Major League Baseball players got a sense of what the game will be like without fans in the stands upon returning for workouts last week. They’re getting a more realistic glimpse this week as teams begin holding scrimmages.
Yes, it’s very strange.
“It was surreal. … just sitting behind the dish at a major league stadium with major league players on the field and no one else there and playing in competition,” Milwaukee Brewers general manager David Stearns said Thursday. “Occasionally, you’ll see that for a small BP (batting practice session) when media isn’t around or cameras aren’t around, but it was really weird to see Christian Yelich in the batter’s box in a major league stadium in competition in an empty ballpark.”
Baseball returned for workouts last week after the season was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic during spring training. Teams have started ramping up their workouts in preparation for a 60-game season set to begin July 23.
The season will start without fans in the stands and will likely remain that way for a while as coronavirus hotspots continue to pop up across the country.