Cardboard Cutout of Cliff Burton’s Late Father Spotted in the Stands of San Francisco Giants Game

Someone out there must really love Ray Burton.

The father of legendary Metallica bassist Cliff Burton passed away in January at the age of 94. Yet Ian Christie (Bazillion Points, Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal, SiriusXM) spotted a cardboard cutout of the elder Burton in the stands during a recent San Francisco Giants game. The cardboard cutouts are, of course, there in place of real fans, who aren’t allowed to attend the games for obvious reasons. Fans can purchase a cutout of themselves to be placed in the stands, suggesting someone likely paid for the virtual Ray Burton to be present.

Metallica have a history with the Giants, with James Hetfield and/or Kirk Hammett performing the national anthem before games in 2017 and 2018, both times as part of the team’s annual “Metallica Night.” So it’s also possible that the band arranged for “Ray” to have a presence in the stands.

[via Metal Injection]