Thoughts on the Crowd Noise at 2020 Baltimore Orioles Games

Yes, we all know that the Baltimore Orioles have already played to an empty stadium a few years ago.

And, we all have heard the jokes about the Baltimore Orioles playing to “empty” stadiums in the past few seasons.

But, with the 2020 season beginning next week, the empty-stadium issue is becoming something the players have to live with (and don’t really like) for 60-games. The MLB decided to take care of it by pumping in faux crowd noise.

After watching a few intersquad games with the artificial noise, I have to say that I really like it. Unless the cameras close in on the vastness of the empty stadiums, the crowd noise seems real.

More from Orioles News

• Baltimore Orioles Sign RP Mychal Givens
• Gunnar Henderson: Destroyer of Four-Seam Fastballs
• Which Current Baltimore Orioles Pitchers Have the Best Curveballs?
• Orioles News: Should the O’s Pursue Eovaldi? + More MLB News
• Should the Baltimore Orioles Consider Signing Nathan Eovaldi?

I did notice one difference with the crowd noise: it doesn’t cover up the walk-up songs. Without any fans in the seats, the booming walk-up songs echo over crowd noise. But, like the crowd noise, I’m okay with that, too. As a fan who visits ball parks all over the country, I love the walk-up songs, and many have become iconic, like Charlie Blackmon of the Rockies and his “Your Love” by the Outfield. Or, J.D. Martinez and “Hustlin'” by Rick Ross. It’ll be great to hear Mychal Given’s “Ready or Not” through the loud speakers as he closes out games this season.

However, hearing the walk-up songs over the crowd noise could be due to the speediness of the games broadcast on MLB.com. As soon as the games are on live TV, the commercial breaks most likely cover up that fun part of the game.

If you haven’t heard the crowd noise yet, this Tweet of Chris Davis hitting a home run in last night’s intersquad game will give you taste of it. Enjoy the home run, too:

The noise that accompanies the big hits can sound truly artificial, especially watching the hitters run the bases. What I like about the crowd noise is the low, constant din of it while the announcers call the game. It’s almost like listening to a bit of soothing white noise. And, with all that’s still happening in the world with the COVID-19 pandemic, anything that sounds like the pre-COVID world is calming.

The only request I have about the crowd noise is to keep the cameras on the diamond. Panning around the stadium brings back the reality that no one is in the stands, making the sensation of the sound doesn’t match the perception of the situation.