Ray Burton, the late father of Metallica legend Cliff Burton, was immortalized in the crowd of a San Francisco Giants game last night (July 30). He appeared in the stands in the form of a cardboard cutout, which the Giants have allowed fans to purchase in place of a live audience.
A photo of player Jaylin Davis at first base was posted on Burton’s Instagram, where you can see Burton smiling in the background. “Thank you @sfgiants for including Ray Burton in your opening home game cutouts!” the caption reads. “Ray loved the Giants! Thank you Tim Healy for capturing this screenshot.”
See the image below.
The Giants have a longstanding history with Metallica. The very first “Metallica Night” took place in 2013, which featured the members playing the National Anthem and tossing the first pitch. The tradition took place for seven straight years until 2020 — which may have recurred if it had not been for the coronavirus pandemic.
Burton passed away in January of this year at the age of 94. He had maintained a close relationship with Metallica following the passing of his son in 1986.
Due to crowd limitations over the coronavirus, live audiences are prohibited from attending baseball games, so the Giants, and some other teams, have improvised. For $99, you can upload a photo of yourself to be place in the stands during the games. At the end of the season, you can get your cutout back, which will be certified as MLB “officially game-used.” See more information on their website.
Metallica: A Photo Timeline of Their Remarkable Career