Astros' Lance McCullers Jr. Prefers Fans' Boos over 'Stadium Full of Silence'

Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. understands MLB stadiums will look a lot different this year. With states independently announcing and updating their own COVID-19 guidelines, the number of fans allowed into stadiums this baseball season will vary game to game.   

In some states, like Illinois, fans won't be able to enter ballparks at all. The resulting silence is going to be noticeable, and McCullers told MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that it'll be odd to work around.

"I almost would rather a stadium full of people booing against us than a stadium full of silence," McCullers said. "That's just my opinion. It's going to be very different, very weird. It is what it is."

Those words may come back to haunt the pitcher.

Even in ballparks in which attendance will be greatly reduced, Astros players can expect plenty of boos and jeers over the course of their 30 away games this season. 

Despite the bitter negotiations between MLB owners and players during the process of agreeing to a return-to-play plan for the 2020 season, few fans have forgotten about Houston's recent cheating scandal.

Members of the Astros organization used technology to help steal and decode signs, then they would bang on a trash can near the dugout to signal which pitches were coming next. For that, both manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended for one year and then subsequently fired by Houston owner Jim Crane.

Yet no players were disciplined, with Commissioner Rob Manfred granting immunity for honest testimony. 

That's where fans will come in this season. No matter how few are allowed into Houston's road games this year, the Astros can expect to hear them as loud and clear as ever. 

Even still, McCullers wants to feel that emotion.

"I, as a pitcher, at home, want to play with Houston fans in the building," he said. "Even if we go on the road, I'd rather people be there, showing love for their team and even booing us, than for it to be silent." 

Houston's Minute Maid Park is expected to be one of the ballparks with a reduced capacity attendance this season, so the team should be guaranteed at least a few cheers when it takes the field in July.