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Orioles postpone Monday's game due to ongoing riots in Baltimore

Chris Cwik
·Staff writer

The Baltimore Orioles have postponed Monday's game against the Chicago White Sox due ongoing protests and riots in Baltimore. The decision was made after the team consulted with the Baltimore City Police Department.

The protests have been going on since Saturday, after many gathered to express their anger over the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old African-American man who died after suffering spinal cord injuries that allegedly occurred while he was in police custody.

[Slideshow: Protests turn violent in Baltimore]

The protests, which have taken place near Camden Yards, began peacefully, but have turned violent and destructive. The Orioles game was briefly disrupted Saturday when fans were asked to remain in the stadium due to an ongoing public safety issue.

Fans were allowed to leave the ballpark shortly after the message was displayed, and the team was able to play Sunday. The situation worsened Monday, leading to the postponement.

Both the White Sox and the Orioles had been monitoring the situation all day, and stressed that safety was their main concern.

Coincidentally, commissioner Rob Manfred is currently in Baltimore, and was expected to attend the game. Manfred's presence at the ballpark was scheduled in advance, and not due to the protests. Manfred addressed the media, but was unsure how to handle the rest of the series between the two clubs, according to Steve Melewski of MASN.

"The decision was reached after consultation with local officials," Manfred said. "We feel like we made the decision that would provide us the greatest possible security in terms of protecting the fans, the players, the umpires, everybody involved in the game.

"All I want to say about that is we are looking at every possible alternative in terms of completing the schedule in a timely way and making sure the games are played in a security situation that is safe for the fans. We are going to look at every alternative at this point.

Shortly after the decision was made, players could be seen in the parking lot, preparing to leave the stadium. White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton said the team would be escorted to their hotel with a police escort.

At times like this, baseball is hardly the priority. Please stay safe, Baltimore.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik