I would love to go to a game right now. There’s nothing like being there in person, taking in everything you can’t see and hear on TV. But in a sense, because there are no fans in the stands right now, watching games on TV is a little more like being there in person.
Five things that make baseball better with no fans:
1: The sound of the ball hitting the mitt. Ever wonder just how fast is a Major League fastball? Just listen as you watch a game right now. See: shotgun.
2: The sound of the bat hitting the ball. For the first time, we can now tell on TV how hard the ball is hit just by listening. The sound tells you. Close your eyes and listen for it.
3: The sound of the players talking to each other. Most of the communication escapes our ears because of the normal crowd noise. Now, we can hear them talk before, during, and after the play.
4: The sound of the players talking to the other team. Think baseball is just a gentlemen’s game? Take a listen to these guys chirping at each other from the mound, the dugout, and across the field.
5: The lack of terrible fans behind the plate. If I paid hundreds of dollars to be closer to the plate than the pitcher, I wouldn’t waste the experience by talking on my phone.
Baseball is back, and maybe for now it’s a tad better right now without the fans in the stands.
