“O” Say Can You See

Oriole Park at Camden Yards opened in 1992 and has been considered one of the best Major League Baseball stadiums in the league. Prior to its opening the landscape of professional baseball was littered with boring, multipurpose bowl stadiums. Now nearly every team has a great baseball stadium. Luckily Oriole Park has kept up with the experiences. Out were lackluster parks and in were fan friendly stadiums that were designed for the optimum fan experience. If Baltimore had built a standard, boring facility, baseball may not look and feel the way it does now.

The current Baltimore Orioles began in 1954 when the St.Louis Browns moved to town. The Orioles had a very successful run at well loved Memorial Stadium. When it was obvious that Memorial was ending its usable life the current ballpark came into focus.

The Orioles have been world champions three times (1966, 1970 and 1983) and have won the AL pennants seven times. Famous players have included the likes of Roberto Alomar, Luis Aparicio, Reggie Jackson, Eddie Murray, Jim Palmer, Cal Ripken, Jr., Brooks Robinson and Frank Robinson while Earl Weaver may always be the most beloved manager in team history.

Food & Beverage 4

There is quite a variety of food offerings at Oriole Park. The options are almost endless. Full sized meals all the way down to quick basic options are available. Prices are not cheap, but not entirely unreasonable either. It seems that the basic options hold the worse value than the slightly nicer options. Hot dogs are an example of this. The basic dog available throughout the park is $5. But you can go to Roma Sausage House or Polock Johnny’s and get a better, bigger version for less than a $1 more. Spend just a few cents more than that and get a beer soaked bratwurst.

Pizza John, a local Essex, MD, legend is offered in the stadium. The pizza doesn’t quite taste as awesome as it does at their regular location, but is still worth a visit.

Boog’s BBQ is the biggest draw. Located on the iconic Eutaw Street section of the ballpark, the stand run by Orioles legend Boog Powell offers large sandwiches for $10. You get a good amount for the price. If you are lucky Boog himself will be on hand to serve up your meal.

Dempsey’s Brewpub is another new Eutaw Street food location. Located inside the warehouse itself, the restaurant offers larger meal options than seen in other places around the ballpark. The restaurant is named after another retired player and current broadcaster Rick Dempsey.

Polock Johnny’s is another known Baltimore chain with numerous stands in the stadium. Their hot dogs and polish sausages are not to be missed.

The Orioles are always innovating. There are many options, not just the usual ballpark fare seen in the United States, but it gives the fans not wanting hot dogs and hamburgers a unique choice. The Chipper and their loaded kettle potato chip offerings are examples of unique choices with $9 and $14 sizes. Try the Crab Dipper and the Smithfield Bacon Chipper.

Prices do need to get lower to stay with the current trend of lowered concession prices.

Atmosphere 4

The lowered crowd attendance is making the atmosphere rating a bit lower than it used to be. The facility is still pretty awesome but larger crowds are needed for a higher rating.

The Orioles organization has spent much time getting the fan experience to be enjoyable to the common fan. They tweak and add to the experience every year. They know the right music to play, the right activities to engage fans and just know how to overall run the ballpark. Pure baseball fans will enjoy the game while the more casual fan is still entertained. The only real problem with the park is that the concourse is not within site of the field. It has a more traditional concourse located behind the stands. When you start trends, you do expect that some things will have been tweaked by the ones to come after. It is still a great area for wandering and you never seem out of the game experience due to ever present television monitors and game play by play announcements.

The Star Spangled Banner was written very close by to the stadium. So the Orioles fans commemorate this and their love of the home team by shouting a loud “O!!!!!!” during the appropriate spot during the anthem. In other places this would seem to be disrespectful, but in Baltimore it shows the love of country and the team. If you hear that yell at other parks throughout the country rest assured that there is a Baltimore fan in the house.

A very unique Baltimore tradition is the playing of John Denver’s 1974 classic song, “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” during the seventh inning stretch. It all started a couple of years after it was released when the Orioles were trying to add pop music into the lineup. For some reason the song stuck. Even when then owner Eli Jacobs tried to change songs during the late 1980s, the fans demanded it back. The traditional “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” is played as a warmup to ‘Country Boy.’ Many a local fan still talks about the surprise September 1997 visit by Denver when he appeared on top of the dugout mouthing the songs lyrics. He was in town for a concert at the nearby Baltimore Arena and decided to pop over. Sadly he died in a plane crash less than a month later.

The expanded Kids Zone is becoming a nice, popular feature.

Neighborhood 3

The ratings should be higher here, but the city has some issues that fans need to keep in mind before heading to the game. Baltimore is, and has always been, an urban environment where you should make sure you are aware of your surroundings. Use common sense and all will be fine and you will have a great time.

Closest to the stadium is Pickles Pub and Sliders Bar & Grille. They are fun places to go pre and post game, but be forewarned that they are busy and loud. It might be better to find other options such as the James Joyce Pub in the Harbor East neighborhood for a more relaxed experience.

The Inner Harbor is a popular tourist destination and is a short walk from Camden Yards. There are numerous options here but it will be expensive and more touristy. If you do want a reasonable option, look for the value of the M&S Grill happy hour.

Another option is nearby Federal Hill. There are a few fun restaurants and bars here. Abbey Burger Bistro is one great choice and there is also a location in Fells Point. The beer selection is good and they offer a dizzying array of burger choices, all that is likely to satisfy.

Another choice is just south of Oriole Park, the Horseshoe Casino. If you are the gambling type, this Harrah’s owned gaming establishment has a nice variety of dining and drinking spots. There is even a large parking garage offering deals for game day parking as well.

Baltimore is home to many touristy attractions, such as Harborplace, Fells Point and Fort McHenry. The American Visionary Art Museum on Key Highway is located on the way to Fort McHenry and should not be missed, although its unique collection will not be for everyone.

Fans looking to get a taste of Baltimore sports history should also take time to visit the Babe Ruth Birthplace.

Fans 3

Attendance has been down recently, as has the team’s on-the-field fortunes. Baltimore is not a super large urban area and shares another MLB team with neighboring Washington, DC, so sellouts for weekday games are never to be expected. But the number of people attending games is way down.

There is still a very knowledgeable fan base at an Orioles game. People tend to make the game a family outing. But that does not mean these are not active fans. It is the kind of place where you will see a parent training their young children the ins and outs of the game, as well as the history of Robinson, Robinson, Palmer and Ripken.

Fans cheer when they need to and support at all the right times. It is not a place where you will see a lots of booing, although at a Yankees game you just never know.

Access 5

Oriole Park is extremely close to I-95, with only a couple of turns putting you on the highway home. Parking garages can be found in all directions from the stadium. Street parking is not a great option. Parking near the Inner Harbor is a good option. Check websites and apps such as Parking Panda to find bargains that are a pretty close walk away. The 400 E Pratt Street garage with entrances off of Lombard Street and Gay Street is a nice convenient choice for a little over $10 if paid ahead of time.

If you’re not driving to the game, the other primary mode of access is the MTA Light Rail. From points north and south of downtown Baltimore, you can take the train to the ballpark.

The Light Rail is slow, so make sure you know that beforehand.

Return on Investment 5

Prices are generally pretty reasonable, although they do vary by the opponent. $15 per ticket is a starting level and can go up dramatically depending on seat location. The ticket aftermarket is always a good bet here.

Prices can be found at a very reasonable rate for almost all games, except for maybe the Red Sox and Yankees. Also check out Ticket Monster to see if there are good tickets available on the aftermarket.

Extras 5

Babe Ruth was born here in Baltimore and his childhood home is mere blocks away. He attended school at St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys nearby and actually spent time on the very spot of Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

The B&O Warehouse is not an architectural creation just for the stadium. It opened in 1899 and served as merchandise storage and a distribution center for the nearby railroad. Camden Station is also adjacent and is one of the longest continuously-operated train terminals in the United States.

The Orioles in recent years rearranged the center field fan experience and added a statue garden of Oriole greats. This area also makes it easier for fans to walk entirely around the whole stadium.

Eutaw Street itself offers a great experience for fans. Not just great food options, but it offers great people watching, retail experiences and great field views from the flag court, located above the right field scoreboard.

A cool feature can be seen in some of the open stairwells. Lyrics to Orioles songs such as “Orioles Magic” and the aforementioned “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” can be found on the walls.

Final Thoughts

Oriole Park is still one of the most beautiful stadiums in Major League Baseball and is not showing much age to it. If the crowds come back expect the rating to soar again.

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