MLB

White Sox, Orioles Make History Playing in Empty Stadium

Wednesday afternoon's game in Baltimore marks the first MLB game without a crowd in the stands

When fans of the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles look at the box score of Wednesday’s game between the two teams, they will notice an interesting anomaly that has never been seen in one before: an “N/A” in the game’s paid attendance space.

That’s because fans will not be allowed to attend the contest between the two teams as unrest continues to grip Baltimore. The first two games of the series between the clubs were canceled because of riots and police curfews, and this third game is believed to be the first Major League Baseball game that will take place with no fans in the stands.

Despite its rarity in the United States, games being contested with no fans present do occur in other places around the world.

After their fans threw flares onto the field and shouted racist chants at a game in Italy, Russian soccer club CSKA Moscow was hit with a penalty that saw fans banned from three matches. One of those matches was a UEFA Champions League game against defending English Premier League champion Manchester City.

The France-based Ligue 1 also had an incident that saw fans be banned from a game, as Bastia was forced to play one of its home games at a neutral site with no fans present after their supporters threw flares and other objects onto the playing field during a game.

Soccer isn’t the only sport that has seen empty stadiums host games. Back in 2009, Sweden’s Davis Cup tennis team was forced to play home matches against Israel without spectators amid concerns that anti-Israeli protesters would cause disturbances during the event.

Even though no fans will be in attendance for the game Wednesday, the “N/A” designation for attendance means the MLB record for lowest attendance will still stand, as the Oakland A’s and Seattle Mariners played a game in 1979 that saw only 653 people purchase tickets.

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