Cardinals fans ham it up for the cameras as they appear on the video scoreboard at Busch Stadium. (Post-Dispatch photo by David Carson)
QUESTION: Do you have a view, yea or nay, on the idea of pumping crowd noise into the stadiums?
COMMISH: I’m very much against piped-in crowd noise or cardboard cutouts sitting in the seats. I’m OK with “Charge!” music and the like.
At the beginning of the season, there will be enough adrenaline to keep everybody’s attention. When the Dog Days of August come, the players will have to kick themselves into gear, and maybe some crowds will be allowed in September or so.
But, until then, no artificial stimulants, please.
Follow-up: Do you think the Cardinals can put a cardboard cutout of a person behind the plate on their cellphone, telling another friend that they’re on TV? My life would feel complete then.
COMMISH: That would be a classic. Only under those circumstances would I sanction cardboard cutouts.
Follow-up: Will all the games be strictly business, to get them played as quickly as possible? Will they skip things like playing the Star-Spangled Banner — which would be as shameful as kneeling, in my opinion — and God Bless America or Take Me Out To The Ballgame in the 7th?
COMMISH: I’m anticipating the national anthem being played and some players kneeling, although in baseball, it is rare when the entire team is on the field anyway for the anthem. God Bless America, I don’t know.
But the game times won’t improve that much — because television time likely will be the same between innings.