SEOUL – Cheerleaders danced beneath rows of empty seats and umpires wore protective masks as a new baseball season began in South Korea.
After a weeks-long delay because of the coronavirus pandemic, a hushed atmosphere allowed for sounds like the ball hitting the catcher’s mitt and bats smacking the ball for a single or double to echo around the stadium.
There were faces in the stands at a game on Tuesday — pictures placed in the seating — because fans aren't allowed into the venues, at least for now.
Instead, it was easy to hear players cheering and shouting from dugouts. And it was a relief to fans watching from home in a country that’s now attempting a slow return to pre-COVID-19 normalcy amid a waning caseload.