AP PHOTOS: Stadiums deserted as virus postpones opening day
A statue of former Cleveland Indians Jim Thome stands in an empty Progressive Field, March 26, 2020, in Cleveland. The Cleveland Indians were scheduled to play the Detroit Tigers in an Opening Day baseball game Thursday but the season has been postponed due to the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
The main gates in front of Chase Field are closed and locked Thursday, March 26, 2020, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Police tape blocks an entrance to Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team, Tuesday, March 24, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Al Jackson, a die-hard Seattle Mariners fan and 11-year season ticket holder, leans against the gate at the home plate entrance near the Ken Griffey Jr. statue at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, March 26, 2020, around the time when the Mariners’ Opening Day baseball game against the visiting Texas Rangers would have started. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Locked gates and empty walkways are shown at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team, on what was to be opening day March 26, 2020, in Baltimore, Md. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Parking lots sit empty surrounding Citifield, the home of the New York Mets, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
A pedestrian passes by a New York Yankees baseball souvenir shop, March 26, 2020, in the Bronx borough of New York. To baseball fans, opening day is an annual rite of spring that evokes great anticipation and warm memories. This year’s season was scheduled to begin Thursday, but there will be no games for a while because of the coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
A sign stands in front of the Guaranteed Rate Field, home of the Chicago White Sox in Chicago, March 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Yankee Stadium remains closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, March 26, 2020, in the Bronx borough of New York. (John Woike/Samara Media via AP)
A grounds crew worker cuts the infield in front of empty seats at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, March 26, 2020, around the time when the first pitch would have been thrown in the Mariners’ Opening Day baseball game against the visiting Texas Rangers. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Jason Hackedorn looks into Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians baseball team, March 26, 2020, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
A woman walks her dog by an empty Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, Calif., March 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
The sculpture named “The Player” stands alone in front of Coors Field, home to Major League Baseball’s Colorado Rockies, as individuals stay in place to reduce the spread of the new coronavirus, March 23, 2020, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
A cyclist rides past Fenway Park baseball park, March 25, 2020, in Boston. There will be empty ballparks on what was supposed to be Major League Baseball’s opening day, with the start of the Major League Baseball regular season indefinitely on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Box office windows remain closed at Minute Maid Park, March 25, 2020, in Houston. The Houston Astros would have hosted the Los Angeles Angels in their season-opening baseball game Thursday. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
The statues of, from left, Hal Newhouser, Charlie Gehringer, Hank Greenberg and Ty Cobb stand in left field inside Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers baseball team, March 26, 2020, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Security guard LeJuana Evans wears a mask while working a gate at Oracle Park, the San Francisco Giants’ baseball ballpark, in San Francisco, March 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
A banner reads a welcome to Oakland Athletics fans at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, March 25, 2020, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Miller Park is seen March 24, 2020, in Milwaukee. The Brewers were supposed to host Opening Day on Thursday, but the season start was postponed by Major League Baseball because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
A statue of former Boston Red Sox baseball player Ted Williams, right, stands outside Fenway Park, March 25, 2020, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
A statue of former Cleveland Indians Jim Thome stands in an empty Progressive Field, March 26, 2020, in Cleveland. The Cleveland Indians were scheduled to play the Detroit Tigers in an Opening Day baseball game Thursday but the season has been postponed due to the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
A statue of former Cleveland Indians Jim Thome stands in an empty Progressive Field, March 26, 2020, in Cleveland. The Cleveland Indians were scheduled to play the Detroit Tigers in an Opening Day baseball game Thursday but the season has been postponed due to the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
The main gates in front of Chase Field are closed and locked Thursday, March 26, 2020, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Police tape blocks an entrance to Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team, Tuesday, March 24, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Al Jackson, a die-hard Seattle Mariners fan and 11-year season ticket holder, leans against the gate at the home plate entrance near the Ken Griffey Jr. statue at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, March 26, 2020, around the time when the Mariners’ Opening Day baseball game against the visiting Texas Rangers would have started. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Al Jackson, a die-hard Seattle Mariners fan and 11-year season ticket holder, leans against the gate at the home plate entrance near the Ken Griffey Jr. statue at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, March 26, 2020, around the time when the Mariners’ Opening Day baseball game against the visiting Texas Rangers would have started. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Locked gates and empty walkways are shown at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team, on what was to be opening day March 26, 2020, in Baltimore, Md. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Parking lots sit empty surrounding Citifield, the home of the New York Mets, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
A pedestrian passes by a New York Yankees baseball souvenir shop, March 26, 2020, in the Bronx borough of New York. To baseball fans, opening day is an annual rite of spring that evokes great anticipation and warm memories. This year’s season was scheduled to begin Thursday, but there will be no games for a while because of the coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
A pedestrian passes by a New York Yankees baseball souvenir shop, March 26, 2020, in the Bronx borough of New York. To baseball fans, opening day is an annual rite of spring that evokes great anticipation and warm memories. This year’s season was scheduled to begin Thursday, but there will be no games for a while because of the coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
A sign stands in front of the Guaranteed Rate Field, home of the Chicago White Sox in Chicago, March 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Yankee Stadium remains closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, March 26, 2020, in the Bronx borough of New York. (John Woike/Samara Media via AP)
A grounds crew worker cuts the infield in front of empty seats at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, March 26, 2020, around the time when the first pitch would have been thrown in the Mariners’ Opening Day baseball game against the visiting Texas Rangers. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
A grounds crew worker cuts the infield in front of empty seats at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, March 26, 2020, around the time when the first pitch would have been thrown in the Mariners’ Opening Day baseball game against the visiting Texas Rangers. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Jason Hackedorn looks into Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians baseball team, March 26, 2020, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
A woman walks her dog by an empty Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, Calif., March 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
The sculpture named “The Player” stands alone in front of Coors Field, home to Major League Baseball’s Colorado Rockies, as individuals stay in place to reduce the spread of the new coronavirus, March 23, 2020, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The sculpture named “The Player” stands alone in front of Coors Field, home to Major League Baseball’s Colorado Rockies, as individuals stay in place to reduce the spread of the new coronavirus, March 23, 2020, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
A cyclist rides past Fenway Park baseball park, March 25, 2020, in Boston. There will be empty ballparks on what was supposed to be Major League Baseball’s opening day, with the start of the Major League Baseball regular season indefinitely on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
A cyclist rides past Fenway Park baseball park, March 25, 2020, in Boston. There will be empty ballparks on what was supposed to be Major League Baseball’s opening day, with the start of the Major League Baseball regular season indefinitely on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Box office windows remain closed at Minute Maid Park, March 25, 2020, in Houston. The Houston Astros would have hosted the Los Angeles Angels in their season-opening baseball game Thursday. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Box office windows remain closed at Minute Maid Park, March 25, 2020, in Houston. The Houston Astros would have hosted the Los Angeles Angels in their season-opening baseball game Thursday. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
The statues of, from left, Hal Newhouser, Charlie Gehringer, Hank Greenberg and Ty Cobb stand in left field inside Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers baseball team, March 26, 2020, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The statues of, from left, Hal Newhouser, Charlie Gehringer, Hank Greenberg and Ty Cobb stand in left field inside Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers baseball team, March 26, 2020, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Security guard LeJuana Evans wears a mask while working a gate at Oracle Park, the San Francisco Giants’ baseball ballpark, in San Francisco, March 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
A banner reads a welcome to Oakland Athletics fans at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, March 25, 2020, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Miller Park is seen March 24, 2020, in Milwaukee. The Brewers were supposed to host Opening Day on Thursday, but the season start was postponed by Major League Baseball because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Miller Park is seen March 24, 2020, in Milwaukee. The Brewers were supposed to host Opening Day on Thursday, but the season start was postponed by Major League Baseball because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
A statue of former Boston Red Sox baseball player Ted Williams, right, stands outside Fenway Park, March 25, 2020, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
There was no crack of the bat, no footlong hot dogs, no umpire’s cry of “Play ball!” as opening day came and went for Major League Baseball with games indefinitely postponed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Stands and parking lots were deserted and ticket windows closed at stadiums from New York, the United States’ worst virus hotspot, to San Francisco’s Oracle Park, home of the Giants, where security guard LeJuana Evans wore a black jacket and cap and a white face mask while minding the gate.
Humans were all but absent at the sporting cathedrals where America’s pastime should have kicked off Thursday. In Seattle, a lone grounds crew worker mowed the emerald infield of T-Mobile Park, while in Cleveland, Jason Hackedorn gazed through the shuttered gates of Progressive Field.
In their place stood lonely statues of past legends: Ted Williams, bat resting on his shoulder, placing a cap on the head of a child outside Boston’s Fenway Park; Ken Griffey Jr., frozen post-swing in Seattle as if watching the ball clear the center-field fence; the foursome of Tiger greats Hal Newhouser, Charlie Gehringer, Hank Greenberg and Ty Cobb crowning left field in Detroit’s Comerica Park.
League officials have not set a date for when opening day may happen for real.