Major League Baseball decided that no fans would be allowed to spectate at games this season, and only the teams' staff and the media would be let in. I ended up being one of the lucky few to be inside the Cleveland Indians press box so far during this COVID-19 pandemic.
![A photo of the view of home plate from the Cleveland Indians' press box on opening day.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a3b19b6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2048x1536+0+0/resize/880x660!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fsites%2Fwksu%2Ffiles%2F202009%2Fsean_fitz_opening_day_july_24_2020_near_home_plate_press_box_shot_clear_blue.jpg)
Before I could enter Progressive Field, I was asked a set of health questions, had my temperature taken, and went through security. Then I walked inside and up a ramp to the press box.
The pregame music blared throughout the stadium, and balls launched off the barrels of wooden bats.
![A photo of the field when the Indians played the Cubs.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/83aeb9c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2048x1536+0+0/resize/880x660!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fsites%2Fwksu%2Ffiles%2F202009%2Fsean_fitz_aug_11_2020_vs_cubs.jpg)
Before the game started, a prerecorded national anthem with various performers played on the main videoboard.
Then, it was finally time to play ball.
The sounds of on-field conversations and umpire calls made their way up to the press box, and the public address announcer called out batters' names as they stepped up to the plate.
![Cleveland Indians coach at home plate as the team played the Royals](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c76adfd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2048x1536+0+0/resize/880x660!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fsites%2Fwksu%2Ffiles%2F202009%2Fjuly_25_vs_royals_cleveland_coach_at_home_plate_crsf.jpg)
The fake crowd noise seemed bizarre at first as I settled into the new normal for the year, and the applause was a lot less energetic, even when Cleveland scored.
In the end, baseball is back in Cleveland and the rest of the country. And all I know is that I’m happy to be witnessing history.