Coronavirus News
Texas Rangers will let fans prop up their own cardboard cutout in stadium
The Texas Rangers have come to grips with the fact that they're probably going to be playing baseball games to an empty stadium, at least for the start of the 2020 season. But they've come up with a novel way of coping.
They're going to allow fans to be represented at Globe Life Field in a 2D version.
They're calling it a "DoppelRanger," a twist on "doppelganger," and it lets fans have their likenesses pasted to a cardboard cutout and propped in the lower seating bowl areas behind home plate and the dugouts.
This will be at least during July games. If fans are allowed to attend games later in the season, the DoppelRangers would be moved to other areas in Globe Life Field.
"A season that starts with no fans in attendance is not what any of us want, but we have an idea of how you can still be seen at Globe Life Field," they say.
The cardboard images will be created from photographs submitted by fans and may be ordered online from July 10-15. Each DoppelRanger is $50, with proceeds benefitting the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation.
DoppelRangers information and order forms are available on texasrangers.com/DoppelRangers. They offer tips on taking your photo including wearing your best Rangers gear, and aiming for the waist up.
The fine print says that the Rangers have the right to refuse any image that includes profanity, political messages, other sports, or other teams. They also make a good joke: "The image must be of you (unless you are Matthew McConaughey)," they say. That's funny.
Locations will be chosen at random, but all DoppelRangers will be seated behind homeplate, between the home and away dugouts. So there's a good chance you'll be able to see yourself on the TV broadcasts.
Cutouts will remain in the ballpark for the 2020 regular season and you’ll have an option to pick it up following the season.
If you really want to go nuts, you can order up to 10 cutouts.
They say that DoppelRangers will be installed in waves, depending on when your photo is uploaded. If you upload by July 15, your DoppelRanger will be in its seat by Opening Day.
They'll send a picture of your DoppelRanger once it has been installed in its seat.
The cutouts will be placed in the stands for Rangers 2020 home games, although the Texas Rangers Baseball Club reserves the right to move/remove any or all of the cutouts at its own sole discretion for any reason or no reason at any time without notice or liability to you. So make sure your DoppelRanger behaves.
