's not about the money, it's about the time. These kids want to see face. When they just see something nice, they're like, "cool." They don't care. When they see a face behind it and someone actually caring about it, they tend to take care of it a little better. Myself, Torrey Smith, (Ray) Lewis, tons of people in Baltimore and all over other cities and communities have affected change in their communities because inner city funding have gone down.

"I don't know what the reason of it is. I'm not a politician, I just play sports. But I know that I'm in a unique situation to where I can affect a lot of those and try and bring back some of the things, some of the memories I had as a kid.

"It's not the easiest, but I understand. I understand the situation that these kids are in. Not too long ago I was one of those teenagers using city transpotirtion, meeting up at the mall with my friends after school. Doing all of the same things. Baseball was an outlet, something that pushed me in different directions. But I'm not far from these kids, so I understand all the things they are going through. It's important to me to reach out to them. That's why my biggest thing is I like to reach out to 12-17. Those are the ones that need the most help, the ones you are trying to affect their minds, get in their heads. Get them ready for the real world, as opposed to the false realities we see on TV."

Jones was reminded that he needs to be careful what he says today in an empty ballpark and the sound of his voice traveling.

"I don't think that's going to change the game in any bit," he said. "It's going to be the game. The umpires might be able to hear us a little more candidly when they let us hear about it. But, it's going to be different playing the game with no fans. It's a first in Major League Baseball. I've played with 40 fans, but zero is a difference maker.

"We owe it to ourselves when we put the jersey on to have that concentration. At the end of the day we still have to go and get a win. We have to win. That's our goal as a team. Same things go for the White Sox. They are facing the same problems we are now. On both sides, it's going to be difficult. The White Sox flew in here, they didn't anticipate this happening. They are in awe, they are in shock. Just as the whole nation is right now."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/04/a-few-pregame-notes-from-camden-yards- 4.html

A few pregame notes from Camden Yards

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com April 29, 2015

I have tons of transcription to pass along today after center fielder Adam Jones and manager Buck Showalter spoke to the media in the auxiliary clubhouse at Camden Yards. Watch for it in my next few blog entries.

In the meantime, I'll just pass along some quick hits here while the White Sox take batting practice in an empty ballpark.

The press box is full. Media requests were turned down due to a lack of space.

Only scouts are allowed to sit in the stands. The media must remain in the press box.

J.J. Hardy said his left shoulder feels much better after Saturday's cortisone injection. He's swinging the bat today and will accompany the Orioles to Tampa this weekend to continue his workouts.

Hardy hopes to begin an injury rehab assignment next week.

Ryan Flaherty (groin) took 75 swings today and should begin his rehab assignment early next week. He told me that he's feeling much better.

Matt Wieters will catch again at extended spring training on Thursday.

Jonathan Schoop had fluid drained from his right knee to quicken his recovery.

Wesley Wright (left trapezius) should start throwing early next week in Sarasota.

The Orioles will fly back from Tampa on Sunday night and take a train to New York the following day. They're inviting the players' families to join them in Florida.

The Orioles will wear their home uniforms in Tampa. The Rays were instructed to wear their road grays.

I don't have mascot information, however. My apologies.

Chris Tillman, Miguel Gonzalez, and Wei-Yin Chen will start for the Orioles at Tropicana Field. The Rays are countering with Alex Colome, and Nathan Karns.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/04/on-a-day-that-drew-no-fans-but-plenty-of- attention-the-orioles-took-care-of-business.html

On day that drew no fans, but plenty of attention, Orioles took care of business

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com April 30, 2015

Usually when Orioles first baseman Chris Davis hits a homer at Camden Yards, he gets to enjoy the roar of the crowd. Yesterday, when he hit one, all he heard was the echo of the bat striking the ball coming off empty seats. He said it sounded like batting practice.

But Davis hit a big three-run homer during the Orioles' six-run first inning on Wednesday as they beat the White Sox 8-2 in the game that had no fans in the stands.

But for a city that and for the team's fans who could use something positive, the Orioles supplied it for a few brief hours yesterday. Several players said they hoped in some small way that the win helped and was important for area residents.

"No doubt," Davis said. "The last couple of days when we knew the game was going to be closed to the public, people tweeted to me or commented to me that they are still going to be behind us. That means a lot and hopefully this was something good and it will help us move forward. I hope people today saw the positive things about Baltimore with people helping to clean up and rebuild and get the city back on its feet."

Before yesterday's game catcher Caleb Joseph signed imaginery autographs and during the game, after the third out of several innings when he was running off the field, Davis threw a few balls into the stands toward fans that were not there. Just like he might normally do.

"Yes several," Davis said. "Just did it as a fun thing to help everyone relax. I threw three or four. The first few were in the lower section and then I gave some love to the fans in the upper deck."

The Orioles offense continued its recent tear in the win. The six-run first inning was the third six- run inning over a seven at-bat stretch for the team, dating to Sunday.

The Orioles have 10 or more hits for four straight games, batting .351 in that time to raise the team batting average from .268 to .286. The Orioles have scored 59 runs the last nine games.

They are doing this without three regulars - catcher Matt Wieters, shortstop J.J. Hardy and second baseman Jonathan Schoop.

"We pick up each other's backs," Manny Machado said of the potent offense even while three key players are missing. "That is something we've learned here in this organization and this clubhouse. When someone goes down, we have to pick them up. We are continuing to do that."

Joseph was asked about the strangest part of the day for him.

"For me it was being right in the middle of catching a pitch and hearing the press box announcer (with an update that Davis' homer made it to Eutaw Street). I thought that was interesting," he said. "You don't normally hear that.

"Each hit you cheer your teammates on, but when there are people here, you can only hear that in the dugout. Today there was this weird balance, you didn't want to come across being too rah-rah and showing up the other team or to disrespect the game. Definitely different."

Now, after today's off-day, the Orioles will play three games against Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field where they will be the home team.

"It is unfortunate that the city is going through this. But safety is the biggest thing. If it means we have to go play in Tampa for the safety of fans and police, that is what we need to do. We love our fans, but this is just the cards we've been dealt," Joseph said.

The Orioles are now 10-10 with their first three-game winning streak of the 2015 season.

While yesterday was a novelty, a curiousity, a rare event and also a national story, it was also another baseball game, one the Orioles were out to win.

They got to a real good pitcher with a six-run first inning and took care of business.

It was a game that drew a lot of attention but no fans, but it also was a game that will count as much as one they might win in the heat of the September pennant chase in front of a sellout crowd.

They took care of business indeed.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/04/machado-think-this-is-what-the-city- needed-plus-more-clubhouse-quotes.html

Machado: "I think this is what the city needed" (plus more clubhouse quotes)

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com April 29, 2015

With the sports spotlight on Baltimore today, Adam Jones was asked what he would like fans from around the nation to take from today.

"The Orioles support the city of Baltimore," Jones said. "On everything. We are out there playing for the fans and the city. That is what is across our chest, and we are trying to represent them in the best way. They support us through the good and the bad, and as players, we support them."

Manny Machado said it was important for the Orioles to get back on the field today.

"It means a lot," he said. "I think this is what the city needed. A win, a W. We heard the fans (outside the stadium) out there. They were supporting us and that meant a lot."

But there were no fans allowed into the stands, which made for a strange and quiet afternoon.

"(You could) hear everything single thing," Jones said. "You could hear everything. This was different, but hey, you have to make the adjustments."

Chris Davis hit a loud three-run homer in the first inning of the Orioles 8-2 win over Chicago, but only quiet followed.

"And no noise," Jones said. "It's weird, it's different. But the guy at the plate had the whole entire dugout behind him."

There was a small but vocal group of fans just outside the gates and a group of fans on the balcony of a room at the Hilton Baltimore hotel. Could the players hear those fans?

"Oh yeah. You could see them. It was good to have them out there. I heard some White Sox fans, too. It was an unfortunate situation, but it was what we had to do," Jones said.

Machado had a 3-for-4 day, with a double, a single and a solo homer in the fifth inning. Another silent homer.

"That is weird," Machado said. "First time ever I ran the bases and didn't hear anything but my teammates clapping. It was a cool experience, believe it or not. Something everyone in here will remember. We got the win, that was the biggest thing."

Catcher Caleb Joseph, who went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, talked about the fans that were outside the stadium.

"Kudos to those people out in left-center field," he said. "We could hear them, and it did resemble somewhat of a home game. We heard that Orioles chant. In between innings was the most awkward part of the game when you are used to the Kiss Cam and the in-between entertainment. It was definitely different. Some times, I think we take for granted the impact of fans that they have on the game."

Joseph even had a pretend autograph session today when he went through the motions of signing for a fan that was not there.

"Well now fans can't blame me for not signing," he said, laughing. "It was something that came to me yesterday. Thought it would be fun. Kudos to the fans outside the gates, their presence was heard and felt."

Ubaldo Jimenez gave the O's rotation another solid start today, allowing just three singles and two unearned runs over seven innings.

"I was able to have good command of the fastball and all of my pitches were working," he said. "The guys scored me six runs in the first inning. That made it more comfortable too. Plus there were some fans that we could hear outside the stadiuim. They were really loud.

"It was important (to play today). We all know what the city has been though. Something sad right now with everything they are going through."

Jimenez is 2-1 with an ERA of 1.59 in four starts this year. Over his last six Camden Yards starts, he is 5-0 with a 2.72 ERA.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/04/os-game-blog-os-host-chicago-with-no- fans-at-camden-yards.html

O's game blog: O's host Chicago with no fans at Camden Yards

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com April 29, 2015

The Orioles get back on the field this afternoon and play a non-American League East division team for the first time when they host the Chicago White Sox at 2:05 p.m., in a game not open to the public.

The Orioles went 5-1 against the White Sox last year and are 15-6 against them since the 2012 season, including a 8-3 mark at Camden Yards.

Chicago is 8-9 after a 3-6 start. Former Yankees closer David Robertson has been outstanding for the Sox, going 2-0 with three saves and 0.00 ERA. Over eight scoreless innings, he has given up just three hits with one walk and 17 strikeouts.

Over the last 13 games, the White Sox pitchers have team ERA of 3.12 with a bullpen ERA in that stretch of just 1.38, allowing six earned runs over 39 innings.

The Orioles bats produced an 18-7 win Sunday against Boston where the O's scored their most runs since April 19, 2006 and came up with 20 hits, their most since April 8, 2014. It was the most runs the Orioles have ever scored in a game against Boston, topping their 17 from Sept. 27, 1960 at .

In that game, the Orioles were 20-for-44 at the plate (.455) and went 11-for-20 (.550) batting with runners in scoring positon. Four Orioles had at least three RBIs.

They had a big series against Boston: * Chris Davis went 5-for-11 with two homers, six RBIs, five runs and just one . * Delmon Young went 7-for-14 with three multi-hit games, a double and five RBIs. * Jimmy Paredes went 8-for-15 with two doubles, a triple, two homers, four runs and seven RBIs. Paredes has nine RBIs his last five games.

As a team, the Orioles batted .360 in the weekend series, scoring 28 runs with eight doubles, two triples and five home runs. The Orioles have scored 51 runs their last eight games for an average of 6.4 per game.

On the mound today, Ubaldo Jimenez (1-1, 2.30 ERA) pitches against 30-year-old right-hander Jeff Samardzija (1-1, 3.33 ERA).

Jimenez pitched 10 2/3 scoreless innings in his first two starts, but went five innings on Wednesday at Toronto, allowing six hits and four runs. Opponent batters are just 7-for-52 (.135) against him in 2015, and he is giving up just 4.0 hits per every nine innings with a WHIP of 0.89.

Samardzija is making his fifth start today. He had an ERA of 6.23 in his first two starts, but that number is 0.64 over his last two starts when he gave up 14 hits and one run over 14 innings.

Chris Sale and Samardzija received five-game suspensions and undisclosed fines, and catcher Tyler Flowers was fined an undisclosed amount for their roles in Thursday's benches-clearing altercation against Kansas City. Sale and Samardzija both have appealed their suspensions.

Chicago's Jose Abreu, the 2014 American League Rookie of the Year, has joined Rudy York, Chuck Klein and as the only players in major league history to hit at least .300 with 40-plus home runs and 120-plus RBIs through his first 162 major-league games.

In the minors today, Dylan Bundy pitched three perfect innings for Double-A Bowie at Erie in a game that started at noon. Bundy fanned five, and according to the game tracker, did not allow a ball to be hit out of the infield. It was nine strikeouts, groundouts and pop-ups. He threw 36 pitches, 23 for strikes and lowered his ERA to 3.00. Ashur Tolliver replaced him to start the fourth as Bowie took an early 7-0 lead, which is now 7-2 in the sixth.

Single-A Frederick is already in the win column today. The Keys (12-8) won 7-1 at Salem in a game that began at 11 a.m. Jarrett Miller picked up his first win with five scoreless innings. Tucker Nathans had three RBIs, and Austin Wynns drove in two.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/04/caleb-joseph-and-steve-pearce-on-playing- a-game-without-fans-and-more.html

Caleb Joseph and Steve Pearce on playing game without fans and more

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com April 29, 2015

Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph said the players have certainly spent a lot of time in recent days talking about the rioting seen in Baltimore.

"We are talking a lot about it," Joseph said. "It's our home, too. For six months, this is where we reside. We get to know a lot of people we live around.

"It is a little scary, because you don't know what is going to happen. Try to put your faith into those making decisions that they get control of it. We are thankful for the brave men and women out there trying to preserve peace and protect. Want to get back to enjoying the city that a lot of people love so much."

He was asked if it will be hard to focus today with no fans in the stands.

"We get paid to focus for three hours a day for 162 days," Joseph said. "As long as we feel like our families are safe, we can come to work with or without 35,000 people there."

Joseph, along with all the players I heard from here this morning, realize that safety comes first right now.

"It is probably more important the people in the city, who are really dealing with this, have the right support and the right safety that they need," Joseph said. "At the end of the day we understand, this is just a ballgame. And there are a lot more important things going on inside the city.

"I think it is a good idea that we play the game and try to have no safety concerns. Then we can get out of town for a bit and hopefully things start to smooth over, and when we come back, have the fans ready to support us again."

Here is Steve Pearce's take on the strange circumstances regarding today's game.

"It will feel like a spring training backfield game," he said. "But we don't have a choice. No matter the circumstances, you have to find a way to deal with it. It will be weird, be tough. We feel the atmosphere here when the crowd gets into it. We won't have that on our side today, so we have to find a way to overcome it."

The Orioles will also lose their scheduled home series this weekend and play Tampa Bay on the road while serving as the home team.

"Stinks to take away from home games," Pearce said. "Home games are crucial, especially division games. To lose home games, that will hurt a bit.

"It is definitely not going to be in our favor, but we have to deal with it. Have to find a way to overcome it. We always feel like our backs are against the wall anyway. We'll be able to pull through it."

A reporter asked Pearce if he thinks the Orioles should play this game at all today.

"Maybe the baseball game will help to take their minds off of what is going on around here," he said.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/04/zach-britton-and-chris-davis-on-todays- game-and-moving-the-tampa-series.html

Zach Britton and Chris Davis on today's game and moving the Tampa series

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com April 29, 2015

It was close to a normal pregame scene in the Orioles clubhouse this morning, just with more reporters than usual.

But the questions players were getting were not about their play on the field, but regarding the last few days around Baltimore and the changes that have happened because of the rioting.

Today's game will be played without fans and the Orioles are moving what was scheduled to be a Camden Yards series this weekend to St. Petersburg, Fla. to play the Rays.

Zach Britton felt the teams should have swapped home series instead of how it turned out.

"Going to Tampa, I think it's unfortunate they won't compromise and come here at the end of the season," Britton said. "You would think they'd have some compassion for what is going on in the city. This is a bigger issue than just baseball. You would think they would have some compassion and come up here when we are supposed to go there, but unfortunately that is not the case."

What about today's game being played without the fans?

"I think we are excited to play," Britton said. "Anytime you get your mind off of what is going on out there, even for a few hours, that helps you out a little. We've had B games in spring training where no one is in the stands. It is unfortunate this is the way it has to be, but there are more important things that need the attention of law enforcement."

Chris Davis was asked for his reaction on the last few days in Baltimore.

"They have been eye-opening to me," he said. "Just to see the frustration, the anger, the emotion of the city the last few days has been shocking to me. I support productive protests and people getting their point across in a safe manner. I think there are a lot of people out there trying to do things the right way, but it got out of hand. Was happy to see things kind of cool down last night and think we're headed in the right direction.

"It is sad it is going to be on these terms (making history today with no fans). Usually when you are making history, you want to do it for a positive reason and something you feel good about. But I think they have everyone's best interest in mind. As much as we would like to be kind of a shot in the arm for the city, we have to understand what is going on around us and what is the best thing for everybody.

"Obviously the safety of everyone involved is most important. I think we are doing the right thing. ... I'm not real happy about playing in an empty stadium - that is one of the reasons we look forward to coming home so much, playing in front of our fans - but we also understand there is a bigger picture here."

Davis said he could understand the reasons for moving this weekend's series to Florida.

"I think when you start thinking about what it would require for us to play here - the amount of security, what it would take away from the city - you realize what is most important," he said. "What is most important to us is that the city gets back on its feet. We don't want anything to take away from that."

But, doesn't having 78 true home games and 84 on the road put the Orioles at a competitive disadvantage?

"We're going to be wearing white uniforms so it will be just like we're playing here," Davis said, laughing. "You have to put that out of your mind and focus on the game. We know we'll be the home team in another team's stadium, but it is what is best for us and what is best for the city right now and we just (have) to comply."

Someone asked Davis if the lack of fans today would prepare the O's for playing at Tropicana Field, where the Rays do not draw well.

"I've seen so many questions, comments on Twitter about that. I'm not even going to go there," Davis said.

http://www.masnsports.com/orioles-buzz/2015/04/zach-wilt-outside-gates-hearty-fans-locked- out-but-not-down.html

Zach Wilt: Outside gates, hearty fans locked out but not down

By Zach Wilt / MASNsports.com April 30, 2015

You'll never hear a louder bat crack or be able to listen in as Adam Jones calls off Alejandro De Aza on a fly ball hit to left-center field like you were able to on Wednesday afternoon outside Camden Yards. The Orioles' matchup against the White Sox - which took 2 hours, 3 minutes - was one for the record books featuring a crowd of zero, a pre-recorded national anthem and John Denver's "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" played during the seventh-inning stretch for only the players, a few scouts and media members to hear.

The Orioles and Major League Baseball made the difficult decision to start Wednesday's finale against Chicago at 2 p.m., and close it to the public due to safety concerns stemming from ongoing protests and riots downtown. With a 10 p.m. curfew in effect and a state of emergency declared on Monday, it's hard to believe that there was a better alternative available.

If you haven't been around Oriole Park this week, Lot C is currently being used as a staging area for police and the National Guard. It's unlike anything I've ever seen before. There are military tents set up in a barricaded section that is filled with service men and women in full uniform camo. It's like something out of a movie.

Despite their different surroundings, it was business as usual for the Orioles between the lines yesterday afternoon. Buck Showalter's lineup picked up right where it left off on Sunday, scoring six runs in the first inning on Jeff Samardzija. Ubaldo Jimenez cruised through seven innings, allowing just two unearned runs on three hits. On paper, Wednesday's box score shows a third consecutive victory for the Orioles. But as we know, the story in Baltimore is one much bigger than a victory after two postponed games.

I've always been a believer that sports are the ultimate distraction during hard times, baseball in particular with its 162-game schedule. There's something comforting about seeing the hometown team take the field. That simple routine can make you forget about all your problems for a few hours.

I think that was part of the reason we saw fans assemble behind the gates in center field to cheer the Birds from the sidewalk. They wouldn't be denied their nine innings of fandom. This group shouted "O!" during "The Star-Spangled Banner" and was vocal throughout the game.

"They were heard," Showalter told the media in his postgame press conference.

Orioles super fan Romeo Santos - if you've been to Camden Yards you've seen him; he's the guy that wears the hard hat with the Mohawk - led the crowd in the first of several "Let's Go O's" chants.

"There is nothing like watching a game at Camden Yards," Santos told me after the game. "At first I tried to book a balcony room at the Hilton, but they were all booked. So I knew that you could see the field from the gate near Legends Park. So I headed over there for an extended lunch. It was awesome, but I felt like I was locked out of my house."

Santos said he understands the decision to close the game to public, but was disappointed to hear that the Rays series in Tampa Bay wouldn't be made up here.

"Baltimore City will lose so much from that decision," he said.

That seemed to be the sentiment from most outside the gates yesterday. No one was bitter - they understood what needed to be done - but they weren't willing to sacrifice watching the Orioles. And hopefully those two hours helped our city heal, even if it was just a momentary distraction.

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/04/29/ap-bbn-scully-empty-stadium

Empty stadium would be weird for Scully

Associated Press / SI.com April 30, 2015

LOS ANGELES (AP) Hall of Fame announcer says he would have been very uncomfortable if he had to announce a baseball game played in front of no fans.

Scully, who witnessed the 1965 Watts Riots and the 1992 L.A. riots during his 65 seasons in the Dodgers' broadcast booth, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he thought it was a smart decision by Major League Baseball to have kept the public out of Camden Yards for safety and police staffing reasons when the Baltimore Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox 8-2.

Two games had been postponed because of looting and rioting around the ballpark. The turmoil prompted a citywide curfew and began hours after the funeral of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who sustained a fatal spinal cord injury while in police custody.

''I felt it was a very difficult assignment for everybody involved. But they made their decision,'' Scully said. ''At least now it's over, done, gone, and without any problems. That was the big thing. If there had been any demonstrations at all, there would have had to be a heavy police presence, which meant they would take the police presence away from where it should be. So I think it was a wise decision.''

The Orioles-White Sox game was shown live on MLB.com.

''My first thought was that it's historical, if not hysterical,'' Scully said. ''But it would be very awkward for me. I rely a great deal on the crowd - because to me, the crowd adds all the necessary atmosphere. So not to have the crowd would be like missing your front tooth.''

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/04/29/ap-bba-game-no-fans

Orioles-White Sox to experience the sounds of silence

Associated Press / SI.com April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE (AP) With tempers still smoldering in riot-torn Baltimore and nearby neighborhoods clearing out rubble and debris, the Orioles played a baseball game Wednesday.

This wasn't for the fans, because there weren't any at Camden Yards.

The game was held behind closed doors, and the Orioles and Chicago White Sox played because it was considered to be the best way to fill out the schedule for both teams.

The timing worked for baseball, not so much for Baltimore. It was an unusual move by Major League Baseball, which usually errs on the side of caution in the wake of tragedy.

Baseball games were canceled after riots ignited in Los Angeles and terrorists attacked New York and Washington. Baseball put off the World Series in 1989 after an earthquake hit San Francisco.

In Baltimore, after a drug store was set on fire about four miles from the ballpark and the National Guard was summoned to restore order, they played a game because this was the only planned visit by this season by the White Sox. The postponed games Monday and Tuesday were to be made up as part of a doubleheader on May 28, but there was seemingly nowhere to go on the schedule with Wednesday's game.

So they moved up the starting time by five hours to 2:05 p.m. to beat the 10 o'clock curfew and had the teams go at it before 47,000 empty seats. Baltimore won 8-2.

''We have a schedule so we've got to get games in,'' Chicago second baseman Gordon Beckham said. ''We can't just miss all three games and expect to make them up down the line. I mean we'll have no off days for the rest of the year.

''So, we at least have to get this one in.''

Just about everyone who put on a uniform understood the circumstances. Freddie Gray, a 25- year-old black man, died of spinal cord and other injuries while in police custody. The protests that followed included looting, violence and rioting.

Though no property around the ballpark was damaged, the city was hurting and here they were, playing a baseball game to preserve the integrity of the schedule.

''It is strange. The commissioner of baseball made a decision,'' said Gov. Larry Hogan. ''I'm glad that we don't have tens of thousands of fans down there. Even though things appear to be calm, having tens of thousands of people in that part of the city, that's where our command center is operating."

On a scale of what was significant to Baltimore on this day, the Orioles' 20th game of the season wasn't exactly at the top of the list.

''It makes you realize how unimportant really in a lot of ways this is compared to some things that are going on,'' Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. ''You try to keep that mind and look at things realistically, where this fits in the scheme of things. You prioritize what's important and we tried to do that.''

Athletes are paid well to play when they're told, no matter what the sport.

''There's nothing those guys can do about it. They're a team,'' said 49ers tight end Vernon Davis, who played in college at Maryland. ''They have no control over what just happened. This is just how the world is. It has to be like this. They're going to have to play no matter what.''

Showalter hopes this game can serve as the first step toward getting Baltimore back on its feet.

''We've made quite a statement as a city, some good and some bad,'' he said. ''Now, let's get on with taking the statements we've made and create a positive. I want to be a rallying force for our city.''

Their intentions may have been in the right place, but seemingly not much else.

Playing the game without any fans in attendance was both a good and a bad thing. The team didn't divert any police from doing their job around the city, but the people of Baltimore didn't get a chance to turn the page by watching the home team play at Camden Yards.

''Sports brings people together - black, white, or any different,'' Orioles center fielder Adam Jones said. ''For those three hours, you can have beers, nachos and some Boog's (barbecue) and forget about our daily lives.

''But today, we're just going to have to play a Major League Baseball game without fans. I think that's first time in history.''

Must the game go on?

''We're doing the right thing,'' Orioles first baseman Chris Davis said. ''I'm not real happy about playing in an empty stadium. That's one of the reasons that we look forward to coming home so much, playing in front of our fans. But we also understand that there's a bigger picture here.''

That's true, but the bigger question is whether they should have been playing at all.

''There are a lot more important issues going on outside the stadium,'' Orioles left-hander Zach Britton said. ''It kind of makes you realize how small baseball is compared to some of the other issues in the U.S. and around the world.''

---

Associated Press Writer Brian Witte in Baltimore and AP Sports Writer Janie McCauley in San Francisco contributed to this report.

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/04/29/ap-bba-game-no-fans-latest

Latest on game with no fans: O's-White Sox ready to play

Associated Press / SI.com April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE (AP) 4:10 p.m.

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 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, does that star-spangled banner yet wave.''

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 say players in a closed-door game in Baltimore will have to adjust from their usual habits of feeding off a crowd.

Yankees manager 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.

http://www.si.com/mlb/2014/06/22/ap-bba-white-sox-orioles-preview

White Sox-Orioles Preview

Associated Press / SI.com April 29, 2015

After the first two games of their series were postponed because of riots that broke out near Camden Yards following the funeral of Freddie Gray, the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles will get to play the finale - albeit in a closed stadium.

The public won't be allowed to attend Wednesday's contest amid safety concerns, and the game was also moved up five hours to avoid conflicting with a citywide curfew that begins at 10 p.m.

"It would have been very difficult to make up all three games, so we needed to play that game on Wednesday," Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said. "You just try to do the best you can in this kind of situation."

The Orioles have also had their Friday-to-Sunday series against Tampa Bay shifted from Camden to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, with Baltimore remaining the home team and batting last.

Rioters looted stores and threw rocks and bricks at police about three miles from the stadium Monday in the wake of the mysterious death of Gray. He died April 19 after suffering a severe spinal injury in police custody.

That led to Major League Baseball postponing Monday night's game about 40 minutes before it was set to start, and the decision to call off the next contest and create the rare arrangement for Wednesday was made earlier in the day Tuesday.

"After conversations with the Orioles and local officials, we believe that these decisions are in the best interests of fan safety and the deployment of city resources," Commissioner Rob Manfred told MLB's official website. "Our thoughts are with all those who have been affected by violence in Baltimore, and everyone in our game hopes for peace and the safety of a great American city."

The two postponed games will be made up as a single-admission doubleheader May 28.

"It's all about what's best for the city and the safety of our people,'" Orioles manager Buck Showalter said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "The last thing you want to do is put the fans in harm's way. You have to err on the side of safety."

The Baseball Hall of Fame and John Thorn, MLB's official historian, said they did not think there ever had been a closed-doors big league game, although there have been instances in the minor leagues.

"It's definitely going to be unchartered territory," Showalter said.

Thorn said the lowest attendance for a major league game appears to be six when Worcester hosted Troy in a National League contest Sept. 28, 1882.

Major League Baseball has postponed and shifted games in the past because of unrest.

In 1992, the Dodgers had four games postponed in Los Angeles following the Rodney King verdict.

In 1967, the Orioles and Tigers had a game postponed because of riots in Detroit. The next two games were shifted to Baltimore.

The White Sox's Jeff Samardzija (1-1, 3.33 ERA) and the Orioles' Ubaldo Jimenez (1-1, 2.30), who had been scheduled to go Monday, are set to finally take the mound.

Samardzija is appealing a five-game suspension handed down after Thursday's brawl with Kansas City. The right-hander had a 6.23 ERA after his first two starts but allowed one run in 14 innings over his next two.

Chicago completed two wins over Kansas City on Sunday - the regularly scheduled 5-3 victory and a 3-2 win from Friday's suspended game - and is 8-5 since dropping its first four.

"Over the last five or six games we've played a really good brand of baseball," reliever Zach Duke said.

Baltimore (9-10) has averaged 6.11 runs in its last nine after Sunday's 18-7 home win over Boston. The Orioles got five RBIs from Delmon Young, who is 13 for 29 in his last eight games. He's hit Chicago at a .333 clip, his best average versus any team against which he has at least 50 at-bats.

Jimenez allowed four runs in five innings of last Wednesday's 4-2 loss in Toronto, and while he's held opponents to a .135 average, he's walked six in 8 2-3 innings over his last two starts.

The right-hander has gone 2-3 with a 5.01 ERA in 10 career starts against the White Sox. Conor Gillaspie is 5 for 11 against Jimenez, Adam Eaton is 3 for 4 and Jose Abreu 1 for 3 with a home run.

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/04/29/baltimore-orioles-play-closed-game-chicago-white-sox- camden-yards

Orioles try to help Baltimore heal, while fans just try to watch them win

By Brendan Prunty / SI.com April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE — Matt Fouse could see his seats at Camden Yards. There they were, right along the first-base side. He chose them mainly because they are close to the family-friendly bathrooms with a changing table for his seven-month-old daughter, Jolene. On this gloriously warm day with a cloud-speckled sky, Fouseplanned to be sitting in them, watching the Orioles play the Chicago White Sox.

Instead, he was leaning against the black wrought-iron gate along Camden Street, staring inside the ballpark.

"It's weird," he chuckled, rocking Jolene in his stroller. "It's too nice of a day not to watch an Orioles game. I should be in there. We should be in there. We should all be in there. But we're out here."

He knew why. At this point, when Fouse and his daughter rolled up to the corner of Camden and South Eutaw streets at just before 1 p.m. EDT, everyone knew. Not even 48 hours earlier, parts of the city were ablaze. Police in riot gear faced off against city residents in protests turned violent, where one side threw bricks and bottles and the other threw tear gas.

In the wake of the death of 25-year-old resident Freddie Gray—who suffered a severed spinal cord and crushed voice box after being arrested on April 12 in the western part of the city— Baltimore exploded in rage, anger and protests. On Monday, following Gray's funeral, the country watched as a CVS drugstore burned and looters pillaged neighborhood stores. On Tuesday, relative calm was restored as the city began the process of cleaning up the damage and attempting to heal wounds that have been open for too long.

And on Wednesday, the Orioles tried to give Charm City a distraction. The team would resume a halted series against the White Sox in the afternoon, following two days of postponement.

There was, of course, one caveat: The game would be closed to the public, because of safety measures being taken elsewhere in the city. It was the first time in Major League Baseball history that a game was contested in front of zero fans.

"It's not the easiest," Baltimore centerfielder Adam Jones said before Wednesday's game about playing in front of no fans. "But I understand."

Orioles manager Buck Showalter echoed those sentiments: "No issues at all, we're citizens of this city, too."

So, three hours before first pitch of the Orioles' 8-2 win over the White Sox, Plaza was silent. The small city block across the street from Camden Yards, made up of bars— Sliders Bar & Grille, The Bullpen and Pickles Pub—is normally bustling before a game. Wednesday afternoon, there was nothing.

Sliders had a sign out front advertising itself as open, but had only one customer. Pickles' only sign of life was a bouncer out front. And The Bullpen? It was still boarded up with plywood from the weekend's initial protests. Camden Street, shut down as it usually is during home games, served only as a congregating place for fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the game.

"We did some volunteer cleanup around the city and then decided to come and support the team," said Les Bowman, of Chincoteague, Va., who was among the first fans at the gate with his brother, Larry.

Janet Jeffers, a lifestyle photographer with an office in the Bromo Seltzer Tower up Eutaw Street, said the whole scene was eerie. Normally, on game days, she can see the ballpark and the fan concourse on Eutaw fill up in the hours before a game. As she walked down to the plaza behind the centerfield scoreboard, there was none of that.

"This city has been hit with a lot, the last few days," she said.

That's what made the game itself, so bizarre to stomach.

Orioles fans pride themselves on being loud, but as players from both teams took batting practice, only the sounds police helicopters and emergency vehicle sirens could be heard over batted balls.

"This is their cry," Jones said before the game, issuing a message to the protesters. "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. As much as I can give, as much as I know people on the opposition can give, I'm going to try and give as much as I can, because the city needs it."

Jones, like his manager and teammates, hoped that even though none of their fans could physically be inside the stadium for Wednesday's game, seeing baseball might provide them some relief. Both teams tried to bring some levity to the day's game—saying they'd have to watch what they said because umpires could hear every word or that the opposition would know when a reliever was getting up because you could hear the bullpen phone ring.

And it was true, there was a lot to be heard without the din of a normal baseball game.

When Orioles first baseman Chris Davis smashed a three-run home run onto Eutaw Street in rightfield in the bottom of the first inning, the were only baseball sounds—the crack of the bat, the pop of the ball landing on the brick. It was so quiet that Orioles TV play-by-play man Gary Thorne could be heard doing his call, "GOODBYE! HOME RUN!"inside the park.

Baltimore put up six runs in the first inning, making the rest of the day a relative breeze. Third baseman Manny Machado added another home run in the fifth to pad the lead. Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez allowed only three hits in seven innings of work. Two hours and three minutes after the first pitch, Baltimore had won. The baseball part of it seemed normal. It was the rest of the day that wasn't.

"It was pretty deafening, the first couple innings," Davis said of the silence during the game. "It was kind of surreal before the game started. But when we took the field, it kind of set in that nobody was in the stands."

There were some lighthearted moments along the way. After a couple of innings in the field, Davis would toss the ball into the stands, pretending there were fans there to catch it. Catcher Caleb Joseph mimicked signing autographs and waving to fans before the game began. During warmups, Joshua Melton, who works in the ballpark's marketing department, was putting new ads on the rotating ad boards behind home plate.

"Corporate still looks at the game," he said, laughing.

On WJZ, the Orioles' radio broadcast home, announcer Joe Angel joked: "I'm afraid I may be speaking too loudly."

"It was just weird," Baltimore closer Zach Britton said. "You had the glare of the empty bleachers. Every time a foul ball would go into the stands, you hear it bounce around. It was just weird to be in a big-league game—that matters—it was just really weird to have that feel of a ghost town in a baseball park."

The Orioles, of course, weren't alone on this picture-perfect afternoon of sunny skies and mid- 70s temperatures.

By the time first pitch was thrown, over 100 fans had gathered on Camden Street along the stretch of fencing where the field is visible. On a few floors of the Hilton across the street, fans jammed out onto balconies. They chanted and cheered, even continuing the tradition of yelling "O!" during the national anthem. After the first pitch was thrown, fan Romeo Santos mimicked an Oriole Park vendor with a "Peanuts! Get your peanuts here!" call.

Behind him, Michael Fish of Towson, was ready. He whipped out an oversized bag of peanuts as the crowd celebrated.

"All we're missing is someone handing out beer and hot dogs," Fish said.

Showalter said of the small crowd outside on the street, saying: "They were heard."

But among the crowd on Camden Street, there was a sobering reminder about why the gates were locked shut—37-year-old Baltimore resident Brendan Hurson, a public defender, held a large sign that read: DON'T FORGET FREDDIE GRAY.

"The Orioles support the city of Baltimore," Jones said afterward, when asked what the country might take away from the day's events. "In everything, we support the city of Baltimore. We're out there playing for the fans, not just our families. We play for the fans. We play for the city of Baltimore. That's what's across our chests and we're trying to represent them in the best way."

That was all that Fouse could ask when he and his daughter showed up to the ballpark. He knew they wouldn't be allowed in, but he was hoping that he could feel just a little bit better about the city he's called home for 13 years than he did when he woke up. He lives in Charles Village, a relatively peaceful community 2 1/2 miles east of where Monday's riots began. His street is like many in Baltimore—tree-lined and neighborly, but two blocks over he can hear gunshots from one of East Baltimore many crime-riddled neighborhoods.

He knows why the ballpark had to be closed. He supports that decision. But he wished that it could've been a place for a fractured city to begin to heal together, not on the outside looking in.

"Just think of what message could've been sent if we all were allowed in," Fouse said. "It's too nice of a day in Baltimore, not to be at a baseball game."

He then picked Jolene out of her stroller, walked closer to the black iron fence and pressed his face up to it.

"It's too nice of a day."

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/04/29/baltimore-orioles-empty-stadium-riots-photos-videos

Empty stadium creates bizarre environment for Orioles- White Sox

By Dan Gartland / SI.com April 29, 2015

The scenes from Wednesday's Orioles-White Sox game in Baltimore are just as bizarre as expected. With the stadium closed to fans due to safety concerns, the only people in the ballpark were the players, umpires, media and team officials. The lack of spectators created one of the most unique game environments in American sports history.

The decision to close the ballpark was made after several days of unrest in Baltimore as citizens protest the death of Freddie Gray. The Orioles were forced to postpone the first two games of the White Sox series, which will be made up as a doubleheader in May. This weekend's series against the Tampa Bay Rays, originally scheduled to be played in Baltimore, will be moved to Tropicana Field.

Though Wednesday's game was closed to the public, many fans gathered outside the park and attempted to catch a glimpse of the action. When the Orioles put up six runs in the bottom of the first inning, the stadium was eerily quiet.

The stadium was so quiet you could hear Orioles broadcaster Gary Thorne on White Sox broadcaster Hawk Harrelson's call of Chris Davis's home run.

Some players attempted to add levity to the situation. White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton joked about taking the crowd out of the game and Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph signed autographs for the imaginary fans. Chris Davis tossed a ball into the stands as he ran back to the dugout.

Orioles outfielder Adam Jones addressed the unrest in his city while speaking with reporters before the game.

Gray, 25, fractured his neck while in police custody and died a week later. An investigation into his death is ongoing. Protestors took to city's streets after Gray's funeral on Monday and some demonstrations eventually turned violent. Cars and businesses were burned and stores were ransacked by looters. The National Guard was called in to attempt to maintain order. The city's mayor also ordered a nighttime curfew.

The Baltimore Orioles announced Tuesday that the team's Wednesday game against the White Sox will be closed to the public. Additionally, the Orioles announced that the weekend series against the Rays will take place at Tropicana Field instead of Camden Yards, with the Orioles playing as the "home" team.

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/04/29/baltimore-orioles-chicago-white-sox-camden-yards-empty- park

Orioles players sound off on playing at empty Camden Yards

By Mel Antonen / SI.com April 29, 2015

Camden Yards was empty on Wednesday, but the Orioles’ clubhouse was filled with reporters asking about the day's history-making game. Due to protests and riots in Baltimore and following back-to-back postponements, the Orioles would be playing the White Sox with no fans in attendance, then going to Tampa Bay for a weekend series against the Rays that was supposed to be held at home. Wednesday's game marks the first time MLB has held a contest in an empty park, and as expected, the bizarre circumstances brought out a horde of media: The Orioles said they had more reporters at the game than they did for Opening Day.

But while the situation at Camden was perhaps the strangest in the game's history, Orioles players to a man are behind the team's and MLB's decision, noting that for them, the safety of their fans and their city came first.

“The last 72 hours in this city have been tumultuous to say the least," says centerfielder Adam Jones. "We’ve seen good, bad and ugly. We’ve seen our games canceled, postponed, relocated. A lot of families have been relocated. It’s not an easy time for any one. It doesn’t matter what race you are.

“There has been a lot of damage, but there’s also been a lot of good protests, people standing up for the rights they have based on the Constitution."

Jones, however, has no problem with the re-configured schedule.

“We need this game to be played, but we need this city to be healed first.… It makes sense to not have people here."

Rightfielder Steve Pearce agrees. “It’s unfortunate and sad to know what’s going on in the city, but we certainly understand that we have to make adjustments, whether it’s playing in an empty stadium or switching a weekend series to Tampa Bay," he says. "We understand that baseball is just a game and that there are more important things that need to be taken care of."

On Tuesday morning, manager Buck Showalter met with team owner Peter Angelos for nearly 3 1/2 hours to talk about what needed to be done to make both Wednesday's game and this weekend's series in Tampa Bay work. Showalter said the owner never talked about money or revenues or anything like that.

“It was all about what’s best for the city of Baltimore," Showalter says. “It made me feel good to listen to it. We wanted to make sure all the resources the city needed were in the city, not at Camden Yards."

First baseman Chris Davis was asked about the game's historic implications. “It’s sad that it’s got to be on these terms," he says. "You want it to be for positive reasons, something you feel good about. This is disappointing, but we have to think about everybody’s best interest. We have to think about what’s best of the city.

“Safety is the most important thing. Unfortunately with what’s going on, it’s the right thing to do. We understand there is a bigger picture."

"You don’t want to have a stadium full of people at the game and then have what happened Saturday night [when the stadium was temporarily locked down]," says closer Zach Britton. "There are bigger issues than a baseball game. Baseball is entertainment, and it is unimportant in the scheme of things."

Reliever Darren O'Day, the team’s MLBPA representative, says he thinks the decision to play in front of no one was the right one. “To protect the people that will come to our games and to protect us at the stadium would cost a lot of manpower," he told the Baltimore Sun. "And to me, it just makes sense to employ that manpower to protect people’s homes and businesses instead of our game.

"Speaking just in a very narrow, team-centric point of view, on our striving to win baseball games, this is tough,” O’Day added. “It affects your starting pitching quite a bit, and other teams are playing their games right now and it is beautiful weather, and we can’t play. But it’s all for a good reason. It’s definitely a challenge, but one that we are going to have to face either way.”

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/04/29/baltimore-orioles-chicago-white-sox-live-stream-watch- online

Orioles vs. White Sox can be live streamed online for free

Associated Press / SI.com April 29, 2015

Wednesday's Baltimore Orioles vs. Chicago White Sox game at Camden Yards is closed to fans due to safety concerns, but it is MLB TV's free game of the day and can be live streamed online.

The game can be live streamed here with an MLB.com account. Regional restrictions will apply.

The game will air locally on MASN in the Baltimore area and on WPWR in the Chicago area.

Full how-to-watch info:

Game time: 2:05 p.m. ET

TV channel: MASN (Baltimore), WPWR (Chicago)

Radio: For Orioles radio affiliates, click here. For White Sox radio affiliates, click here.

Live stream: Free on MLB.com's MLB TV (blackout restrictions apply)

Tuesday's game between the Orioles and White Sox was postponed, as was the first game of a three-game series on Monday night because of safety concerns in Baltimore related to the protests that have emerged following the funeral of Freddie Gray. Gray, a 25-year-old Baltimore man, died on April 19 after suffering a severe spinal injury while in police custody. Six Baltimore police officers have been suspended pending a probe into the incident.

Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake issued a week-long, city-wide curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. ET on Monday.

The Orioles also announced that the three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays beginning Friday will be played at the Rays' Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., instead of Oriole Park. The Orioles will play as the home team.

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/57515/players-will-have-to-adapt-to-quiet-stadium

Players will have to adapt to quiet stadium

By Jerry Crasnick / ESPN.com April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE -- Hours before the Baltimore Orioles were scheduled to take the field against the Chicago White Sox in a fan-free zone Wednesday afternoon, several Baltimore players addressed the chaos and unrest that's ravaged the city over the past week. Chris Davis, Adam Jones, Zach Britton and others spoke eloquently and from the heart about the anger in the city and their desire for Baltimore to address and move beyond its recent problems.

In the midst of all that introspection, duty called, and the Orioles and White Sox returned to action Wednesday amid novel circumstances: In response to the recent chaos in the city, Major League Baseball decided that the teams would play at 2:05 p.m. ET with no fans in attendance. That's a first in MLB history.

"It's sad that it's going to be on these terms," said Orioles first baseman Chris Davis. "Usually when you're making history, you want it to be for a positive reason -- for something you feel good about. It's a little disappointing for it to be for something like this. But as much as we'd like to be a shot in the arm to this city, we have to understand what's going on around us and what's the best thing for everyone."

Fan interaction is so integral to baseball, the late plot twist generated several questions from players about the impact of an empty stadium on the mood and the mechanics of the game. While acknowledging the gravity of the situation in Baltimore, the Orioles and White Sox were forced to adapt to a bizarre set of circumstances within the gates.

Several players wondered, in all sincerity: Would the public address system be functioning Wednesday? Would there be walkup music? And would they have to be careful with their language because it might resonate to the media upstairs in the press box?

"We've talked about it," said catcher Orioles Caleb Joseph. "You have to watch what you say, because with nobody in the stands, you can hear everything. Even the crack of the bat on the bench is accentuated. Even with the comments you might make to a teammate right next to you on the bench, you have to really whisper."

While the White Sox took batting practice, the Camden Yards public address system played Elvis Presley's "Return to Sender," the Beatles' "Day Tripper" and an abundance of other oldies and classic rock. Meanwhile, players who are typically accustomed to lots of crowd noise prepared for an atmosphere more similar to an instructional league game in Florida or Arizona.

"If you hit a home run and all you hear is 25 guys in the dugout cheering, it's gonna be different," Davis said. "I feel bad for the umpires. Every little bitty thing that's said now is going to be heard."

Britton, who typically gets a lift from the energy in the ballpark in the ninth inning as a closer, recalled a recent "B" game in spring training in which he and fellow Baltimore pitcher Kevin Gausman had to face the Pittsburgh Pirates' Grade A lineup at 8 o'clock in the morning. He expected to draw on that experience Wednesday.

"I remember Gausman's first pitch was 98 mph, and I thought, 'He's not having any problems with it," Britton said. "When you know you have your home crowd behind you, maybe it's a little easier to warm up on those days when you're not feeling great. But if you want to be successful at this level, you should to be able to self-motivate, right? So I think we're going to have to rely on that a little bit."

http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/12787912/orioles-white-sox-fanless-game-baltimore

The Fanless Game

ESPN.com April 29, 2015

Due to safety concerns following several days of unrest in Baltimore, the public was not allowed at Wednesday's meeting between the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles' 8-2 victory marked the first time in Major League Baseball history that a game was played without fans in attendance.

National Guard A Maryland National Guard vehicle drives by the stadium Wednesday before the Orioles hosted the White Sox in a game played in an empty Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Peaceful Fans Unable to cheer on the home team from inside the stadium, a group of fans gathers at the gates to show their support for the Orioles.

Closed For Business With the public not allowed to attend Wednesday's game, Camden Yards ticket windows remained closed before and during the contest.

Lowest Attendance Ever The attendance board in the Camden Yards media room tells the story as the Orioles and White Sox played the first MLB game with zero fans.

National Anthem Players stand during a recorded playing of the National Anthem at a fanless Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Silent Pitch Pitching without the usual sounds of a crowded ballpark around him, Chicago's Jeff Samardzija struggled on the mound. The right-hander allowed seven earned runs in five innings.

Public Prohibited Orioles pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez delivers a pitch against the White Sox in the first inning of Wednesday's fanless game. Jimenez earned the victory, pitching seven strong innings.

Davis Digs In Baltimore's Chris Davis belts a first-inning home run that landed on Eutaw Street, where the ball remained unclaimed.

Fans From Up Above Some Baltimore fans found a way to take in Wednesday's action, watching the Orioles' victory from the rooftops of buildings just outside of Camden Yards.

Low-Key Celebration Without fans there to cheer the team on, Baltimore's Manny Machado celebrates with teammates while the Orioles beat the White Sox.

Nobody's Got It A foul ball off of the bat of Orioles' infielder Everth Cabrera sits in the stands without the usual rush of fans chasing to claim it.

A Win For The City Members of the Orioles line up to congratulate each other after winning the first major league game played with zero attendance.

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/post/_/id/12787676/the-baseball-game-no-fans

The baseball game with no fans

By Brett Edgerton | ESPN.com April 29, 2015

What if there was a baseball game and there was no one there to see it? Did it really happen?

Well, yes it did. Due to the civil unrest in Baltimore, Wednesday's White Sox-Orioles game at Camden Yards was closed to the public. There were some fans who mingled around the locked gates and chanted for the O's, but inside, only a few scouts and photographers wandered around the empty 46,000-seat stadium as the teams played to absolute silence.

They still played "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch and walk-up music for each of the players, but there was no kiss cam or crab shuffle or hot dog races in between innings -- just a graphic of the team's logo on the big screen.

There were still home runs, of course -- only this time no fans to scramble for the ball. Baltimore's Chris Davis hit one during the O's 8-2 victory, and the baseball remained on the famed Eutaw Street concourse, just sitting there.

So it was certainly an odd day in the Charm City -- and not just because the game took only a brisk 2 hours, 3 minutes. How did it look in and around the stadium during the least-attended game in the 145-year history of Major League Baseball? Let's take a look: http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/12792398/do-sports-matter-now-baltimore

This too is Baltimore

By Kevin Van Valkenburg / ESPN.com April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE -- They played the national anthem on tape, since the decree that city officials and the team were determined to adhere to -- no fans allowed inside Oriole Park at Camden Yards -- apparently extended to singers, as well.

It was unsettling and eerie. The players stood on the field shifting uneasily from side to side, hands pressed to their hearts, looking every bit as if they just wanted to get on with it. As the song neared its merciful conclusion, I wondered whether anyone would dare engage in our city's magnificent, defiant and obnoxious custom of shouting "O!" during the second-to-last line of the song.

The appropriateness of that ritual has sparked considerable debate over the years. It tends to annoy visiting fans who see it as a sign of disrespect, even though "The Star-Spangled Banner" was written here, in our harbor. Shouting that one letter has become a quintessential part of Baltimore's ethos. When someone questions our tact, or pokes fun at our inelegant manners, we simply respond by sticking out our chin in rebellion. So when I heard the faint echoes of fans bellowing "O!" from outside the gates, just loud enough for the players to hear, I wanted to put my head in my hands and weep.

It's been a trying week in this city -- the place I've called home for 15 years. What happened at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Wednesday is, in many ways, the least interesting ripple from the protests and riots that sprang up in Charm City after the funeral of 25-year-old Freddie Gray - - an African-American man who died after getting injured while in police custody. That anyone would spend 24 hours fretting over the plight of a baseball team that had to play a game in an empty stadium while a major American city struggled to maintain order in its streets seemed comical to me at first. Camden Yards is a majestic ballpark -- the perfect place to take the family for a lazy Sunday afternoon game, if you can afford it. If you can't, OPACY looks like just another playground for the wealthy. It's an easy symbol for the economic and cultural divide that exists here. The divide that's fueling a lot of that anger you're seeing on the news. State lottery tickets funded a huge chunk of its construction. A majority of those tickets, some studies have shown, were purchased by Baltimore's have-nots, people longing for a financial Hail Mary and, in turn, a better life.

Yes, the city is hurting at the moment. But its pain did not begin with Gray's death. This is about a simmering anger and frustration that's been building for decades and is now boiling over for the whole country to see. To be frank, those of us who live here aren't truly surprised by what unfolded, just saddened. Baltimore is home to some of the most affluent private schools in the country and to entire neighborhoods populated by gutted and vacant row houses, full city blocks left to rot in plain sight.

But it's impossible to talk about Baltimore in such absolutist terms. This is a city that reveres Cal Ripken and Ray Lewis, two men whose backgrounds and demeanors could not be less alike. It is shouting the "O!" during the national anthem and the pickup basketball games at Cloverdale Court near Druid Hill Park in West Baltimore. It is not the apocalyptic wasteland it's made out to be by the people who zoom past it on the Acela train between New York and D.C. For every cable news debate that took place this week in front of looping video of a burning car, there were dozens of ministers, teachers and parents walking the streets, pleading for patience.

Not that sports are completely irrelevant in the larger discussion. (In Baltimore, we have a habit of making sports part of the conversation whether it's warranted or not.) Lewis and Carmelo Anthony took to social media immediately after the riots began to plead with kids to resist joining them. And when the city's violence did dissipate in the days that followed Monday's explosion of anger, it wasn't just a simple show of brute force by the National Guard, and the Baltimore City Police Department, that restored order. It was also thanks to a large group of coaches from the city's high schools who banded together and took to the streets, calmly but firmly convincing protesters that, although their anger might be justified, their actions weren't. One of my friends, Dante Jones -- who won a state football championship as a player at Baltimore's Dunbar High School, then another as a head coach at Edmondson High School -- spent years pulling kids off street corners, steering them to class, and comforting the families and friends of the ones he couldn't save from violence. A year ago, he accepted a once-in-a-lifetime job coaching football at Dover High School in Delaware. But, heartbroken by what he saw on television Monday, Jones jumped in his car and drove to Baltimore. He immediately started pulling kids off the street, lecturing and hugging them at the same time.

"I love my city, but there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed," Jones said. "It was eating me up not being here because I know I could have made a difference. But this didn't start Saturday. This is something that's been building up for so long; at some point the pot gets so hot the lid pops off. It was close to being explosive again today. It was really close. But we talked. We listened. We got them to disperse."

A deep-seated distrust certainly exists between the young African-American men of Baltimore and the people hired to police the city, but kids here still listen to coaches, even long after they've left high school. Coaches are the rare authority figure that can offer a dose of tough love without fostering resentment.

"For the most part, the young guys, they want to be heard, to have someone finally listen to them," said Elwood Townsend, the football coach at Frederick Douglass High School. "They fall in love with the coaches the most because they'll be that guy for them when they don't have that guy at home. We try to instill the values that we grew up on, and let them know that this is not what Freddie Gray would want, or anyone else that died in vain would want."

Townsend, a warm but imposing figure, has a motto printed on the business cards that he's always handing out as he's trying to connect with people in the city. It cuts to the heart of one of Baltimore's most important issues: It's easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.

"I've been at Douglass eight years, and in that time, I've had guys that came in and couldn't play football their first year because of their grades or their behavior," Townsend said. "And now? They're graduating. This year alone, I had 15 seniors and 11 of them signed to play somewhere. That's a testament that kids want to do better, they want to make better opportunities for their families, they just need a little help."

It's an issue Orioles center fielder Adam Jones has tried to help out with, another narrative you might not have heard much of this week. He has built two rec centers in the city and is working on a third. "The youth are hurting, as the older guys, the older community owe it to the youth to continue to educate them, continue to strengthen them, continue to be by their sides," Jones said. "That's what they need. They need a shoulder to cry on. I've said to the youth: Your frustration is warranted. It's understandable. Your actions, I don't think, are acceptable."

People were destroying and looting their own communities this week. It cannot be denied. Those scars will linger for years. But there were also hundreds and hundreds of people calling for nonviolent protests. Coppin State student-athletes spent most of Tuesday cleaning up the area by Mondawmin Mall that was looted Monday. That might be less-than-compelling television, but it speaks strongly to the spirit of our city.

Will Barton -- now a shooting guard for the Denver Nuggets but not that long ago a skinny hoops prodigy growing up in the city -- also jumped on social media and put out the call to anyone willing to listen. He was hosting an impromptu block party at the city's famous Cloverdale Courts.

The goal? Just listen to each other. Just try to heal. At least 500 people turned up for an afternoon filled with dancing, light-hearted pickup basketball and lots of hugging. Kids wrote inspirational messages with chalk on the court. I snapped a picture of one: White + Black = Together We Succeed.

"A love for my city is what inspired this," Barton said. "It means everything to me. It's molded me, and shaped me, and made me the man I am today. I've got family still living here. How could I not come out like this at a time like this? People need each other, and I feel like I need to be here just to let the kids know that I believe in them and we're going to get through it together."

At one point during Barton's block party barbecue, Carmichael Cannady, one of the men who helped organize the event with Barton, grabbed a microphone and proposed that the entire gathering join together and march down McCulloh Street to North Avenue, to the block where some of the worst rioting had taken place. Cannady wanted us to serve as an example that a large group of people could protest in this city without hurting anyone, could express anger without destroying anything. "We're not going to let the cops harass us or bother us because we're going to be peaceful and we're going to walk as a family," Cannady said. "Take someone's hand, especially if you see a child who needs one."

We strolled past the blocks of row houses with boarded-up windows, past the liquor stores and churches, the delis and barbershops, until eventually we walked past a row of cops dressed in full riot gear. Neither side said much. All you could hear were footsteps, and helicopters buzzing overhead.

This too is my Baltimore, where you don't know whether to shout in defiance or quietly weep in frustration.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/unique-circumstances-hopeful-signs-orioles

Unique circumstances, but hopeful signs for Orioles

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore April 30, 2015

The uniqueness of Wednesday overshadowed what happened on the field. The Orioles won their third straight game for the first time this season.

With 20 games completed, and no return dates yet for J.J. Hardy and Matt Wieters, the Orioles are at .500 and just two games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East.

Due to the reconstituted schedule, 29 of the team’s first 32 games come against the AL East, and the good news is that the Orioles are showing some positive signs.

In the last four games, starting pitchers completed six innings in each game. In the Orioles’ first 16, it happened just four times.

While Miguel Gonzalez’s four runs in six innings on Friday night wasn’t a gem, the game was tied in the eighth inning, and a walk given up by Brian Matusz, an error by Manny Machado and a three-run homer allowed by Darren O’Day cost the Orioles a possible four-game winning streak.

Wei-Yin Chen’s best performance of the season (two runs on four hits in eight innings) was forgotten because of the unlikely way the Orioles won. Trailing 4-3 in the 10th, they scored two runs on Adam Jones’ triple, Chris Davis’ sacrifice fly and David Lough’s game-ending home run.

Lough, with just 10 career homers has as many game-winning homers for the Orioles as Davis does.

Bud Norris, who pitched horribly in the first three games of the season as well as during spring training, pitched six scoreless innings on Sunday before tiring and allowing a three-run home run to Pablo Sandoval.

Manager Buck Showalter noted that Norris tired in the seventh. During spring training, Norris’ appearances were shorter than planned because he exhausted his pitch count early in games. And, in two of his first three starts, Norris didn’t make it past the third inning. (He pitched five innings in the other.)

Through the first 20 games, Ubaldo Jimenez has been the Orioles’ best starter. Yes, the same Jimenez who early in spring training, fans feared would clog up a rotation spot.

Each starter has pitched four times, and Jimenez has both struck out the most batters (22) and walked the fewest (8). He’s also given up just 10 hits and allowed only four earned runs.

Chris Tillman, who starts Friday against Tampa Bay, has walked just as many (13) as he’s struck out.

Tillman looked terrific in spring training, and if the Orioles are to contend, he’s going to have to pitch much better.

On Thursday, Kevin Gausman and Zach Britton threw scoreless innings. Because of the two postponements and Thursday’s off day, relievers have pitched fewer innings this week, and Showalter is obviously wary of their rustiness.

Britton was dynamic in the spring, and while he hasn’t been as sharp during the season, he’s had just five save opportunities. Machado’s ninth-inning on Saturday cost him a save.

After some early difficulties, in his last three outings, Tommy Hunter has given up just one hit in 4 2/3 innings.

O’Day’s case is the most interesting one. His ERA is just 1.08, but two of the four hits he’s allowed were home runs, including the Sandoval blast, which was unearned.

After giving up just three home runs in the first five months of the season, O’Day allowed three more in September and two in the postseason. In his first 396 games—including the postseason, O’Day gave up 31 home runs, and in his last 23, he’s given up seven.

Machado was hitless in his first 15 at-bats, but has brought his average to .254. He’s made his expected spectacular plays, but has made as many errors (five) in 20 games as he did in the 52 games he played in 2012. Those five errors have come in the last eight games.

The Orioles lead the American League with 29 home runs, and have greatly upped their on-base percentage. They’re fourth in baseball with a .345 OBP.

Jones has a .400 average and .440 OBP. He’s walked five times in 20 games, which may not be impressive, but translates to a 40-walk season. He’s never done that.

Another hopeful sign has been Davis’ performance. In his first 15 games, he struck out 26 times and hit just two home runs. Davis homered in three of the four games played at home, while striking out three times.

It will be a strange weekend for the Orioles, wearing white and batting last. Instead of drawing a possible 100,000 fans, they’ll be fortunate to play in front of a tenth that many.

On Wednesday, the entire sports world was watching. It was a weekday afternoon.

This weekend, they’ll be competing for attention against the NBA and NHL playoffs, NFL draft, Kentucky Derby and the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight. I don’t think they’ll care.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/showalter-passionate-about-baltimore-unrest

Showalter passionate about Baltimore unrest

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE –- Professional athletes generally aren’t comfortable with being social commentators. Some do it willingly, LeBron James for example. Michael Jordan was famously averse to being involved.

They’re still asked their opinion. Adam Jones is used to being asked his, and for 15 minutes on Wednesday morning, the Orioles centerfielder talked about the Baltimore unrest.

Manager Buck Showalter is also interested in current affairs, and he’s looked upon as the de facto spokesman for the ballclub on all kinds of issues.

It shouldn’t have been a surprise when Showalter was asked after the game played with no crowd what message he has for African American young men.

“You hear people try to weigh in on things that they really don't know anything about,” Showalter began.

“I've never been black, OK? So I don't know, I can't put myself there. I've never faced the challenges that they face, so I understand the emotion, but I can't... It's a pet peeve of mine when somebody says, 'Well, I know what they're feeling. Why don't they do this? Why doesn't somebody do that?' You have never been black, OK, so just slow down a little bit.

“I try not to get involved in something that I don't know about, but I do know that it's something that's very passionate, something that I am with my upbringing that it bothers me and it bothers everybody else. We've made quite a statement as a city, some good and some bad. Now, let's get on with taking the statements we've made and create a positive,” he said.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/hardy-hopes-cortisone-shot-did-its-job

Hardy hopes cortisone shot did its job

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE – J.J. Hardy received a cortisone injection on Saturday, and after three days of rest, was scheduled to swing a bat for the first time since on Wednesday.

“The cortisone has worked,” Hardy said.

He’ll be traveling with the Orioles this weekend to Tampa Bay for more workouts. Presumably, if those go well, Hardy could finally start a rehab assignment next week.

“Probably not for those three days when we’re in Tampa, but hopefully when we come back here after Tampa. It would be nice to go play somewhere,” Hardy said.

“Last time I thought two weekends ago was realistic, and then it didn’t work out, and then I figured last weekend was going to be it, and it didn’t work out. I’m really not putting a timetable on it, but I’m hoping. I’m hoping for it.”

Manager Buck Showalter knows the Orioles are a different team with Hardy.

"I think more than anything you miss the ball security. The presence, the consistency. Knowing what you have. J.J. kicks a ball or does something you know it’s one of those things that just happens three or four times a year. That’s what you miss, the sureness. If there’s a ball bounding out you like the way its going to end up most of the time. Ball security. Like a point guard, you know the guy is going to get the ball up the court with someone guarding him," Showalter said. "I miss a lot of things about him."

NOTES: Matt Wieters will catch on Thursday in an extended spring game in Sarasota, Fla. … Ryan Flaherty (groin) will probably go on a rehab assignment next week. Showalter expects him back on May 8 when he’s eligible to return. … Wesley Wright (left shoulder) should begin to throw next week. Showalter thinks his rehab will go quickly. … Jonathan Schoop (right knee) had fluid drained. He should be able to begin strengthening exercises.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/zach-britton-not-pleased-tampa-bay-rays

Zach Britton not pleased with Tampa Bay Rays

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE -- Zach Britton was supportive of the decision to play Wednesday’s game before an empty stadium.

“I think we all understand what’s going on out there is more important than security here,” Britton said.

“On a normal day, there’s a lot of police around the stadium, and you don’t want to take the attention from what’s really going on out there. It makes sense, but it’s unfortunate that our fans who want to come out and support us weren’t able to do that for safety reasons.”

The Orioles have changed their schedule. They’ll play three games at Tampa Bay this weekend instead of having the Rays come to Baltimore. The Orioles will play four series in Tampa Bay this season, and the Rays play two here. Baltimore will be the home team this weekend.

“MLB has got to look out for the safety of the fans and players and whatever. It makes sense, but I’d rather play at home in Baltimore without anybody in the stands than go down and play three home games in Tampa,” Britton said.

“I think everyone feels the same way. This is our home field. The thing that’s frustrating is that Tampa won’t compromise and come back up here. These are tough situations. You would think people have some compassion for what’s going on. Apparently they don’t,” Britton said.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/orioles-underway-empty-stadium-and-yes-its- weird-riots-baltimore

Orioles playing in an empty stadium was quite strange

By JP Finlay / CSN Baltimore April 29, 2015

An age old premise of baseball - if you play fans will come - was tested today in Baltimore. Nobody came, but the Orioles still played.

Yes, the National Anthem cranked out of the loud speakers before the game. No, the crowd did not scream the "O" as is Baltimore custom, though a vocal group of fans ammassed beyond the left center wall, behind the bullpens and Camden Yards picnic area, did. The fans could be heard inside too, more than 500 feet away, as could police sirens, helicopters, and even chatter from the dugouts and the field.

The scene was surreal. The cavernous stadium silent but for the crack of the bat and the ball hitting leather. This is not meant as some ode to romantic baseball of times past, it's just the reality of Major League Baseball in an empty stadium. The TV cameras still rolled, the jumbotron in centerfield still lit up with stats, the press box full beyond capacity.

But nobody in the stands. Foul balls fell to the ground, smacked between seats, with not a single skirmish.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/jones-says-he-identifies-baltimore-youth

Jones says he identifies with Baltimore youth

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE – It was a somber, serious Adam Jones. Jones knows he has a special place in the Baltimore community and as perhaps the most recognized African-American athlete in this city, his words matter.

“The last 72 hours, I think in this city, have been tumultuous to say the least. We’ve seen good, we’ve seen bad, we’ve seen ugly,” Jones said.

“It’s a city that’s hurting, 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.”

Jones comes from San Diego, and he came up with Seattle before getting traded to the Orioles in 2008. He quickly became active in the community. He’s refurbished two Boys and Girls Clubs in Baltimore, and is working on a third.

“I say to the youth, your frustration is warranted. The actions, I don’t think are acceptable. If you come from where they come from, you understand, but 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 go back to those convenience stores, go back to all these stores,” Jones said.

“This is their cry. This isn’t a cry that is acceptable, but this is their cry, and therefore we have to understand it. Like I said, they need hugs. They need love. They need support. As much as I can give, as much as I know people on the opposition can give, I’m going to try and give as much as I can because the city needs it.”

Jones is not only the highest profile Oriole, but the most outspoken. He closely follows current affairs and is friendly with Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

“I feel the pain of these kids. Let’s not forget I grew in similar tracks as them,” Jones said. “It’s just not easy, seeing a community that you’re trying to affect change in, seeing these kind of things. These kids are hurting. These kids have seen the pain in their parent’s eyes, the pain in their grandparent’s eyes over decades. This is their way of speaking on behalf of their parents and behalf of their grandparents and people who have been hurt.”

Jones identifies with the young people he sees on the streets.

“I understand the situation that these kids are in. Not too long ago, I was one of those teenagers, using city transportation, meeting up at the mall with my friends after school. Doing all of the same things,” Jones said.

The first two games of this three-game series were postponed. They’ll be played on May 28. This weekend’s games against Tampa Bay will be played at Tropicana Field. There was some question if this game would come off.

“We need this game to be played, but we need this city to be healed first,” Jones said.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/orioles-white-sox-adam-eaton-joke-camden- yards-baltimore-protests-freddie-gray

White Sox centerfielder tweets joke about empty Camden Yards

By Keely Diven / CSN Baltimore April 29, 2015

The Chicago White Sox will take on the Baltimore Orioles today in an empty stadium. The 2:05 p.m. game is closed to fans for safety reasons stemming from ongoing civil unrest in Baltimore.

Though it will count as a home game for the Orioles, they won't enjoy the advantage of a home crowd as normal.

White Sox centerfielder Adam Eaton made light of that fact on Twitter.

It seems unlikely that a guy with "Spanky" in his Twitter handle meant any serious harm with that joke, but judging by his next tweet, not everyone appreciated the mocking.

Don't take it personally, Baltimoreans. Eaton has the "up most" respect for you.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/manny-machado-baltimore-riots-it-sucks-about- whats-happening-city

Manny Machado on Baltimore riots: 'It sucks about what's happening in the city'

By JP Finlay / CSN Baltimore April 29, 2015

The continued civic unrest in Baltimore has caused chaos throughout the city, a fact not lost on Orioles players. Games against the White Sox Monday and Tuesday were postponed, and Wednesday - for the first time ever - a Major League game will be played in an empty stadium.

"It's crazy," Orioles third baseman Manny Machado said. "It's crazy what's going on."

Machado explained that he, like his teammates, could not help but see the media coverage of the protests and riots that plagued portions of Baltimore and forced games earlier this week to be postponed. But Machado also pointed out that it seems the city has turned a corner, and people are working together to fix what has been broken.

"It sucks about what's happening in the city, but some of that we are trying to help everywhere possible," he said. "I like that I see the city is coming together. It's something you really don't want to see, but I'm glad the city is getting back together."

Though today's game will be bizarre in that there will be no fans, at least playing the game allows fans to watch on television, and in some way, get a semblance of normalcy.

"It's good to be back on the field," Machado said. "We're trying to get back to where we need to be in Baltimore."

http://www.pressboxonline.com/2015/04/30/how-hot-was-orioles-center-fielder-adam-jones-in- april

How Hot Was Orioles Center Fielder Adam Jones In April?

PressBoxOnline.com April 30, 2015

For the month of April, Baltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones batted .400 with five home runs and 19 RBIs.

He currently ranks first in the American League in batting average and is second in both on-base percentage (.440) and slugging (.707).

At Camden Yards, Jones hit .459 for the month with four of his five home runs coming at home.

http://www.pressboxonline.com/2015/04/29/schedule-changes-present-challenging-may-for- orioles

Schedule Changes Present Challenging May For Orioles

By Jim Henneman / PressBoxOnline.com April 29, 2015

Even before events of the past week led to turmoil in Baltimore that isn't likely to subside overnight, the month of May figured to be key to any chance the Orioles had of successfully defending their American League East Division title.

After unrest and riots broke out in the city following the death 25-year-old Freddie Gray while he was in police custody, the Orioles have been forced to alter their schedule due to security concerns.

Subsequent developments, including the necessity of now playing six more road than home games, have only complicated the issue and the nine-game "home/road" trip that begins May 1 now looms as the pivotal point in the season.

Two of the three games against the White Sox, schedule to be played April 27 and 28 and then postponed, have been moved to the end of the month (a double-header May 28) and a three-game set against the Rays moved to Tampa Bay. Now, what was supposed to be the start of a heavy slate of home games, is instead forcing the Orioles to adjust on the fly, and give up three home dates in the process.

It's rare a team ever feels it has a favorable schedule when the season starts – and the Orioles certainly were no exception this year, bringing an entirely new viewpoint to argument over balanced or unbalanced schedules. But it had little to do with the number of games within the division and a lot to do with playing 30 home games in the first two months of the season and making them road warriors in June, July and August.

As it developed, depending on how vital one values early-season injuries, the Orioles' schedule as devised could easily have been construed as a positive. The home stand that began with the O's winning two of three from the Red Sox was originally going to be the beginning of a stretch of 24 of 33 games being played at Camden Yards, including 15 of the 18 after the Orioles return from their weeklong trip to New York.

The civil unrest that erupted during the series with the Red Sox April 24-26 not only interrupted the schedule as it was laid out, it also put an exclamation point on what happens during the month of May. The O's will not play a game outside the Eastern Time Zone until June 1, which would classify as a definite break -- except it opens up the rest of the schedule for long road trips, including 10 straight days on the West Coast, which will wrap up a string of 18 of 25 games on the road following the All-Star break.

It is that "killer stretch" that makes the next month so vital to whatever chances the Orioles have to make it back to the postseason for the third time in four years. Shortstop J. J. Hardy and catcher Matt Wieters should be back before then; if they aren't it probably won't matter, but for now it is imperative that the Orioles at least hold serve until then.

***

There were some who voiced displeasure the Orioles weren't able to "flip" their three-game series against Tampa Bay, but that really wasn't a feasible option. Even though the Rays have weekend series against the Orioles in July and September, expecting them to take on three home games with just three days of notice wasn't realistic.

Giving up the home dates hurts the O's attendance, and could be a factor if you believe in a home-field advantage in baseball, but this was not a situation that could be handled routinely. Though hardly routine, there have been cases in the past where teams have had to give up home dates in emergency situations.

***

The game against the White Sox April 29 was believed to be a first in baseball history -- the only game played in private, with no admission charge. Major League Baseball noted the occasion by basically authenticating everything used in the game, which will also be chronicled at the Hall Of Fame.

There were a few scouts in the stands, but the only sounds to be heard, other than those by Public Address Announcer Ryan Wagner, came from a small, but very vocal and energetic group outside the park behind the picnic area in left-center field.

Perhaps intimidated by the intimate setting, there were times when hitters looked like they wanted to argue with plate umpire Jerry Layne, but settled for a brief stare instead.

Even in the press box, where media members have occasionally be known to be as loud as they are irreverent, there was an almost eerie silence. It was, without doubt, the quietest press box I've ever been in during a game.

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2015/04/30/jeremy-conn-orioles-play-to-an-empty-camden-yards/

Jeremy Conn: Orioles Play To An Empty Camden Yards

By Jeremy Conn / CBS Baltimore April 30, 2015

What a strange sight to see yesterday at Camden Yards with no fans in the stadium. It wasn’t the sight that was all that different to me, but more of the sounds of the game. At one point you could hear Jose Abreu screaming “I got it” on an infield pop up. It sounded like he was sitting right in my living room as he yelled it. You could hear the crack of the bat on every foul ball and the popping of the mitt on pitches like you were sitting right behind the catcher.

You had Caleb Joseph pretending to sign autograph’s before the game and Chris Davis throwing the ball into the stands on a third out like he would during a game with all the fans in the stands. The strangest sight to me was the Chris Davis homerun that landed on Eutaw street and just rolled down next to the Ladies bathroom and sat there. There were foul balls that hit the seats and bounce back out onto the field because no one was there to catch them.

Glad the Orioles got the win and it was really too strange to see an 8-2 game go by so fast.

It’s going to be really odd to see the Orioles as the Home Team in Tampa Bay this weekend.

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2015/04/29/opinion-pro-empty-stadium-game-uncharted-territory/

[Opinion] Pro: Empty-Stadium Game Is Uncharted Territory

By Rob Long / CBS Baltimore April 29, 2015

The Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox are playing in front of media and baseball officials only. This is unprecedented. Never before in Major League Baseball history has they been a game when the fans were shut out. You have to think that the Orioles have the biggest disadvantage being that they are home and expect to have a crowd cheering for them but there’s no way the White Sox are comfortable with this either.

This isn’t about baseball though. This is about protecting the citizens of Baltimore. The city has a curfew of 10 p.m. and you cannot start a game at 7 p.m. In addition, having a game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards now could create a location for potential congregation of violence. This is the byproduct of the violence that took place in this city.

For now, the Orioles have also lost three home games. I said “lost” because the three games that have been moved to Tampa aren’t coming back. The Rays aren’t “switching” dates with the Birds. That’s for now. We can only hope that this is the worst of it. Today is going to be weird, but necessary.

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2015/04/29/opinion-empty-stadium-orioles-game-an- embarrassment-of-historic-proportions/

[Opinion] Con: Empty-Stadium Orioles Game An Embarrassment Of Historic Proportions

By Steve Fink / CBS Baltimore April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE (CBS DC) — If Monday’s pathetic riots left my beloved Baltimore with a badly blackened eye, it didn’t take long for the other one to be socked with yet another stinging shiner.

The lingering fear in the air and some unsubstantiated threats by more misguided youngsters on social media for rioting in parts of the city — and now parts of quiet Baltimore County — left the Baltimore Orioles and Major League Baseball in a tough spot: What do we do about our scheduled games this week at Oriole Park at Camden Yards?

So, with police officers forced to be utilized throughout the city and out of an incredible abundance of caution, they decided to do something unprecedented: move Wednesday night’s scheduled game against the Chicago White Sox to the afternoon — and ban fans from attending. An MLB first.

They will play Wednesday’s game in front of an empty stadium. No doubt it will be interesting to watch and especially to hear.

But O’, what an embarrassment.

Instead of taking the opportunity to show our city’s resolve, we are caving. We are showing that we’ve been battered, pushed down to the ground and aren’t well enough to stand up yet. After days of being viewed across the entire world as an out-of-control war zone, we have the perfect chance to dust ourselves off and do something that is pure Baltimore at its finest: enjoy a beautiful day of baseball at our country’s most beautiful ballpark.

There are soldiers donning impressive weaponry throughout the streets of Baltimore. Television cameras are scouring our streets, furiously hunting for more signs of destruction. We are the laughingstock of America’s big cities. Despite all of this, what better way to show how great and strong we are than by letting the game go on, and in doing so, perhaps flipping the Oriole bird to our critics.

Look, I get it. I understand the safety concerns. I know there is a high risk of confrontations similar to what we saw outside the stadium on Saturday, and I understand that police officers are needed elsewhere as we continue our return to normalcy. But I don’t buy that we don’t have the resources to let this game be played. It may be at an additional cost to the city, but at this point, it’s worth it.

On Tuesday, thousands of people returned to the streets of Penn North, the already troubled area that was the epicenter of Monday’s riots. They marched peacefully. They walked hand-in-hand. I’m sure most folks across the country expected a repeat of Monday to happen again Tuesday, and especially Tuesday night when the curfew hit. But guess what: it didn’t happen. The good folks who took to the streets Tuesday forbid it from happening. They showed that resolve I’m referring to, and I have no doubt that desire to flex a peaceful muscle would carry over to Camden Yards.

I see it on social media from my fellow Baltimoreans who love this city dearly and are sickened by what’s happened. We are all desperate to show America that we live in a fantastic city.

I don’t know who made the final call for Wednesday’s game. Maybe it was the Orioles. Maybe it was MLB. Maybe it was the latest in a string of bad reactions to the protests by Baltimore City brass.

How about if we decide?

If anything, let fans decide if they want to come down to the ballpark. I’m pretty sure we all know the risk involved. Give fans the option to come down or exchange their tickets. And hey, you want to be extra careful? Ban alcohol sales.

I know there are plenty of stunned fans out there as flabbergasted as I am. Perhaps we should head down to the gates at Eutaw Street today and launch a protest of our own: “Let us in! Don’t let them win!”

It will be quite a sight when the cameras go on today and we see another three hours of Baltimore at its worst. I’m so sad for my city.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/04/29/video-gary-thorne-does-his-best-masters-voice/

Gary Thorne does his best Masters voice

By Drew Silva / NBCSports.com April 29, 2015

Camden Yards took on the calm feel of a golf event during Wednesday’s zero-crowd game between the White Sox and Orioles. And so Orioles broadcaster Gary Thorne took the cue …

Thorne has called college football, college hockey, NHL, and obviously Major League Baseball games, but he has never broadcasted golf in his long, decorated career. Cool to hear him try out the whisper.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/04/29/buck-showalter-had-some-wise-words-about- whats-happening-in-baltimore/

Buck Showalter had some wise words about what’s happening in Baltimore

By Craig Calcaterra / NBCSports.com April 29, 2015

One of the worst things that comes out of civil unrest like we’ve seen in Baltimore are the armchair civic leaders, lecturing people from the comfort of their homes and lives which have absolutely no connection to the unrest in question about what they should or should not be doing.

You’ve seen them on your Facebook feed. Quoting Martin Luther King under the delusion that they have more to say about being, for example, a black person or a poor person in a place where black and poor people are being repressed. Not realizing, even for a moment, that maybe they don’t know what in the hell they’re talking about and that their rosy abstractions have zero relation to what is actually going on. Maybe they mean well and maybe the impulse to be disapproving of violence is a good one, but really, there are some things — a lot of things — people don’t know and shouldn’t presume to know better than the people who are living it.

After today’s Orioles game, a reporter asked Buck Showalter about his advice to young black people in Baltimore. As if the manager of a baseball team is automatically an authority on that. But, to Showalter’s great credit, he was wise enough to know what he did not and could not know and said it directly:

The wisest man is one who knows what he does not know. Would that more people proceed that way.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/04/29/the-white-sox-orioles-game-took-two-hours-and- three-minutes/

The White Sox-Orioles game took two hours and three minutes

By Craig Calcaterra / NBCSports.com April 29, 2015

One way to reduce average game-times: don’t let anyone in the park.

The White Sox-O’s game just ended. The Orioles won 8-2. There were 15 hits, a couple of errors and sixteen total strikeouts, but only two walks and three double plays. The grand totals:

I’m guessing that the “1” for attendance was some glitchy default, but whatever. The time of game is the interesting thing. There was a lot of first-pitch swinging and it is getaway day for these teams, but it’s rare to see such a short game time for a game in which ten runs were scored.

Shorter between-inning breaks due to the lack of the kiss-cam and other such nonsense? Just dumb luck? Hard to say, but one of baseball’s weirdest games ever was also one of the quicker games this season.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/04/29/so-far-so-weird-in-baltimore/

So far, so weird in Baltimore

By Craig Calcaterra / NBCSports.com April 29, 2015

I’ve been watching the empty-park White Sox-Orioles game. As a game it’s not so competitive, with the O’s putting up a six-spot in the bottom of the first. We’re now in the third inning. But people don’t really care as much about the game as the environment of this one.

As far as that goes: it’s kind of weird, but it’s getting more normal as it goes on. It’s not entirely quiet, actually. A good number of Orioles fans have lined up outside the gates and they are cheering when the Orioles do good things. A moment ago they had some sort of chant working.

From a broadcast perspective we’re in bizarro world. I started watching the MASN broadcast, featuring Gary Thorne and Jim Palmer. They’re one of the better broadcast crews around, but they talk. A lot. More than you realize when a normal game is going in. Maybe they’re talking more here to cover for the lack of crowd noise, but it became annoying after half an inning and I switched to Hawk Harrellson and over on WGN. They’re . . . not one of the best crews around, but they’re more quiet. Especially given that the Sox are getting shellacked, which tends to shut Harrellson up.

With that quiet we’re getting the sounds of clicks from the cameras in the photo well. At times you can hear the pitcher’s cleat grinding on the mound as he pivots. Once I heard an iPhone text message tone, presumably from the Sox’ booth. You can actually hear Thorne — whose voice carries — talking in the next booth over, even on the WGN broadcast. There’s a helicopter circling the ballpark now, presumably for a news broadcast. That’s odd.

Beyond that, the bat crack is a bit louder. The pop of the mitt is a bit more pronounced. But it’s baseball on TV. And as I watch this game, I’m realizing just how little of the crowd you actually notice while watching TV. Foul balls and homers and some occasional oohs and ahs, but that’s about it.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/04/29/mlb-is-making-the-best-out-of-a-bad-situation-in- baltimore/

MLB is making the best out of a bad situation in Baltimore

By Craig Calcaterra / NBCSports.com April 29, 2015

The empty-stadium game at Camden Yards today is going to be weird. And the Orioles being the “home” team in Tampa Bay this weekend is not ideal. But it’s rather difficult to see what else Major League Baseball could’ve done about all that is going on in Baltimore right now.

Nancy Armour of USA Today thinks differently. I don’t mean to single her out as, I’m sure, there are others who question what’s happening with these Orioles games. It’s fair to question it, as it’s just a weird situation all around and there are not truly satisfying answers. But a couple of the main points are worth talking about.

Her primary criticism is that baseball is “acting out of fear” and that baseball “assumes the worst of the people of Baltimore.” I’m sympathetic to that notion and feel like, if they had a normal game with fans allowed in and nothing bad happened, it would be a good thing that would go a long way toward combatting some of the worst stereotypes of the people of Baltimore since the unrest began. But I also don’t blame baseball for not taking that risk.

What if something does happen? What if riots or violence does interfere with fans going to and from the park? What if someone is injured? The injury would be bad for its own sake and the optics would be bad for both baseball and Baltimore, would they not? Less philosophically, Major League Baseball is a business. A business which has had teams incur liability in the recent past for being unable to ensure the safety of fans coming and going from the ballpark. It’s hard to blame that business for not knowingly taking such a risk in this situation, however much you’d like to see a game with fans pulled off in Baltimore today.

Armour’s other suggestions — moving the game to Washington or Philadelphia — aren’t realistic. She notes that business disputes between the Nats and Orioles prevents the former. Logistics make moving the games to a neutral location all the more difficult. Gearing up for a road trip to Tampa Bay is one thing. Moving stuff to a third location and figuring out the finances of that stuff is a lot more difficult. And who, really, would that serve? Not the people stuck in unrest in Baltimore right now. It might be nice for rich people in the suburbs who can take a road trip to see the O’s play in Washington or Philly, but they aren’t exactly the ones for whom we should be most concerned at the moment.

I agree with Armour and others that this is a less-than-ideal situation. But it seems to me that, between an unbalanced schedule which doesn’t have the White Sox coming back to Baltimore again this year and the risks and liabilities associated with putting a ballgame on in Baltimore at this very moment, it’s the best of many less-than-ideal options.

http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2015/04/29/the-impact-of-theorioles-cancelled- moved-and-empty.html?page=all

The impact of the Orioles' cancelled, moved — and empty stadium — games

By Timothy Sandoval / Baltimore Business Journal April 29, 2015

The Orioles’ and Major League Baseball’s decision to cancel two games, close Wednesday’s game to the public and move the team’s weekend series to Tampa Bay will certainly impact the team team, vendors and local businesses. But by how much is an open question.

ESPN notes that the average attendance at Orioles games this year has been 33,288, while the average ticket price is $24.97, according to Team Marketing Report. Micheline Maynard, director of the Reynolds National Center For Business Journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, multiplied those numbers and estimated the loss in ticket sales for each game at $831,291.

And that's just tickets.

Chris Bigelow, a food service consultant, said the average baseball fan spends anywhere from $15 to $20 on merchandise, food and beverages while at a game.

“It’s a big impact,” said Bigelow, who heads Bigelow Cos. Inc., of games being cancelled.

Fortunately for the Orioles, they will get ticket and concessions revenue at the games this weekend in St. Petersburg, Fla,, against the Rays although it's impossible to know how much revenue will be recouped for the team under this arrangement. The Orioles still have to pay for the expenses of the games and for travel.

It's also safe to say that businesses surrounding the stadium are taking a hit.

Greg Keating, managing partner for Pratt Street Ale House, said the cancellation of games and rioting in Baltimore has certainly slowed down sales there. The bar, located just down the street from the stadium, is often packed when the Orioles have a home game.

Keating said the bar experienced no damage during Monday's rioting and has remained open, although it closed early Tuesday in observance of the 10 p.m. curfew that went into effect across the city.

“It’s definitely going to hurt in the short run,” Keating said of the rioting and the Orioles decisions.

Keating said he supports the Orioles moves and noted he has promoted watching today’s game at the bar on social media.

Keating said he couldn't predict exactly what effects the Orioles decisions will have today or this weekend — or what effects the rioting will have on the area in the long term — but said he’s hopeful that the area will rebound.

http://www.baltimoremagazine.net/2015/4/29/orioles-play-to-empty-house

Orioles Play to Empty House Surreal Camden Yards experience for O's—and noisy fans peeking from behind outfield gates.

By Ron Cassie / Baltimore Magazine April 29, 2015

"Let's Go O's! Let's O's! Let's O's!!!"

Believe it or not, the familiar Orioles rallying chant echoed throughout empty Camden Yards during Wednesday's surreal "closed to the public" contest versus the Chicago White Sox. And it started right away.

"O-R-I-O-L-E-S"

When the O's batted around in the first inning and exploded for six runs, highlighted by Chris Davis' 3-run first inning home run, dozens of dedicated Orioles fans—sneaking peaks through the left-center field gates—could be heard all the way into the press box behind home plate going crazy. If nothing else, the O's and White Sox players realized they were not entirely alone despite an official, announced paid attendance of "zero" later in the game.

In fact, the strange thing about today's game was not what wasn't heard, but what was— everything.

Literally, you could hear the ball smacking into the gloves of O's second baseman Rey Navarro, shortstop Everth Cabrera, and first baseman Chris Davis during an early, inning-ending, 5-4-3 double play. Outfielders could be heard calling for fly balls, umps making third-strike calls, White Sox and O's players cheering their teammates from the dugouts. There were also fans positioned as usual atop the Hilton and Hyatt hotels across the street, with a "GO ORIOLES" banner—visible in the ballpark—even hanging from one upper-level room deck. The only people in the stands were a couple of scouts in the first few rows. The paid attendance was announced as "zero."

Later in the game, another chant of "Give me an 'O,' Give me an 'I,' Give me a 'R' … went up from the fans standing out in left field as well as a "Man-ny! Man-ny! Man-ny" chant after Manny Machado's two-run homer made it an 8-2 game.

Also, foul balls could be heard loudly ricocheting and rattling in the sea of vacant field box seats. But no beer or hot dog vendors, of course. No Oriole Bird. And O's relievers in the center field bullpen looked lonelier than ever.

After two postponements in two days at Camden Yards in the wake of protests around the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray in police custody, the Orioles and Major League Baseball decided they needed to squeeze in the final game of the O's-White Sox series this afternoon before Chicago left town. The first pitch was moved from 7:05 p.m. to 2:05 p.m. Wednesday—at least in part to comply with the curfew in place in Baltimore following Monday's riots in the city.

Meanwhile, this weekend's Orioles series with Tampa Bay, scheduled for Baltimore, has been switched to Florida, where the O's will wear their white uniforms and play as the "home" team.

In his pre-game press conference, Orioles manager Buck Showalter expressed his deep concern for the city and said that baseball should not be the priority at this time in Baltimore. But he also acknowledged that baseball and sports have the potential to help bring cities together.

"Every city has challenges," Showalter said. "Down the road, there is [also] the chance that our city could be better because of this."

"It's not an easy time for anybody right now," the O's Adam Jones said. "It doesn't matter what race you are. We need this game to be played, but we need this city to heal first."

For the most part, players appeared very relaxed before the game during pre-game warm ups and batting practice. But Showalter acknowledged, "This isn't something we prepare for." He said the team pumps in sound during spring training games to simulate the noise of a big league park—to practice communication skills between outfielders, for example. "That's what we prepare for," Showalter said. "Not this."

He also joked that he was concerned about the umpires hearing "all the sweet nothings" that typically are expressed in the O's dugout, but go unheard.

Jim Palmer, outside the MASN booth before the game, recalled once playing before less than 1,000 fans in 1965 in Dodger Stadium where the Angels first played their home games. "There had been a Sunday rainout and it was the first game of a Monday doubleheader," Palmer said. "There were 655 people there. I was in the bullpen, I counted them." Still, a bigger crowd than today at Camden Yards.

John Denver did play during the seventh-inning stretch and there was music in between innings, including one attempt at humor—a blast of the '80s classic "Enjoy the Silence" by Depeche Mode.

In the first MLB game to be played with no audience, the Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox 8- 2.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/25167931/caleb-joseph-signs-imaginary- autographs-for-invisible-fans-at-empty-camden-yards

Caleb Joseph signs imaginary autographs for invisible fans

By David Brown / CBSSports.com April 29, 2015

Baltimore Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph wasn't losing his mind, it only looked like it Wednesday. Because of the ongoing potential for civil unrest in Baltimore this week, Major League Baseball took the step of having the Orioles and White Sox play at Camden Yards with no fans in attendance. Still, ballplayers are about routine, so on the way to the dugout before the first pitch, Joseph pretended to sign autographs for fans who weren't there. It looked like this:

Joseph appears to sign his invisible John Hancock, give a thumb's up, wave his hand and give a fist bump to a person who wasn't there. After running off, he waved and tipped his cap to fans who were not allowed inside of the ballpark for reasons of security and practicality. One of the parking lots at Camden Yards is being used as a staging area, reportedly, for about 2,000 National Guard troops. Players on the other side found humor in their situation as well:

The Orioles beat the White Sox 8-2 in front of an announced crowd of zero. At one point, White Sox broadcaster , part of a small class of people allowed into the stadium, said it seemed like the White Sox just needed to play in front of a crowd. Jeff Samardzija hopes that's it, anyway.

The first two games of the White Sox series were postponed until a day-night doubleheader scheduled for May 28, and the Orioles' next home series, to take place this weekend against the Tampa Bay Rays, has been moved to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/baltimore-orioles-face-white-sox-empty-camden- yards-article-1.2203646

At empty Camden Yards due to Baltimore riots, Orioles defeat White Sox

By Michael O'Keeffe / New York Daily News April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE – Buck Showalter’s Orioles had just thumped the Chicago White Sox at Camden Yards to raise his team’s record to .500, but the veteran manager looked like he had far more important issues on his mind after Wednesday’s 8-2 victory in the first game without fans in the history of Major League Baseball.

When a reporter asked Showalter after the game what he had to say to young African-Americans in this city roiled by protests and violence, Showalter suggested that it would be presumptuous for him to offer advice. “I’ve never been black, OK?” Showalter said. “So I don’t know, I can’t put myself there. I’ve never faced the challenges that they face.”

“It’s a pet peeve of mine when somebody says, ‘Well, I know what they’re feeling. Why don’t they do this? Why doesn’t somebody do that?’” Showalter added. “You have never been black, so just slow down a little bit.”

Fans were barred from Camden for Wednesday’s game because of safety concerns sparked by the violence that erupted this week after 25-year-old Freddie Gray died from spinal injuries he suffered while in custody of Baltimore police. But Showalter knew the world was watching even if nobody was in the stadium and he urged the city’s residents, black and white, to learn and grow from the rage that led to hundreds of arrests, scores of fires and dozens of injuries.

“There are some things I don’t want to be normal (again),” Showalter said. “You know what I mean? I don’t. I want us to learn from some stuff that has gone on on both sides of it."

The Orioles postponed two games earlier this week after racial tensions flared in the wake of Gray’s death, but club officials decided Wednesday’s game against Chicago had to go on because it would be difficult to reschedule later in the season. But after consulting with MLB and Baltimore officials, the Orioles’ front office decided to host the game without cheering fans, the cries of beer vendors or the aroma of hot dogs sizzling on a grill. The starting time for baseball’s first-ever game without fans was also moved from 7:05 p.m. to 2:05 p.m. because of the 10 p.m. curfew imposed by Baltimore authorities.

Despite the fears of violence, there were very few Baltimore police officers and National Guardsmen visible on the streets around Camden Yards before, during and after Wednesday’s game. Showalter said the Orioles’ brass was concerned about diverting law-enforcement resources that were needed in other parts of the city. “Let’s not lose sight of why we’re at this point,” he said.

Employees of businesses near the stadium, meanwhile, complained that they were paying a high price for the Orioles' decision to bar fans. "We’re down 90% for a normal game day crowd,” said Rob Nitkowski, a bartender at Pickles Pub, an Orioles water hole across the street from the ballpark. “Today is surreal – it is the only way to describe it.”

Wednesday was a perfect day for baseball; the temperature at game time was a lovely 73 degrees, and a light breeze blew across the field -- but there was nobody sitting in Camden Yards’ 45,971 seats except three scouts. When Baltimore’s Chris Davis hit a three-run home run that flew out of the park and landed on Eutaw St. in the first inning, the silence was deafening – the blast felt incomplete without the roar of the crowd.

“I think we take for granted the impact of the fans, and the impact they have on the game,” said Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph.

The only spectators, besides the scores of reporters, photographers and TV cameraman crowded into the press box for the historic game, were several dozen fans who watched the game from a fence behind centerfield and from the rooftop patio of a nearby Hilton Hotel.

Without the murmur of the crowd, the players’ conversations could be heard loud and clear – and vice versa. Adam Jones, waiting on the on-deck circle in the bottom of the fourth inning, looked up and pointed at the press box, signaling that he could hear reporters talking about him. Joseph, meanwhile, said he missed the between-innings entertainment.

“The most awkward part of the game is that there was no Kiss Cam,” he said.

Despite the unique situation, the Camden Yards crew stuck to tradition. The organist played “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh-inning stretch despite the fact there was nobody there to stretch. The players tossed foul balls into the stands even though there was nobody there to catch them. Joseph tipped his hat as he hustled to the bullpen before the game to warm up starting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez even though there was nobody in the seats.

The announcer, meanwhile, made history when he announced, “Today’s official paid attendance is zero.”

Jones, perhaps the city’s most popular active athlete, said he was disturbed by the violence that erupted after Gray’s death. But Jones said he grew up in a tough San Diego neighborhood and understood where the rage came from.

"I'd say to the youth, your frustration is warranted,” Jones said. “It's understandable, understood. The actions I don't think are acceptable. But this is their cry. Obviously, this isn't a cry that's acceptable but it's their cry and therefore we have to understand it and accept it. They need hugs. They need love. They need support. I'm going to try to give as much as I can because the city needs it."

The Orioles were supposed to play their next three games, against the Tampa Bay Rays, in Baltimore, but the series has been moved to Tropicana Field. Showalter said the move has raised interesting questions: Who will be the home team? Who wears away uniforms? Who gets to take batting practice first?

“Obviously this is uncharted territory,” he said. “Nobody has any experience with something like this.” http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-baltimore-orioles-white-sox-stadium- hawthorne-20150430-column.html

Orioles-White Sox game: Baltimore's urban stadium becomes no-fans' land

By Christopher Hawthorne / LA Times April 29, 2015

The whiteboard in the Camden Yards press box listed some details about the Baltimore Orioles' fourth home date of the season, a Wednesday afternoon game against the Chicago White Sox.

Temperature: 73F.

First pitch: 2:06.

Attendance: 0.

With protests and unrest roiling Baltimore following the Monday funeral of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who died in police custody earlier this month, the Orioles and Major League Baseball chose to play a scheduled game on Wednesday but keep ticket holders out.

The resulting images — section after empty section of dark-green seats — were a reminder that the sport's move over the last 25 years back into urban centers, with downtown baseball-only ballparks replacing multisport concrete bowls, also put stadium architecture and city life back into a kind of dialogue.

That dialogue has always been more strained than the architects of those stadiums, or major- league owners, have been eager to admit. Baseball is a game played more and more by athletes from the suburbs and Latin America and less and less by kids from U.S. cities. The number of African American major leaguers has declined from roughly 20% 30 years ago to about 8% today.

The growing estrangement of the sport from the black community became inextricable from architectural symbolism on Wednesday. It was like a scene from a movie not about urban unrest but about a viral epidemic — the stadium under quarantine, hermetically sealed from the city and its dangers.

It didn't help that the team chose to play John Denver's 1974 hit "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" during the seventh-inning stretch, as is customary at Camden Yards. This was hardly a home game like every other.

Baseball already is a sport so ruled by tradition that it has trouble looking contemporary culture squarely in the face. The decision by the team, advised by Baltimore police, not to postpone Wednesday's game or move it to another city played right into that stereotype.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards, to use its official name, was the first of the new generation of downtown stadiums. Somewhat incongruously, these ballparks tend to combine nostalgic design touches like red brick with locations in urban centers in need of a boost of investment and tourist spending.

Designed by the architecture firm HOK Sport, now called Populous, Camden Yards was therefore a throwback trailblazer, a pioneer in old-fashioned clothing. It opened in spring 1992 as part of a larger effort to revitalize Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

I saw the ballpark once when it was empty — even emptier than on Wednesday. In February 1993, tired of another endless northeast winter during my senior year of college, I got in my car and headed south on I-95 toward Miami. In the morning, having driven through the night, I stopped off in Baltimore to see the new stadium. I found a couple of unlocked gates and slipped inside.

I shivered as I looked around. It was easy to picture the stadium a few months later, on a warmer day, full of fans in T-shirts. But for the moment I was the only one there.

In a way that experience was not so different from the one I'd have years later as an architecture critic. I often see buildings now just before they open to the public, while they're still empty.

What happened on Wednesday in Baltimore was not the same. It was a reversal of the natural order of things in architecture, which says that buildings are empty before they open and full later on, and that baseball stadiums are quiet on February mornings and crowded on April afternoons.

http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2015/04/baltimore_orioles_chicago_white_sox_g ame_what_it_was_like_to_watch_the_behind.html

Take Me Out to No Crowd A sad, lifeless day at the ballpark in Baltimore.

By Mark Joseph Stern / Slate April 29, 2015

As Baltimore again sat on a razor’s edge on Wednesday, the Orioles played baseball. What else could they do? Their city,convulsing in riots over the brutal death of a young black man in police custody, was deemed too dangerous for baseball on Monday and Tuesday. By Wednesday, the uproar had abated enough to hold a game—but in an unprecedented move, the Orioles and Major League Baseball elected for the team to take on the Chicago White Soxin an empty ballpark, refusing to give paying fans admission. Although such games aren’t uncommon in soccer, Wednesday’s closed-door contest was entirely unprecedented.

I wangled a press pass to this somewhat historic occasion, in part to cover the weirdness of a fan- free game, in part because I’m a moderately fanatical baseball devotee and was eager to find out what baseball was like without anyone in the stands. When I walked up to the stadium a half- hour before the game began, a few diehard fans were clustering around the gates, struggling to follow along from afar. It was, several told me, too perfect a day for baseball to miss the contest. (The game-time weather was 73 degrees with a slight breeze.) Nobody seemed particularly bitter about the cause of the locked gates, or concerned about the riots that rocked their city. They were there to watch a baseball game.

Throughout the afternoon, about two dozen fans cheered on every Orioles success, providing the only audible reaction as the team clobbered the White Sox from the outset. (If there were any White Sox fans at the gate, they didn’t make much noise.) After two days of canceled games, the Orioles stormed the field with palpable vigor, gaining a quick 4-0 lead in the first inning when Chris Davis slammed a homer over the right-field wall. The ball landed quietly onto Eutaw Street—a spot where kids have been chasing dingers from the game’s most powerful hitters for more than two decades—which is where it remained unclaimed for hours on the ground by the men’s bathroom.

After that early thrill, the game settled into a familiar rhythm, albeit at a ridiculously fast pace. (For a reason I can’t quite suss out, the absence of fans makes the innings fly by; the game lasted just more than two hours.) The Sox regained a little momentum, scoring twice in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit to 7-2. It was both odd and affecting that I could hear the Sox’s dugout encouraging their teammates on the field, as Adam LaRoche rounded home plate, shouting “here we go!” as though they could bend the direction of the game through the force of encouraging bromides.

But that victory was short-lived: Manny Machado homered in the bottom of the fifth to give his team back a six-run lead. The Orioles closed out the 8-2 win, their fans screaming and hollering with excitement at the gates while the players dutifully lined up to shake hands. They then filed off the field somewhat somberly, a hush falling over the stadium as employees hustled out to pull a drag across the diamond.

Despite the best efforts of the park’s DJ—who played a constant stream of upbeat post-punk hits—the mood of the entire day was like that: Palpably subdued, with a burst of melancholy following every great play made in near-total silence. Maybe it was the thousands and thousands of empty seats, in which players stranded dozens of foul balls. Maybe it was the little wrist-flick several players made when they got a hold of dead balls, primed to normally toss them into the stands for fans to clamor over. Maybe it was the fact that, toward the end of the game, an announcer deadpanned to the press room: “Attention media: For record-keeping purposes, today’s official paid attendance is zero.”

Whatever made the day so hushed and surreal, one thing was clear from the start: This is a terrible way to experience baseball. Yes, you could hear every thwack and crack and whoosh and grunt; yes, you could hear the umpire snarl his call, and hear the dugout grumble when he called a ball a strike; and yes, you could even hear the players spitting. But the essence of the game— the joy of a hit, the agony of an error, even the exasperation of an overlong seventh-inning stretch—was drained out of the day’s proceedings. (The lifeless response to the O's traditionally raucous seventh-inning stretch playing of John Denver's “Thank God I'm a Country Boy” felt especially sad.) Instead, a bunch of writers sat in a box and watched highly paid men run around a field, while the true fans stood on their tiptoes to glimpse the game through metal bars. There was no mascot, no dance cam, no booming shouts of “charge!” It is, to my mind, always at least a little fun to watch baseball. But Wednesday’s fun came with a mightily depressing hangover.

If the Orioles were attempting to make a statement with Wednesday’s empty game, then, they succeeded. Americans have a habit of ignoring inequality until it claws them in the face. One goal of the Baltimore protests was to force the country, or at least the police force, to recognize the horrors the city has inflicted on impoverished, mostly black communities. Much of the country dismissed the rioters as “thugs,” while others simply ignored them. It’s easy to write off people who riot in a bad part of town. It’s not so easy to write them off when their protests lead to the eerie, unprecedented spectacle of a televised game played to an official audience of zero.

Perhaps that inescapable background, not the novelty of a silent game, is what made Wednesday’s contest so uncomfortable. While the rest of the city protested police overreach— and mourned over those who have died for no reason—some reporters and athletes gathered in an empty ballpark downtown to watch America’s pastime on mute. While we rose for a prerecorded Star-Spangled Banner, the National Guard set up shop at a makeshift camp just outside the park.

While we filed out after the anticlimactic final play, the city hunkered down for another anxious night. Thanks to decades of police brutality and discrimination, the most quintessentially American sport had to be played in an empty stadium. And you could watch the whole thing on TV.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/04/29/baltimore_orioles_chicago_white_sox_what_ it_s_like_at_the_historic_closed.html

Baltimore Orioles Are Doing Just Fine Playing Home Game With Zero Fans

By Mark Joseph Stern / Slate April 29, 2015

BALTIMORE—The Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox gathered on the field at Camden Yards on Wednesday afternoon to observe the Star-Spangled Banner. But as they stood with their hats in their hands, they gazed out over thousands of empty seats. Not a single fan was in the stadium—though a small crowd gathered behind the gate, cheering every small victory from afar.

Wednesday’s closed-door game—the first in MLB history—is a result of the riots that have rocked the city over the last few days. The riots began as protests against the death of Freddie Gray, a young black man who was arrested and died after suffering injuries in police custody earlier this month. Since then, the protests have grown into a broader demonstration against police brutality, while the city has been beset by violence that caused the team to decide to hold today's game with a record-low attendance of zero.

So when Ubaldo Jimenez threw out the first pitch shortly after 2:05 p.m. EST on Wednesday, the few members of the press and team officials who were allowed in the stadium could hear every sound in the stadium, those distinctive baseball noises only directional mics can usually pick up: The sharp crack of the ball hitting the glove, the whiff of the bat through the air, and—when Chris Davis hit a three-run home run in the first inning—an audible thwack that echoed around the empty park. Everyone in the press box—where those of us reporting on the game are stuck for the duration—laughed nervously as we watched the ball fall. There was no scramble in the crowd to grab a souvenir, only a distant cheer from the group by the gate. The players rounded the bases. The game moved on.

When I arrived at the park, I spoke to a few of the spectators watching from afar, none of whom seemed particularly fixated on the political or social significance of the closed-door game. One, a father with his 6-month-old daughter, has been a season-ticket holder for 13 years, and didn’t want to miss a fun afternoon at the park. Another told me it was simply “too nice of a day” not to come out to Camden Yards. All of us in the press box are scrambling to churn out copy about what a closed-door match means for America today. The fans by the gate? They just want to see a good game.

As for the game itself: Thanks in part to Davis’ shot, the O’s were able to run out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning that would indicate the players could just as easily put the sound of silence out of their minds as that of normally cacophonous crowds.

http://www.npr.org/2015/04/29/403094824/baltimore-orioles-played-wednesday-with-no-fans- present

Days After Riots, Baltimore Orioles Played With No Fans Present

By Don Gonyea / NPR.org April 29, 2015

The Baltimore Orioles played the Chicago White Sox Wednesday with no fans present. The Orioles moved the game time up in order to comply with the city's curfew in the wake of riots.

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

The day was sunny and perfect, the stands absolutely empty. The Baltimore Orioles played the Chicago White Sox today with no fans in attendance - that decision made by the Orioles and Major League Baseball after this week's rioting. NPR's Don Gonyea was there to take in the surreal scene.

DON GONYEA, BYLINE: Baltimore's Camden Yards, capacity 45,971, has never seen a day like this. No Major League ballpark has.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Heads up. Heads up.

GONYEA: Players took their cuts during batting practice, stopping now and again to look around and take in all the emptiness. Talking to reporters pre-game, Orioles centerfielder Adam Jones tried to express what the week has been like for him, an African-American player who says baseball was the thing that helped give his life direction as a youngster. He said he wished fans could be in the stands today.

ADAM JONES: To have fans, it would be awesome so that it can give them three hours of distraction away from what's really going on. You know, I think the people of Baltimore need that.

GONYEA: Baltimore Manager Buck Showalter also met with reporters before the game.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BUCK SHOWALTER: Well, obviously it's uncharted territory, and nobody's got experience at it. I'll tell you what, it's sad on a lot of fronts. We keep in mind how we got to this point.

GONYEA: On a lighter note, Showalter joked that sound will carry like never before in an empty ballpark.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

SHOWALTER: You also got to be careful about the sweet nothings you throw out of the dugout with umpires. They're going to be able to hear everything.

(LAUGHTER)

GONYEA: Finally, it was game time.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER")

GONYEA: The umpires gathered around home plate looking a bit bemused. Then, play ball. And here's what a first pitch sounds like in an ocean of empty green seats.

(SOUNDBITE OF BASEBALL GAME)

UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: First pitch at 2:06. It is 73 degrees.

GONYEA: A bit underwhelming and sad at the same time. The fans' job is to cheer and jeer and socialize and eat and drink and to root for the home team starting with the very first pitch. When the Orioles got their turn to bat in the first, they played like the place was full of screaming fans. They sent 10 runners to the plate and scored six quick runs including this three-run homer by Chris Davis.

(SOUNDBITE OF BASEBALL GAME)

GONYEA: But the only sounds you hear are those of reporters in the press box. And so it went inning after silent inning. It's worth noting here the impact on all of the vendors and parking lot attendants and people who work in businesses and bars around the ballpark losing income this week. They're all taking a big economic hit. The game was on TV and radio, but it's not quite accurate to say no fans were there to see the game in person.

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: O, R, I, O, L, E, S - Orioles.

GONYEA: This small group of diehards, clad in Orioles orange, stood on the sidewalk and peered through the wrought iron fence. They had a view of home plate, but from some 600 feet away. Among them was Michael Fish, who was handing out peanuts to anyone who passed by.

MICHAEL FISH: I mean, look at this. The only thing wrong with the situation is we're not playing in a doubleheader, and they won't let the fans in. The weather is perfect. Everybody is calm, well behaved.

GONYEA: They were having fun, but they were also here to make a point about their city. The rioting started following the funeral Freddie Gray who died of injuries after being taken into custody by police. Here's Eugene Keselman, a 34-year-old fan who works as a waiter.

EUGENE KESELMAN: This is how we honor Freddie - not by rioting, not by looting, not by burning our own businesses. I think this is what his family had in mind - coming out, being civil. It's tough to think about it all at once, being behind this gate.

GONYEA: The Orioles won the game 8 to 2, leaving their fans hoping for a normal day at the ballpark soon and for quiet in the city, except for cheering on the home team. Don Gonyea, NPR News, Baltimore.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/04/29/baseball-low-attendance-record-long-held- worcester-could-fall/MaBagwpst4tcJfabt8NLhI/story.html

Orioles take baseball’s low attendance record from Worcester

By Andy Rosen / Boston Globe April 29, 2015

As the Baltimore Orioles took the field Wednesday in front of empty stands at Camden Yards, they also took a dubious distinction away from the Worcester Worcesters, a long-defunct franchise that for 133 years held the title for lowest paid attendance at a major league game.

It’s not that the Orioles couldn’t sell tickets for their tilt against the Chicago White Sox. The team decided that the game shouldn’t draw on public safety resources at a time when the city is facing violence and protests after the death of Freddie Gray.

The paid attendance for the game was announced at zero (though some media and staff were on hand to see it live).

According to the record books, the previous low for paid attendance at a baseball game was six at a game played in Worcester on Sept. 28, 1882.

John Thorn, Major League Baseball’s official historian, said there wasn’t much reason to attend the game: The weather was bad, both teams were bad, and the National League had just decided to disband them.

“When news of this came through, combined with fall cold ... there was very little incentive for fans to come out,” Thorn said.

In the end, the Worcesters lost, 4-1, to Troy, N.Y.

With Worcester and Troy gone the following year, the National League welcomed the Philadelphia and New York franchises that are now the Phillies and .

For all the time that Worcester held the low-attendance record, very few people realized the city was home to such a strange piece of history.

Brian Goslow, a local baseball historian who has written about the Worcesters, said he found out about the distinction only this week with the record at stake.

Even the city’s other Major League Baseball distinction — Worcester pitcher John Lee Richmond threw the first perfect game in 1880 — took a while to acquire its significance as fans became more interested in statistics.

At the time, that was just another well-pitched game.

And in the poorly attended 1882 game, the loss was just another obscure defeat for a moribund franchise.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.

http://www.thenation.com/blog/205809/baltimore-oriole-adam-jones-and-power-seeing-pain

Baltimore Oriole Adam Jones and the Power of Seeing Pain

By Dave Zirin / The Nation April 30, 2015

On Wednesday, I gave a lecture at the Community College of Baltimore County on the topic of sports and social change. It had been planned for months but this morning, with encouragement from the terrific professors on campus, I changed all remarks from being one about the history of sports to the history being made a short ride from campus. Instead of being a talk about Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King and the movements that shaped their desire to use sports as a political platform, we talked about the police killing of Freddie Gray. Instead of a “lecture,” we had a conversation.

We talked about the marches and in Baltimore City. We talked about why demonstrators took their anger to Camden Yards and why police seem to see the protecting of sports arenas— and protecting each other—as more important than finding justice for Freddie Gray. We talked about the Baltimore athletes who have been in the streets helping the struggle and the ones who have been silent. My one regret from the day is that I spoke with sadness that Baltimore Orioles COO John Angelos has made more important and more relevant comments about the city’s upheaval than any current Oriole players. It wasn't a knock against Angelos's words, but a statement that it should be the players, not the owners stepping up at this moment in time. That dynamic however changed later in the day when Adam Jones, one of just two African American starters on the team, took the time in a press conference to speak with love, support, and concern for the black youth in Baltimore and the future of the city. Unfortunately, the "shareline" sent out by The Baltimore Sun about his remarks bleated, “Adam Jones can relate to frustration of Baltimore's youth, but says the actions are unacceptable.” This is damn near a satirical microcosm of everything the media gets wrong about everything. Jones’s comments were not at all centered around youth actions being “unacceptable.” They were an aside in what was a beautiful statement. Here is an excerpt of his remarks (transcription by me):

"There's been a lot of good protesting, there have been a lot of people standing up for the rights that they have . . . The youth are hurting . . . It can look like no one’s fighting for you but there are people like myself. I say to the youth, your frustration is warranted. It’s understandable, understood. The actions I don't think are acceptable but if you come from where they come from, you understand . . . This is their cry . . . They need hugs. They need love. They need support."

"I feel the pain of these kids. Let's remember I grew up on similar tracks as them . . . It’s just not easy seeing a community [where] you are trying to affect change in, seeing these kind of things, but it’s understandable because these kids are hurt. And these kids have seen the pain in their parents’ eyes, the pain in their grandparents’ eyes over decades and this is their way of speaking on behalf of their parents and behalf of their grandparents and people who have been hurt.”

As the porcine know-nothings on cable news exploit this moment to stoke and stroke the fears of their audience, the words of Adam Jones have the power to not only resonate with Baltimore protestors but to reach those Oriole fans who are hardwired to hate them. The power of his words is rooted in the fact that Adam Jones actually “sees” the young people who are self-organizing against police violence and poverty. In this climate, just “seeing” them and granting them their inalienable humanity is in itself a radical act.

Adam Jones’s comments reminded me of an exchange at the Community College of Baltimore County when a student asked if we should be concerned that people would now identify Baltimore with riots and fire. We responded by saying that the problem is not what people are seeing in Baltimore right now. The problem is that before the last week, people didn’t “see” the whole of Baltimore at all. The problem is that people thought of Baltimore and saw the Inner Harbor, Camden Yards, the Ravens, and perhaps Little Italy, leaving the rest of the city, the rest of the people, and the entirety of their pain, in a state of invisibility. Getting all hot and bothered by binge watching The Wire and quoting Stringer Bell in your corporate mission statements is not the same thing as "seeing" Baltimore.

Many this past week have quoted Dr. King’s famous phrase that rioting is the language of the unheard. It’s quoted so much because it’s so true. So many of people who live, work, and die in Baltimore have been unheard, unseen, and unacknowledged . . . until now. The way our current system operates, no one sees and hears the pain of the poor until they fight to make themselves seen and heard. Adam Jones sees them. Adam Jones hears them. At the very least, we all have to meet that standard.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/rudy-giuliani-says-orioles-should-ve- brought-city-together--not-closed-stadium-211444324.html

Rudy Giuliani says Orioles should've brought city together, not closed stadium

By Danielle Elliot / Yahoo! Sports April 29, 2015

Rudy Giuliani thinks the Orioles, and the city of Baltimore, missed a major opportunity. They never should have held a game in an empty stadium, as they did Wednesday afternoon. “If this was New York, that game would be played," the city's former mayor told Fox News Radio's "Kilmeade and Friends."

Giuliani is often credited with turning New York around in his time in office. He started the interview by comparing the situation in Baltimore, where riots have engulfed the downtown sector since Saturday, with New York.

"It's not unlike situations that I had. I took over the city after it had two major riots under my predecessor, and I vowed that there would be no riots under me... You had a right to make your First Amendment expression, but you didn't have a right to trample on the rights of other people."

Another element of his approach was that if something did happen, he made every effort to get the city back to normal as quickly as possible.

"Look, we had to deal with the possibility of terrorist airplanes being driven into and Yankee Stadium in the wake of Sept. 11 and we were able to get it back. Are you going to tell me a bunch of little punks who did this are going to stop a baseball game? I’ll tell you, that says something is not right. Resiliency is a defense to terrorism and to this type of mob violence. Meaning, getting your city back to where it should be right away and saying to these people ‘You can’t disrupt us, you can’t frighten us – we’ve got the resources to take care of ourselves. Basically, try me again and see what happens.’ ”

The New York Yankees and New York Mets hosted their first home games less than 10 days after the 9/11 attacks, as the city continued reeling. The riots erupting in Baltimore are not the same as 9/11, not by a long shot. But giving in to the rioters' efforts, Giuliani says, only strengthens them. If you need more police, call in more police, he said. Don't give in to the violence.

Regardless, the Orioles will not be back in Baltimore until May 11. This weekend's three-game homestand will instead be played in Florida.

Should the Orioles and White Sox have played in an empty stadium today? Should the game have been postponed, as happened with Monday and Tuesday's games? Those questions will be debated for years to come.

As far as Giuliani is concerned, though, there's no question: The fans should've been there today, and the team should've been home all weekend.

http://www.newyorker.com/news/sporting-scene/baltimore-orioles-no-fans

The Silence of the Fans

By Roger Angell / The New Yorker April 29, 2015

Security is the given reason for this afternoon’s scheduled weirdness in Baltimore, where the Orioles played the Chicago White Sox at Camden Yards, but without any fans in attendance. This is a first-ever in major-league history—one can imagine some nineteen-thirties low-level minor-league game in the Ozarks, where the ticket booths were open but no one happened by on that particular afternoon—and also a clearly missed opportunity for a struggling sci-fi screenwriter, whose attendant normal turnout of 18,462 could have been abruptly and silently transported to SpaceKlon 7 with two outs in the bottom of the third.

But what was it like there today, really? With no ushers and no venders? With no instant replay visible in the overhead fan TV sets? Were the sounds of conversation between players in the dugouts audible to a pigeon pausing somewhere along the silent, empty rows of seats in Section 280?

None of this matters much, to be sure, except as an unexpected reminder of the massive and relentless add-ons and distractions of modern-day ball. The Kiss Camera, the racing mascots, the T-shirt cannonades, the God Bless, the deafening rock, the home-team anthem, the infield sweepers’ dance, the well-plaqued Hall of Heroes, the retired numbers, the gymnasium-sized souvenir shops, the Texas steak restaurant in right (with its roped-off waiting areas thoughtfully supplied with overhead screens), the pizzeria in left, the bleacher kiddie pool, and so on. Fans love this and eat it up, but today’s silent anomaly in Baltimore is a mirror reminder that what’s been taken away from the pastime isn’t the crowd but the game: what we came for and what we partake of now in passing fractions, often seen in a held-up smartphone.

Some among us (I am one of them) can recall a time when the baseball and the players were the lone attractions, barring a few outfield signboards. Nothing more, not even an organist. You watched and waited in semi-silence, ate a hot dog, drank a Moxie, watched some more, yelled when something happened, kept score, saw the shadows lengthen, then trooped home elated or disconsolate. It was a public event, modestly presented, and private in recollection. If the game was a big one, with enormous Sunday crowds and endless roaring, it was thrilling to have been there, but in some fashion you’d also been there alone, nobody else in sight.

http://www.washingtonian.com/blogs/capitalcomment/sports/these-people-just-watched-the- weirdest-baseball-game-ever.php

These People Just “Watched” the Weirdest Baseball Game Ever The Baltimore Orioles played one of the most memorable games ever without anyone really seeing it.

By Benjamin Freed / The Washingtonian April 29, 2015

Ask anyone who stood outside the gates of Camden Yards, or on the roof deck of the Hilton across the street, or poured beers behind a South Paca Street bar to describe Wednesday’s game between the Orioles and the Chicago White Sox, and the answer will be, almost universally, “It’s weird.”

Baseball has a long history in Baltimore, but fans never expected their latest milestone would be hosting what historians believe is the first game in Major League Baseball to be played in front of a recorded crowd of zero. Less than three miles from the epicenter of the outrage that has shut down swaths of this city’s daily bustle, two MLB teams are playing a routine game in which the only spectators are the 92 accredited journalists in the press box, far more than the number that should be covering a late-April game. But this is what happens when strife like that uncorked by the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who was mortally wounded while in police custody, interferes with professional sports.

“It is strange,” says Terri Biggins, a nurse at the University of Maryland Medical Center, which is just a few blocks from the stadium. “It’s got to be hard to start a rally.”

Biggins, standing on a plaza off Camden Street that normally would be full of sidewalk vendors, is one of a few dozen Orioles die-hards who stepped out of work—or had the day off thanks to the city’s response to the protests over Gray’s death—clinging to the stadium’s locked gates and hoping for a glimpse of the scoreboard or fly ball. She says she’s been going to Orioles games since the old days at Memorial Stadium and is glad that after two cancellations, her team is finally back on the field, even if she can’t see it.

“I think it was the right thing to do to play like this,” she says.

Brendan Hurson, a public defender who says he makes 15 to 20 games a season, disagrees. He’s carrying a sign that, if he was inside the park, might be picked up by MASN’s cameras: “Don’t forget Freddie Gray,” with the o’s replaced by the Orioles’ stylized lettering. Instead, Hurson’s placard is fodder for CNN, Fox News, and the half-dozen other news cameras stationed outside the gate.

“It’s embarrassing that we’re out here,” he says. “The entire Inner Harbor is surrounded by soldiers. The reason we’re out here is because the police murdered Freddie Gray. If they’re going to play they should open it to the public. Play it in front of human beings.”

Hurson suggests that had the stadium opened its gates to the public, some of the revenue could have been donated to organizations that work to repair the communities damaged by this week’s riots.

But the view from Camden is lousy. The best seat “in the house” is actually a terrace on the fourth floor of the Hilton across the street. About a dozen guests and hotel workers are up there getting a clear—if distant—view of the game when Baltimore first baseman Chris Jones belts a three-run home run as part of a six-run first inning. Maybe the ball lands on the Eutaw Street concourse that’s usually thick with spectators and tourists, but is empty and locked up today. Again, the weirdness dominates, along with a much greater number of journalists than should be covering this point in the season. More TV cameras. Print hacks. Mashable has two people here, interviewing put-out Orioles fans on Periscope, the new live-streaming app.

“We see this view all the time, but it’s full of thousands of spectators,” says Alexis Wilkins, who works for a vendor at the Hilton.

The Hilton’s roof deck and balconies are always busy on game days, but there’s always a crowd ahead of them. Wilkins, who had tickets to one of this weekend’s games against the Tampa Bay Rays until MLB moved the series to Florida, agrees with Hurson that the public should have been let in.

“It’s almost bittersweet,” she says. “Events over the past few days show how much we love our team and love Baltimore.”

With Baltimore opening up a big lead on the White Sox, there are two things on the roof-deck contingent’s minds: that the Orioles win, but without any significant player achievements like a no-hitter (made impossible by Avisail Garcia’s second-inning single), and the Baltimore Police Department’s report on Gray’s death to prosecutors, which is due Friday.

“It’s hard to make progress toward justice,” Wilkins says. “Tension has been building for years. The disparity in wealth is so extreme. Go to the west side of Baltimore; a couple miles away is so different.”

Up on the fifth floor, Chris Petro and a bunch of his friends are enjoying the view from two adjoining rooms. For $219 per room per night—possibly cheaper than eight baseball tickets— Petro and company also have a decent view of the game considering the circumstances (plus a lot of visits from journalists who were too late to score one of Oriole Park’s press-box seats).

“Many of us, our work was cancelled,” says Petro, a sound engineer at nearby Rams Head Live, which nixed every show this week after officials implemented a 10 PM citywide curfew.

Petro also takes a dim view of the scene in West Baltimore. “In a word: stupid,” he says. “I think everyone’s missing the point. It should be peaceful on behalf of the family of the kid who was lost. There’s people destroying our city and I can’t work. I think we have enough security around.”

Besides the Baltimore Police Department, the affected parts of the city are also swelling with the presence of state troopers, 2,000 National Guardsmen, and several hundred officers from police departments around the mid-Atlantic, including DC. Below the hotel, Camden Street is nearly empty during the game, save the occasional law-enforcement vehicle creeping along. One thing about watching the game from a hotel balcony is that it makes it tough to tell who’s at the plate. The Orioles score on another home run in the fifth inning. “Was that Adam Jones?” someone says. “Davis,” another voice barks out. Turns out it was third-baseman Manny Machado, belting his fourth dinger of the season.

Petro says he makes it to about 40 or 50 games a year, and he usually treats the hotel begrudgingly. Its construction in 2008 blocked the stadium stands’ view of some of the Inner Harbor’s historic warehouses.

“When I’m in there,” he says, pointing to the empty upper deck, “I’m one of the thousands saying this is an eyesore.” There is one upside to the en-suite experience though: Petro can bring his dog, a black lab-border collie mix named Sara Sue.

But the oddest place to watch todays game might be from one of the many bars across from the stadium.

“It’s a weird day,” says Rob Nitkowski, a bartender at Pickles Pub, across South Paca Street. Today was supposed to be a night game, but even for an afternoon game in the middle of the week, business is down about 90 percent, saved only by the phalanx of journalists who couldn’t get into the stadium.

Chris Riehl, a tour guide who lives in South Baltimore, backs up Nitkowski’s assessment of the barroom. Journalists have been hounding him and his fellow Orioles fans all day. In the span of a few hours, he’s been interviewed by ; SiriusXM’s dedicated MLB channel; television stations from Baltimore, DC, and Columbus, ; New England Cable News; and, now, Washingtonian. He’ll remember the Orioles 8-2 win for a long time, but not for any on- field high jinks.

“This is one of a kind,” he says. “In a small way, the people who came out here today were support the team, but in a bigger way were out here to support Baltimore.

Former National Adam LaRoche strikes out to end the top of the ninth at 4:09, putting the Orioles’ oddball win in the books in two hours and four minutes, incredibly breezy by the sport’s standards. As the lingering Pickles Pub crowd cheers, somebody on staff cues up the Goo Goo Dolls’ 1998 hit “Broadway.”

“Broadway is dark tonight,” John Rzeznik sings. It was dark all day.

http://theweek.com/speedreads/552424/eerie-scenes-from-baltimore-orioles-game-empty- stadium

Eerie scenes from the Baltimore Orioles' game in an empty stadium

By Sarah Eberspacher / The Week April 29, 2015

The Baltimore Orioles finally took on the Chicago White Sox at Camden Yards, but no one was there to see the strikes and runs rack up on the scoreboard, aside from the players and support staff. Civil unrest in Baltimore this week prompted the first-ever official game played with no fans allowed in the stands on Wednesday.

"The last 72 hours in this city have been tumultuous to say the least," Orioles center fielder Adam Jonestold USA Today. "Our games canceled, postponed, relocated, a city that is hurting, a city that needs its heads of the city to step up and help the ones who are hurting… It's not an easy time for anybody."

Easy or not, the players still took their positions on Wednesday afternoon. Below, images from the eerily empty stadium.

http://fortune.com/2015/04/29/baltimore-orioles-empty-stadium-revenue/

Even with fans shut out, Baltimore Orioles don't stand to lose too much money

By Tom Huddleston, Jr. / Fortune April 29, 2015

The team’s losses over four games are likely to be relative chump change considering the big money it make over the entire season, including from television.

The Baltimore Orioles made history Wednesday by hosting the first-ever Major League Baseball game with an official attendance of zero.

The Orioles’ beat the Chicago White Sox in a stadium with more than 45,000 empty seats after widespread violence and looting hit parts of the city Monday. Maryland’s governor declared a state of emergency and called in the National Guard.

As a result of the unrest, the Orioles stand to lose nearly $1 million in food, parking and ticket sales. But the amount is relatively small compared to the money the team brings in over the entire season.

The Orioles postponed two games meant to be played Monday and Tuesday. Today’s game, however, went on as planned, albeit closed to the public for safety. Though the situation in Baltimore seemed to have calmed down considerably, the team has also switched its upcoming three-game home series against the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend to Tampa.

The Orioles, therefore, will lose out on a total of four games’ worth of concessions, as well as parking fees. The team could also lose out on some last-minute ticket sales. But the Orioles aren’t actually refunding fans who have already bought tickets to the four games. Instead, fans will be able to exchange their tickets for seats at other home games later in the season.

From concessions and parking alone, the Orioles could end up losing almost $940,000 in total over the four games. The team is averaging 33,288 fans per game this season and the average fan at Camden Yards spent $5.94 per game on concessions in 2013, which comes out to less than $200,000 per game. As for parking, Camden Yards has about 4,200 parking spaces on- site, accordingto the Maryland Stadium Authority. Parking passes cost between $8 and $10 for each game, which adds up to about $37,800 per game.

Of course, the team could also offset that lost revenue, in part, by forgoing pay to stadium staff for those four games. But, really, forfeiting just under $1 million over four games is not a huge loss for a team that Forbes values at around $1 billion with roughly $245 million in annual revenue last year. Those numbers place the Orioles in the middle of the pack compared with the rest of the MLB.

A large part of MLB teams’ revenues comes from their lucrative television deals and, despite the lack of fans at the stadium, Wednesday’s game was still broadcast on MASN, the cable network majority-owned by the Orioles. MASN’s annual revenue isn’t typically publicly disclosed. But a recent court fight with the — which owns the minority stake in the network — revealed that MASN took in $163 million in revenue in 2012. The bulk of that went to Baltimore on top of the additional $29 million the team gets every year for local television rights.

If you want a few more reference points, consider that the average MLB player makes $4.25 million in a season, which works out to just over $26,000 per game. And, with an estimated team payroll of $115.9 million this season, Baltimore pays out roughly $715,345 per game to the players on its 25-person roster. All-Star center-fielder Adam Jones takes home the bulk of that cash with more than $80,000 per game (before taxes).

In other words, losing less than $1 million dollars through this weekend is not likely to hurt the team’s finances too badly.

And, to be fair, Wednesday’s game was not completely empty. In addition to the players and coaches, some staff members and media were on hand on Wednesday (and asmall group of dedicated fans posted up just outside the stadium gates). But the two teams squared off more or less in solitude, although the somewhat eerie scene of an empty Camden Yards did make a splash on social media.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2015/04/29/baltimore-orioles-camden-yards-no-fans- adam-jones/26580657/

Orioles win at empty Camden Yards, and hope 'this was something good'

By Paul White / USA TODAY Sports April 30, 2015

BALTIMORE - Chris Davis won't soon forget the sound. He and the Baltimore Orioles hope the message is longer-lasting.

"It hit me when I made contact and you can hear it echoing off empty seats," Davis says of his long first inning home run Wednesday, a ball that landed on empty Eutaw Street behind the right field wall at Oriole Park.

"Hopefully this was something good, something positive can come from this," Davis says, not so much of the six-run first inning that loosened the tension of the first major league game ever played without fans in the stadium, not even so much that the Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox 8-2.

But rather that the game could be a step toward normalcy in embattled Baltimore.

After two days of postponements because of civil unrest, that final game of a scheduled three- game series was moved to the afternoon to comply with a city-wide 10 p.m. curfew. Gates were not opened to the public so as not to take police and other public safety personnel away from duties elsewhere in the city.

"It's not an easy time for anybody," says center fielder Adam Jones, who in his eight seasons has become the team's most visible and community-involved African-American. "The last 72 hours in this city have been tumultuous to say the least."

The unique game drew international media attention, but the team's message was aimed very close to home.

"The Orioles support the city of Baltimore," Jones says. "We play for the fans. We play for the city of Baltimore. People are always watching."

The only visible fans – actually more audible than visible – were a handful on the balconies of a nearby hotel and a couple dozen who began chanting, "Let's go, O's" from outside the stadium behind center field.

And when the Star-Spangled Banner played to an empty ballpark, that same group maintained a Baltimore tradition - shouting "Ohhhhhh!" at the start of the final verse.

The game presentation was set up to be as normal as possible – with the glaring exception of sea of empty green seats.

Lineups were on the scoreboard. Orioles players got their normal personalized walk-up music as they came to bat but, as Davis lamented, there would be no crab shuffle game on the scoreboard between innings.

Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph tipped his cap – to no one – as he jogged to the bullpen to warm up starting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez, and pantomimed signing autographs before the game.

Ball girls were along each foul line. Two scouts watched from behind home plate. The only other people in the seating area were several press photographers and the man who logs the pitch speeds on the scoreboard.

But it was undeniable that things were different once the game started.

Davis' homer gave the Orioles a 4-0 lead. But the empty stadium made the ball's landing audible even several hundred feet away. The home run call of Baltimore TV announcer Gary Thorne - "Goodbye, home run!" - was audible in the stadium.

Players on both teams grappled with balancing the desire for a return to normalcy after peaceful protests that deteriorated into riots and looting with ongoing safety issues.

"We all just need to get back out there," White Sox center fielder Adam Eaton says of his team's second game since last Friday (they were rained out Saturday in Chicago). "But one part of me says this is bigger than baseball. Another part of me says we shouldn't adjust to what people do outside the stadium. I'm trying to be as delicate as possible with that, but I think normalcy would be good for the people around the city."

The White Sox hadn't left their hotel – within walking distance of Camden Yards – for two days except for a workout Tuesday.

"It's been kind of crazy," Eaton says. "We've had movies, ordering food in, a lot of video games – you have to get your competition somewhere. It's been good team bonding.Baseball players are very good at wasting time."

Eaton joked, "We're going to try to take the crowd out of it early," then said, "There's a pureness to it. It's kind of Field of Dream-ish - just a baseball game."

But the gravity of the situation wasn't lost on anyone.

"I watched the news more in the last couple of days than I have in my whole entire life," says Davis. "Just to see the anger, the emotion, the frustration of the city the last few days was shocking. It's frustrating. I understand why people are upset and rightfully so. It's unfortunate that it's escalated to what it has. I think a lot of people were trying to do things the right way. I think there's still a long way to go but I think we're headed in the right direction."

The baseball reality for the Orioles will be three games at Tampa Bay this weekend, a series that had been schedule for Baltimore. They also face a doubleheader May 28, previously an open date, to make up the games postponed this week.

"We need this game to be played but we need this city to be healed first," Jones says. "We've seen good. We've seen bad. We've seen ugly. Our games canceled, postponed, relocated, a city that is hurting, a city that needs its heads of the city to step up and help the ones who are hurting."

Jones sent a direct message to the youth of the city, some of whom have been in the middle of the most violent of the protests.

"Someone has your back," he said. "When you look at the picture, it looks like no one is fighting for you. There are people like myself, not only athletes but civic leaders who are effecting change."

"I'd say to the youth," Jones continued, "your frustration is warranted. It's understandable, understood. The actions I don't think are acceptable. But this is their cry. Obviously, this isn't a cry that's acceptable but it's their cry and therefore we have to understand it and accept it. They need hugs. They need love. They need support. I'm going to try to give as much as I can because the city needs it."

On this day, baseball was part of the process.

"Baseball, sports, these are things that unite communities in dark times," Jones said.

But the eerie silence made it clear how different this particular game was.

As Orioles manager Buck Showalter said, "Let's not lose sight of why we're at this point."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2015/04/29/at-camden-yards-a-sense-of-empty- curiosity-for-orioles-white-sox/?tid=ptv_rellink

At Camden Yards, a sense of empty curiosity for Orioles, White Sox [updated]

By Barry Svrluga / Washington Post April 29, 2015

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.

“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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/wp/2015/04/29/15-questions-about-the- orioles-white-sox-game-that-no-fans-can-attend/

15 questions about the Orioles-White Sox game that no fans can attend

By Scott Allen / Washington Post April 29, 2015

With tensions remaining high in Baltimore after violence erupted Monday following the funeral for Freddie Gray, the Orioles announced Tuesday that they would not permit fans into Oriole Park at Camden Yards for Wednesday’s game against the Chicago White Sox.

“We strongly believe that at this point Baltimore needs to focus its resources on restoring calm,” Orioles spokesman Greg Bader said Tuesday. “That’s everybody’s priority right now, including ours.”

The unprecedented decision has led to a lot of trivial questions in the buildup to first pitch. This post will be updated.

Will this be the lowest-attended game ever? Yes, but maybe not in the record book. The lowest attendance in baseball history was for a game between the Troy (N.Y. ) Trojans and Worcester (Mass.) Ruby Legs on Sept. 28, 1882. Six fans attended. Wednesday’s attendance will officially be listed as “N/A.”

Will the game be broadcast? Yes. The game will air on MASN and CBS Radio’s 105.7 The Fan. The game is also MLB.TV’s “Free Game” of the day, but it will be blacked out locally.

Will other media be there? Oh yes. Much more than usual, in fact. Follow The Post’s@barrysvrluga and @clintonyates for updates from the stadium.

Will there be a national anthem? Yes.

UPDATE: Orioles fans shouted ‘O’ during the anthem from outside the gates.

Will the public-address announcer be there? Yes. Ryan Wagner tweeted that he would be at the game, but as of last night, he wasn’t sure about his responsibilities.

Will players use walk-up music? Will the Orioles playCHARGE? Will the scoreboard operate as usual? Will there be a seventh-inning stretch? Yes. Maybe. Yes. Yes. The Orioles will play John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” per tradition. The Kiss Cam is probably out. “Guess the Attendance,” too.

Is there any way to watch the game in person? As noted by several people, including @thesportingway, the Hilton Baltimore has rooms with decent views of Oriole Park. When I called to inquire about making a reservation at 11 a.m. this morning, the hotel clerk offered me a room with a King-sized bed and a view of the stadium for $219. He could not, however, guarantee an early check-in time for first pitch.

Will ushers and concession workers be at the game? No. Sportswriter Bill Baer set up a Go Fund Me campaign for temporary employees missing out on wages this week.

Will the Oriole Bird be there? TBD.

Wait, why aren’t they playing this game at Nationals Park? Besides the logistical challenges of playing a game at a different venue, a Nationals spokeswoman said Monday that neither the Orioles nor MLB approached the team about moving the games to D.C. An Orioles spokesman declined to comment on whether the ongoing dispute between the Orioles and Nationals over TV revenues was a factor in the Orioles’ decision- making.

Will the unrest in Baltimore be noted in any way, like a moment of silence? TBD.

Will this be one of the weirder games in baseball history? Unquestionably yes.

http://fantasynews.cbssports.com/fantasybaseball/update/25167935/manny-machado-keeps- mashing-wednesday-for-orioles

Manny Machado keeps mashing Wednesday for Orioles

By Marty Gitlin / CBSSports.com April 29, 2015

The early-season slump of Orioles third baseman Manny Machado feels like more of a distant memory by the day.

Machado managed his first three-hit and three-run game of the year Wednesday against the visiting White Sox, giving him 10 hits in his last six games. He raised his average to a season- high .254 in the process.

He doubled and scored in a six-run first inning, then singled twice. His on-base percentage has peaked at .325.

http://fantasynews.cbssports.com/fantasybaseball/update/25167956/orioles-closer-zach-britton- thrives-in-non-save-performance

Orioles closer Zach Britton thrives in non-save performance

By Marty Gitlin / CBSSports.com April 29, 2015

Closers often don't perform well in non-save situations, but that could not be claimed about Orioles left-hander Zach Britton against the White Sox on Wednesday.

Britton entered in a blowout and promptly surrendered a single to Emilio Bonifacio. But he retired the next three batters, finishing with a flourish by fanning Adam LaRoche. He has 13 strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings this season.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/29/us/baltimore-surreal-scenes/

No cheers for Baltimore Orioles during win

By Ray Sanchez / CNN April 30, 2015

(CNN)The smokey aroma of pulled pork from 's BBQ stand did not waft over the crowds Wednesday in downtown Baltimore's Eutaw Street, as it normally does on game days.

But rock music blared from speakers at Camden Yards as the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox took batting practice in an eerily empty stadium with a capacity for nearly 46,000 rowdy fans.

Like most days, Wednesday's game opened with the national anthem. John Denver's "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" played at the seventh-inning stretch.

But the stands were empty except for a few big-league scouts behind home plate. For the first time in Major League Baseball, fans were shut out of a game.

No one chased foul balls hit into the stands, though Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph briefly pretended to sign autographs. And first baseman Chris Davis hurled a ball to imaginary fans.

As protests and occasional violent unrest rocked Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody, the Orioles took an unprecedented step in American sports history by barring fans for the final game of their series against the White Sox. The first two games were rescheduled for next month.

"Baseball is filled with the strange, but this is beyond strange,'' said Major League Baseball's official historian, John Thorn.

The move came amid a surreal week in a town nicknamed "Charm City," the burial place of a master of the bizarre, Edgar Allen Poe, who once said: "There is no exquisite beauty... without some strangeness in the proportion."

At noon Wednesday, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra gave a free concert in support of the community outside the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, a short drive from some of the city's worst looting.

"It seems we could all use a little music in our lives right about now,'' the orchestra said on its Facebook page, adding the hashtag #BSOPeace.

The orchestra quoted famed conductor Leonard Bernstein: "This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before."

Marin Alsop, the orchestra's music director, posted on Twitter and Facebook on Tuesday that she was "heartbroken for our dear city."

"With so much need alongside so much possibility, I hope we can use any opportunities we get to set an example and inspire others to join us in trying to change the world," she said.

On Monday, as fires were set and protesters clashed with police in East Baltimore, a Michael Jackson impersonator sang "Man In The Mirror" atop a van.

"I'm starting with the man in the mirror, I'm asking him to change his ways," the impersonator, Dimitri Reeves, sang on the roof of the van as protesters and police in riot gear faced off.

"If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, and then make a change."

Why that song?

"We have to start with ourselves," he said. "We can't just go and act up. Peaceful protest is the answer. Who can really fight against dancing and singing?"

Reeves, 22, said some of the more vocal protesters climbed on the van and joined him. A few people were brought to tears.

"I was trying to send a positive message," Reeves said. "My thought was to bring something positive to the area. ... Maybe it helped."

Thorn, the baseball historian, said the previous low-attendance record was set on September 28, 1882, when a team from Worcester, Massachusetts, played their rivals from Troy, New York, before six fans.

"The teams were bad, the weather was bad and the clubs had been notified the week before that they were about to become disenfranchised for the 1883 season," Thorn said.

Thorn recalled a quote that former baseball commissioner Fay Vincent uttered after an earthquake in San Francisco interrupted the .

"It has become very clear to all of us in Major League Baseball that our concerns, our issue, is a modest one in this tragedy," Vincent said. "Baseball is not the highest priority to be dealt with. We want to be very sensitive as to the state of life in this community. The great tragedy is, it coincides with our modest little sporting event."

Soccer games have been closed to the public after unruly fan behavior in Asia and Europe, but the move is rare for MLB.

"The Orioles and Major League Baseball have clearly placed the primary issue of public safety over the secondary issue of profit and the tertiary issue of scheduling convenience," Thorn said.

At 2:05 p.m. at Camden Yards, moments before the first pitch in another modest little sporting event, about 100 or so fans attempted to catch snippets of the game through gates outside the stadium. The Orioles took the field in the desolate stadium.

Earlier, Orioles centerfielder Adam Jones told reporters: "It's not an easy time for anybody no matter what race you are. ... The kids are hurting."

At game time, the national anthem was played. The game was televised and live-streamed free by MLB.

The lead-off batter for the White Sox grounded out for the first out of the historic game, a play greeted with silence in the cavernous stadium.

Adam Eaton of the White Sox had tweeted earlier: "We are gonna do our best to take the crowd out of it early..Wish us luck."

But it was the Orioles who jumped to an early 7-0 lead, including a towering three-run homerun by first baseman Chris Davis that drew distant cheers from fans outside the gates.

Later, the final out in an 8-2 Orioles win was made. While entertaining, the team's 10th win of the young season didn't matter so much.

CNN's Henry Hanks contributed to this report.