Pandemic Baseball

Our first time at a ballpark in almost two years.

Taylor and I are both big baseball fans. Mine comes from a childhood growing up watching the Cubbies on WGN and the Nationals and Orioles (where we live now!) on MASN; hers comes from a childhood of softball that lasted over a decade.

Needless to say, we’ve missed baseball.

We followed approximately 0% of the 2020 season. It just didn’t feel right to me. On top of the fact that I wasn’t so sure we should be playing baseball anyway, the shortened season, missing players, managers, and coaches, and no fans in the ballpark — none of it was the same to me.

It also didn’t help that my beloved Red Sox (thanks to a childhood located near the Salem Red Sox, a Single A affiliate) landed in last place.

But this season is different! Fans are allowed back in the ballpark, they’re playing a full 162 games, and (as of writing this) Boston is in first place after 13 games.

When we saw that the Camden Yards home opening series would be against the visiting Red Sox, we waited anxiously to see if local restrictions would allow fans in the park. When the Mayor’s news came in, we were so relieved: Baltimore will allow 25% capacity — about 11,000 fans — at Camden Yards to open the season.