Without getting into the blame game as to rights, wrongs, and reasons, suffice it to say the city of Baltimore has experienced some turbulent times in recent days. The usual suspects from various news outlets are all over it. But it's resulted in some very strange consequences regarding Major League Baseball as well.
Currently, the Baltimore Orioles are playing a series at home against the Chicago White Sox. Tonight's game has been cancelled due to security concerns. Some of the unrest is happening not far from Camden Yards. That seems like a prudent enough decision. Perhaps the game can be made up at a later date via a double-header or playing on an otherwise "off-day". No biggie.
But what is going to happen in the next few days will likely be firsts in MLB. Tomorrow's (Wednesday) game is scheduled to be played in an empty stadium. No fans allowed. Has that ever happened before? This is due to a 10 PM city-wide curfew that has been imposed by the local government. Everybody off the streets or get arrested.
There's no way a game can start at 7:30 PM, and have all the fans not only emptied out of the stadium, but back home by 10. Makes sense. But another part doesn't. What about the teams themselves? How do they get to and from the stadium? It's not like they live there. The Baltimore players and coaches no doubt have local residences. After the game is over and they're showered up and changed, it will certainly be later than 10 PM. Will they all get individual police escorts back to their cribs if hell breaks loose again? Good luck with that.
The White Sox are certainly staying in a posh hotel somewhere in town. Given the carnage that they've already wreaked on some of their own, it's likely the local populace won't exactly feel all huggy-kissie-tingly towards the Chisox either. It's probably not much of a stretch to say their buses to and from the stadium will be afforded security resembling that of a Presidential motorcade. The "grand old game" just got a bit dicey.
Yet it gets stranger still. Sure, most are hoping the mayhem quickly runs its course and things return to semi-normal in Baltimore, whatever that is. But the Orioles and MLB are doubling down on the caution thing. In their infinite wisdom, they have decided that the Orioles will play the next series in their current homestand -- in Tampa Bay.
That's right. The Orioles will play a 3 game set against the Rays in Tropicana Field, with the O's being the home team and batting last. That's surely never happened before. Very strange indeed.
Think ahead as to what has to happen to even this out. From July 24 -26, the Orioles are next scheduled to play in Tampa Bay. So will the Rays have to return the favor and come to Baltimore to play as the home team in Camden Yards for that series? Logic and justice would say yes. What goes around comes around and not counting a few thousand gallons of jet fuel -- it's pretty much a push.
Interesting that former Baltimore Raven Ray Lewis took to social media with a video offering his two cents worth -- though yours truly is not at all sure a home-boy rant from a millionaire was the best tactic to get the uneasy masses settled down. What would have been much MORE interesting was if Ray-Ray was wearing that white suit that mysteriously got lost in the aftermath of that little murder dust-up he was involved in a while back. Not sure about "likes", but if Ray was looking for some serious hits, THAT would have gone viral. Somewhere, Anderson Cooper and his ilk would drool over such a thing happening. Talk about being all over it for a month or so..... Ray may be a lot of things, but he's not THAT dumb -- I think.
At any rate, these are trying, and strange times in more ways than one. Hopefully they will pass soon. But if we see video of Cal Ripken Jr. looting a party store and slugging it out with the riot police later -- then it's time to worry.
Nah. Never happen.
Could it?
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