Baseball is finally back, but opening day didn’t look exactly the same this year.
Baseball stadiums, typically full for the first game with fans eager to cheer on their favorite teams and celebrate baseball, are empty this year due to patterns of social alienation and the continued spread of the coronavirus pandemic, leaving fans watch home games. Well, except for the inanimate cardboard cutout fans sitting (or tilted) in box seats across the country.
The teams got creative with these cutouts to create the illusion of crowded stands. Some people love cutbacks and others hate them. While having two-dimensional fans scattered around the stadium is not the same as a real crowd, it has added a bit of fun to this unusual season and turned the games into a live version of Where’s Waldo?
In a perfect troll move, clippings from Hall of Fame chipper Jones and his son, Shea, appeared in the Mets-Braves opening Friday at Citi Field. Jones crushed the Mets during his 19-year career and even named his son after his old stadium. It would be disappointing if the cut from the man Mets fans teased with “LAR-RY! LAR-RY!” (Chipper’s real name) All those years weren’t on opening day, all the more so because Jones was calling the game as part of the ESPN broadcast.
Bark in the Park fan-favorite nights won’t happen this season, but a Mets fan made it possible anyway.
The Mets also honored the late photographer Anthony Causi of The New York Post with a cutout in its usual place in the photo hole.
In Chicago, a White Sox fan decided that just one photo of himself wasn’t enough. He could be the biggest crowd the Rate Guaranteed field has seen in years.
If New York is for dogs, this cat represents Chicago.
We couldn’t go through the season without at least one stadium proposal, although perhaps should They’ve … so Cleveland took care of that.
Legendary drummer John Adams will not miss a beat at Progressive Field thanks to his cut in the stands. Cleveland will play a recording of its bass drum with its artificial crowd noise so it can still be heard during games.
In California, there have been many celebrity sightings around stadiums.
The Giants went to Flavor Town with a cut from Guy Fieri and reunited their 49ers teammates, George Kittle and Jimmy Garoppolo.
Across the Bay, the Athletics brought in Tom Hanks as a hot dog vendor to keep carton fans fed. Hanks worked at the Oakland Coliseum in the 1970s before he started acting and will reprise his old role of talking about beer vendors and hot dogs because of the noise from the Oakland crowd.
Former team mascot Charlie – O the Mule, which belonged to former owner Charlie Finely, also decided to join the team.
The Dodgers also have many familiar faces in the Chavez Ravine. Former manager Tommy Lasorda and pitcher Pedro Martinez made it to opening night.
Martinez threw just 67 games for the Dodgers earlier in his career, so Kiké Hernández’s mustache could end up seeing almost as much playing time in Los Angeles as the right-hander did.
Entertainment tonight Hostess Mary Hart would not miss the opportunity to take root in the Dodgers behind the plate, along with legendary explorer and Panama hat bearer Mike Brito.
Orel Hershiser, Nomar Garciaparra, former Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti and SportsNet LA’s Alanna Rizzo and Joe Davis appeared behind the shelter.
Many other cardboard celebrities filled the stands, keeping Dodger Stadium as the place to be seen, even in quarantine.
There are so many cuts. It looks like they are starting to look alike.
Unfortunately, not all of the cuts came out unscathed over the weekend. Dodgers catcher Will Smith owes this man an apology.
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