NEW YORK -- Major League Baseball brought its “No Time Like October” campaign to life on Thursday via "The Payoff Pitch" in downtown Manhattan, where a 65-foot glass box was installed inside the Oculus to simulate the tension of postseason baseball.
The box provided an immersive experience that mirrors the unparalleled intensity of the World Series, bringing the game -- and its high-stakes drama -- directly to fans.
Inside the box, a pitcher wearing a Rays uniform climbed atop the mound while a hitter sporting a Brewers jersey dug into the batter’s box. The scene simulated the very scenario that would happen in the bottom of the ninth inning of a potential Game 7.
With captivated crowds huddled around the box -- many pausing their commute to record the sequence on their phones -- a pre-recorded voiceover echoed throughout the Oculus. The soundtrack was familiar: Joe Davis and John Smoltz, the broadcast crew for the World Series on FOX.
“October has a way of bringing everything down to a moment,” Davis said, setting the scene. “ ... All year, you tell yourself every game matters. Every pitch, every swing, every decision. But October makes you feel it.
“A season, a World Series -- all of it, down to this.”
Then, right as the Rays’ pitcher finished his windup, the glass went clear -- preventing anyone from seeing the outcome of the pitch, leaving everyone to wonder what happened next.
“We wanted to bring the suspense and the tension that the World Series provides into the real world,” said Jenna Smoot Burke, director of brand activation at Major League Baseball. “We wanted to give people an up-close-and-personal feel with what the final pitch and the final out can look like.”
For 12 hours on Thursday, the Oculus -- a hub for commuters and tourists alike -- transformed into a baseball stadium. Roving hawkers doled out packs of baseball cards, custom World Series lanyards and bags of peanuts. Fans stood in line to receive free hot dogs with their favorite toppings via Ballpark Bites.
Fans also had the opportunity to take a photo with the Commissioner’s Trophy in front of a blue backdrop adorned with two of MLB’s slogans: “No Time Like October” and “Baseball Is Something Else.”
They were not the only ones to get in on the fun. Nine-time MLB All-Star Gary Sheffield -- a first-round pick by the Brewers in 1986 who played parts of four seasons with Milwaukee -- took his iconic bat waggle to the box in the afternoon. It was a fitting role for the man who hit the first 21 of his 509 career home runs with the Brewers. Comedian Roy Wood Jr. also entered the box wearing catcher’s gear over his suit.
Both Sheffield and Wood interacted with fans throughout the day.
“The moment that the glass goes clear, people are so drawn to it,” Smoot Burke said. “They’re so excited to see what happens and how it’s going to end up.”
To see what really happens in this year’s World Series, fans can tune into Game 1 on Friday at 8 p.m. ET/7 CT on FOX, as the National League-best Brewers host the American League-best Rays.