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Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks is lending his voice to the Oakland Athletics as a virtual vendor, decades after his job as a vendor for the team back in the ’70s.

A general view of the empty stadium during the Oakland Athletics game against the Los Angeles Angels during opening day at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on July 24, 2020 in Oakland, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
A general view of the empty stadium during the Oakland Athletics game against the Los Angeles Angels during opening day at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on July 24, 2020 in Oakland, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Mixed in with other piped-in crowd noises and chants, the actor’s voice could be heard yelling phrases like, “hot dogs! Not a ball game without a hot dog,” “Programs! Can’t tell the players without a program!” “Soda here! Soda! Who wants a soda? Cold soda— ice cold soda.” 

Though fans can’t be in the crowd, cardboard cutouts filled some of the stadium’s mostly empty seats Friday when the A’s met the Los Angeles Angels for opening day.

With stadiums throughout the country setting up cardboard cutouts of fans and piping in sounds, Americans experienced a very strange Major League Baseball opening day while large gatherings remained prohibited amid the coronavirus pandemic.