This is a great park.
Brother-In-Law Bryan hooked us up with tickets from Stub Hub, in order to continue the unexpectedly-extended-Ballpark-tour-slash-move-to-New-York, since I'd been unexpectedly detained in Baltimore. I'd wanted to see an Orioles game (much more than a Nationals game) since I first started to dream up this trip. Bryan was more than willing to help me fulfill a bit of that dream by ensuring I got to a game; this one against the Tampa Bay Rays*.
*Soon to be division champs. How's that for a crazy year.
Built in 1992, they jutted the new Camden right up against a gorgeous old warehouse. Bryan and I went in the 1st base foul pole entrance, and Bryan made it a point to take me around the outfield. Eutaw street runs through the ballpark area, meaning that during game time, it's INSIDE the stadium. The vendors are lined up on the street between the warehouse and the stadium, it's a fan-tas-tic idea, and it gives the stadium a tail-gating, homey atmosphere.
Eutaw Street, just north of Oriole Park.
Anyone can pop up to this railing and catch some of the action.
As for the actual game, there are two things to be said: One, the Orioles are AW-FUL. Terrible pitching, lackadaisical fielding, slow running. And I mean SLOW. I saw three screamers up the third base line that turned into singles. SINGLES. The term "double up the line" came from somewhere... it came from hits, up the line, that usually turn into DOUBLES. Poor Baltimore. Your baseball team kind of sucks.
So, the crowd was small. And, not only was the crowd small, they were a little bit dense. This statement in no way reflects all Baltimore baseball fans... I'm sure anyone from Baltimore who actually knows baseball was staying as far away from the stadium as possible. Considering the team they've got, who could blame them. However, the fans at Camden on this gorgeous Monday night really had no idea what was going on. They seemed to be much more content to heckle Aubrey Huff about his contract than actually focus on the game that was being played.
Bryan and I had a great time on our own, though. We had a couple beers and a VERY good hot dog (Juicy, fat, tasty, simple. Camden doesn't take its hot dogs too seriously, they just give it to you like it is. And it is delicious). We chatted fantasy baseball, and I kept pointing out all the former Twins that were a part of both teams:
Former Twin Jason Bartlett.
Former Twin (released this year) Brian Bass.
Former Twin Grant Balfour.
Not pictured, former Twin Juan Castro (Orioles starting shortstop) and former Twin Matt Garza (whom I thought would be starting this evening. Alas.)
Illustrating how bad the Orioles are... Brain Bass was released from the mop-up role in Minnesota, and landed a starting job in Baltimore. He was pulled with a no-hitter going in the fifth... although he had the bases loaded at the time. Sheesh.
This is a great park, and I again feel bad for a group of wonderful sports fans that have had to suffer through years and years of a crappy team. Orioles. Draft pitchers. Seriously.
However, this ballpark is reflective of the great town it's in. Folded into the cityscape, it's got the red brick essence of the city around it, it feels like home. I can only imagine what it was like to cheer on Cal Ripken as he broke Lou Gehrig's iron man record... a packed house in Camden... the black and the orange permeating the undulating crowd... Wow. I realize that I'm sitting in Camden Yards... and it's wonderful.
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