Continued violence in Baltimore has the Orioles, the MLB, the city and the state worried about fan safety – but the show must go on.
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Baltimore Orioles postpone 2nd straight home game amidst violence and riots
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After having two home games postponed due to ongoing violence in the city of Baltimore, the Orioles will host the Chicago White Sox in an empty stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
According to the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles’ 2 pm game will be closed to the public, and the team will play their next series against the Tampa Bay Rays in Florida instead of at home.
“I’ve been in all the talks and everything’s been about the city of Baltimore and the safety of our fans,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Tuesday. “It’s not about money. It’s not about a baseball season. That doesn’t come up. Believe me, I’ve been in all these (meetings). It’s just about those two things and that’s what we’re trying to solve here.”
Police presence was needed on Saturday’s game against the Boston Red Sox and two games have been cancelled since Monday. Fans who have tickets to Wednesday’s game or any of the three Tampa Bay games this weekend can exchange their tickets for another game on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
The ongoing violence in Baltimore started on Monday following the funeral of Freddie Gray, an African-American man who suffered fatal spinal injuries while in police custody. Riots, looting and even fires in the middle of streets have been ongoing ever since and hundreds of people have been injured or arrested.
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