Rays, Dodgers grateful to have fans at neutral-site Series

 Individual whistles echo during quieter moments, and a single fan with eugh persistence can leave an impression with a chant during World Series games with smallest crowds in more than 100 years.

Because of coronavirus, this year's Fall Classic is being held at a neutral site. A team from each coast is playing in Texas, drawing fans from Los Angeles and Tampa, Florida — along with curious Rangers supporters seeing home squ's new retractable-roof stium for first time.

roughly 11,000 mask-wearing fans each night — well, y're supposed to be wearing face coverings — are roughly 11,000 more than players saw in stands during regular season and all of American League playoffs. So 40,518-seat Globe Life Field might as well be full as far as Tampa Bay Rays are concerned.

“It certainly sounds like re’s 40,000 people in re,” manr Kevin Cash said. “w, y might be 35,000 Dodger fans, which is OK. Any of loudness and energy, that creates a lot in dugout. That creates intensity. It’s loud and it’s been really refreshing to get to play with fans.”

To Cash's point, re has been plenty of Dodger blue visible for each of 12 games with limited crowds since start of National League Championship Series two weeks ago. 13th will be Game 6 of World Series on Tuesday night, with Los Angeles in position to win its first title in 32 years.

That also means plenty of masks with iconic interlocking LA logo since face coverings are required except when fans are “actively eating or drinking” — an activity apparently more loosely defined by some.

re's plenty of elbow room on concourses, and fans in clusters of four are separated by at least one row above and below m. Mask compliance on concourses is close to 100%, while in seats about one in four can be seen eir without a mask on, or with covering pulled down around neck.

Many of se fans, though, are used to being crammed into corridors of, say, Dodger Stium, in postseason.

“It’s great that it’s empty and it’s clean and it was easy to get in,” said Ana Chacon, born, raised and still living in Los Angeles County. “But it sucks that t everyone got to come. And it sucks that it’s t in Los Angeles.”

Game 1's restricted total of 11,388 was smallest Series crowd since 10,535 attended Game 6 in 1909 between Tigers and Pittsburgh at Detroit’s Bennett Park, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

It's first World Series played entirely at one ballpark since 1944 between Cardinals and Browns at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis — and fourth overall. Yankees and Giants shared New York’s Polo Grounds in 1921 and 1922.

Jacob Ornelas grew up in Dallas area before returning to his native El Paso. He still makes it back for Texas Rangers games, and would have been at Globe Life Field's first opening day h fans been allowed.

Ornelas went to games at original homes of Rangers, since-demolished Arlington Stium, and watched m in World Series a dece ago at Globe Life Park. open-air facility is still standing across street from new place.

He was standing in a concession line, trying to keep his social distance, on a concourse with large dots everywhere reminding people to stay 6 feet apart. Just like with masks, some lines were compliant, ors t so much.

“It takes away from experience overall, but t my experience as far as being here first time, being in a World Series,” Ornelas said. “It’s a World Series, t regular season. crowd, ise.”

Los Angeles pitcher Tony Gonsolin said he ticed a stronger presence of Dodgers fans in World Series compared to NLCS, which might have to do with Atlanta Braves having a strong national following mselves. LA beat Atlanta in Game 7 to vance.

“Overall, it’s a little bit louder,” Gonsolin said. “Those exciting moments are a little more exciting. It’s just a fun atmosphere.”

retractable roof has served a purpose as well. It was open for first two games, when temperature at first pitch was in low 80s during a usually mild time of year in Texas.

It was about 30 degrees cooler for Game 3, so roof was closed, n reopened with a game-time temperature of 57 for Game 4. A cold and rainy Sunday closed roof again for Game 5.

It's almost certain to remain closed for Game 6, and, if necessary, Game 7. final two nights in Texas will be classic fall wear straight out of New York, Boston or Philelphia — temperatures in 40s, with possible drizzle or light rain.

“Regardless of limited amount (of fans), I think stium does still get loud, especially with roof closed,” Tampa Bay outfielder Austin Meows said. “It is nice to have that and kind of earn that, especially with this year going through so much and t having anybody in stands. Getting to experience that here in World Series is special.”

(Im credit: AP)