Outside The Confines: Sending virtual boos this season

There won’t be any fans in the stands this season, but leave it to MLB to find a way to let fans get their cheers and jeers into live play no matter what.

As reported by Joon Lee of ESPN, fans will be able to use the cheer, clap, or boo option through MLB’s Gameday app to share their feelings around a certain game event — though don’t expect the boos to come through too well, as there are already plans to limit or dampen negative responses to keep team fans from overwhelming opponents.

The new features will also allow fans to see what percentage of viewers are cheering for each team, similar to scanning a crowd for away jerseys.

It’s a unique way to promote fan interaction for a new kind of baseball season.

• Umpire Rick Reed has passed away, the Associated Press reports.
• Could we see a .400 hitter this season? Could an underdog team contend? John Shea asks the big questions.
• Paul Caputo shares the interesting story behind the Spokane Indians.
• Nick Francona (yes, he IS related to Terry) shares his thoughts on why a rebrand for the Cleveland Indians is long overdue.
• Sarah Langs has the story of Daniel Bard, who hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2013, and who recently made the Rockies Opening Day roster.
• Stephanie Apstein uses the experience of Preston Wilson to highlight why Black players are becoming less drawn to playing in MLB.
• What happens if a player tests positive for COVID-19 while on the road, asks Molly Knight. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Connor Law, a player in the Blue Jays organization, shares his thoughts on the cancelled MiLB season, and this year of baseball in general.
• Tim Arango looks at how the early weeks of the American Association season reflect on how things could look for MLB’s return.
• Can baseball stats help reinforce the need for data literacy skills? Sydney Bergman and Daniel R. Epstein explain the connection.
• We’ve seen some outside the box thinking in the past with pitching — The Opener anyone? — but will a shortened season let baseball teams try new pitching arrangements? Michael Bauman looks at what might change this year.
• Patrick McGeehan spotlights the struggles facing vendors around Yankee Stadium, who won’t benefit from a return of fan-less baseball next week.
• The iconic Vin Scully was no stranger to faking crowd noises over 50 years ago, Bill Shaikin reports.
• Top 5 Phillies mustaches of all time.
• The Rockies tweeted, then deleted, this delightful snark at the Rangers.

Which resulted in some shade from the Rangers (which I guess they finally have, now.)

And of course, the Rockies are pros at hugging it out.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.