Ultimate Baseball Road Trip (33 page)

More than forty-eight thousand fans, including President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore, turned out to see Ripken break Lou Gehrig’s Iron Man record when he played in his 2,131st consecutive game on September 6, 1995. As usual, Cal soaked up the spotlight, belting a dramatic home run through a sea of shimmering flashbulbs. Years later,
Ripken’s record-breaker was voted the most memorable moment in Major League history by baseball fans in a promotion that concluded during the 2002 World Series.

Kevin:
Wasn’t it really like 2,131 moments?

Josh:
That’s what happens when you let fans vote.

In Camden’s first playoff game, Brady Anderson homered to lead off the bottom of the first against Cleveland in Game 1 of the 1996 American League Division Series. The Orioles won 10-4 and won the series three games to one. Then they lost to the Yankees in the Championship Series. The 1997 postseason played out similarly, with the O’s beating the Mariners in the first round, but losing to the Indians in the ALCS.

In 2010, the Orioles started the season playing before the largest Opening Day crowd in Camden history. But after 48,891 watched the O’s blow a late-game lead to the Blue Jays, the team got off to a slow start, and by season’s end average nightly attendance had dipped to an all-time Camden low of just 21,662.

As of this book’s print date, the O’s haven’t returned to the playoffs since losing those back to back Championship Series in 1996 and 1997. In fact, they haven’t even had a winning season since 1997! Considering the rigorous and deep-pocketed division in which the O’s play, it seems likely these streaks will continue. Despite this, baseball has a long history in Baltimore and another renaissance is surely possible if the O’s can put a winning product on the field.

Camden Yards was the quickest baseball stadium ever to reach the fifty million fan plateau, accomplishing the feat in its seventeenth season in 2008. But since the Orioles drew a team-best 3.7 million spectators in 1997, tickets have become easier and easier to find. This can be attributed to the team’s string of last-place finishes and to the fact that so many other parks have opened to compete for road trippers’ attention. When the Yankees and Red Sox are in Baltimore, the crowds swell to forty thousand or more and the stadium sometimes sells out. But the stands are mostly filled with out-of-towners, which has got to be aggravating and depressing for O’s rooters.

The O’s commemorated the 20th anniversary of Camden’s debut in 2011 by reseating the club level and upper deck with wider chairs, which reduced seating capacity from 48,290 to 45,971. Thus, the crowd of 49,384 that turned out at Camden for an August game against the Red Sox in 2009 seems likely to stand for a while as the stadium’s single-game attendance record.

Located between first and third base, these are great, unobstructed infield seats. The rows elevate quickly allowing fans to see over the heads of fans in front of them. Section 16 is on the outfield side of first base. Section 58 is just past the bag at third. Section 36 is directly behind the plate. If you have a chance to purchase any of these reasonably priced tickets, go ahead. Otherwise, don’t plan on sitting in them. The O’s ushers are pretty hell-bent on thwarting the advances of would-be seat-hoppers. We figure these once well-intentioned individuals got a taste of the power that comes from asking beer-swilling penny mongers to vacate hijacked seats back during Camden’s glory days and they just can’t adjust to the new reality that the team is a perennial cellar-dweller and the joint over which they once ruled with an iron fist is now half empty.

We preferred the views from the Lower Boxes along the left-field foul line (60–64) to the views in right (6–14) because the seats in left angle nicely back toward the infield. From the right-field Lower Boxes, however, we found ourselves unable to see significant portions of the right-field corner. This effect is more pronounced the farther you progress into the outfield, so fans wishing to sit in the right-field Lower Boxes should favor Sections 10–14, which are closer to the infield. But if in doubt, shoot for seats in left, which also offer the looming visage of the B&O as a delightful game-long backdrop. Beware of the first four rows of Section 6 in deep right, where railings obstruct the view.

This is one of the shallowest left fields in baseball so it’s easy to stay engaged in the game from these seats. We suggest bringing a glove and hanging out during batting practice. We weren’t crazy about Sections 66–70 in foul territory, but we liked Sections 74–86 in home run territory, which offer a
straight-on view of the infield. Some seats in Section 74 are screened by the left-field foul pole but the tickets for these are clearly marked as Obstructed View seating. Those wishing to peer down into the bullpens should aim for Section 86. Unless you’re hoping to spill beer on a left fielder, you might want to avoid the first row in this part of the park, where shorter folk like Josh have to sit on the edge of their seats to see over the outfield wall. Kevin, on the other hand, appreciated the extra leg room.

Baltimore’s equivalent of bleachers, the Eutaw Street seats are in right-field home run territory. Section 90 is located in center field beside the dark green batter’s eye, while Section 98 is in straight-away right adjacent to the out-of-town scoreboard. Because these seats are at field level, a short walk from Boog’s Barbecue, and reasonably priced, we preferred them over most of the upper level seats.

Still on the first level, but residing above the interior concourse that bisects the seating bowl, Sections 19–53 place fans behind the infield boxes. This is the best spot to watch the game if the forecast is iffy, as the overhang of the club level provides shelter. Just don’t get caught farther back than Row H, or you won’t be able to see what remains visible of the city skyline across the outfield because of the overhang. Don’t worry about being in Row A; the tier is elevated so that fans can see over the walkway traffic.

Section 17, parallel with first base, provides a better view than Section 1, which is out by the right-field foul pole. On the left side, Sections 55 sits where the infield dirt meets the outfield lawn, while Section 65 sits in medium-depth left. In general, we liked the view from the left-field Terrace Reserve better than the view from in right.

We appreciated the open feel of the first few rows of Sections 79–87 in left-field home run territory where the overhang is not a factor, but these seats are far from the action. The crowds in Baltimore are thin enough these days that you should be able to do better.

Located on either side of the press box and extending into the outfield, the Club Boxes cater to those highfalutin types who like to be pampered. They enjoy a special air-conditioned concourse, six full-service bars and a faux Boog’s Barbecue stand. But they don’t enjoy the same field level view the folks down in the lower bowl do.

We’ve consolidated our review of the entire upper level into one section despite the fact that there are several different pricing tiers on this deck. For reasons that are fairly obvious, the 300 Level seats around the infield cost more than the ones way out in left field. And you can probably figure out why. The bottom line is that this part of the park is usually about 90 percent empty and the ushers could not care less about seating-hopping here. For that reason, we recommend buying Upper Reserved seats and moving down to the Boxes. The good news is that it’s not frighteningly steep in Oriole Park’s top level like in some parks, and the sunroof keeps fans in Rows D and higher dry on rainy nights and fair skinned on sunny days. We really liked the view from Section 332 behind the plate. On the third-base side there is an underhang obstruction in Sections 374–388 that partially blocks views of left field. Across the diamond, fans seated in Sections 306–316 lose sight of just a small corner of fair territory. If you’re attending a night game, consider avoiding the upper-level seats on the first-base side, unless you want to look directly into the setting sun for the first few innings. Or, if you’re looking for a tan, pull off that tank top and enjoy. To each his own—that’s what we say.

To see St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys—now called Cardinal Gibbons School—where native son Babe Ruth came of age, visit the top row of Section 356 and locate the long white building about a mile west of the park. Look to the right where a tall brick steeple breaks the skyline. That’s St. Mary’s. Is it worth visiting after the game? Only if you’re an avid fan of the Babe and feel the experience could bring
some greater meaning to your life. We went. But our lives have remained pretty much the same.

Once upon a time the Orioles had a revolutionary idea. Back in the days when they were banging out practically every game, they set up a “Scalper-Free Zone” outside the park where fans with extras could legally sell tickets at face value to other fans. Then, the team fell on hard times and suddenly facilitating the resale of tickets within a safe and non-threatening environment did not seem so appealing. Desperate to sell as many tickets themselves as possible and to limit the ease with which fans may purchase seats on the secondary market, the O’s closed the SFZ in 2010. Still, it was a good idea. And it’s appropriate that it’s been copied in other cities across the country.

The Camden neighborhood offers a festive atmosphere. We recommend following Conway Street to the Inner Harbor. Here, visitors find plenty of places to eat and drink, and, during the summer months, outdoor music and street performers. The highlight though is the picturesque view of Chesapeake Bay.

Camden is easily accessible from Route 95. Take Exit 53 onto Martin Luther King Blvd. and follow it for half a mile until it turns into a two-way street. Then turn right onto Pratt Street, which will take you to a number of metered spots or to the parking garages on South Eutaw Street. There are more than thirty thousand garage spots in the ballpark neighborhood, so prices are not too steep, especially if you don’t mind walking an extra block. If you’re in town on a Sunday, look for a two-hour nonresident parking spot or find an open meter. If arriving early on a weekday, find an open meter and plug it until 6:00 p.m. and stay all night. Another alternative is public transportation. The Penn Line of the Maryland Transit Authority’s light rail system stops at Camden Yards, and the Charles Center Metro Subway Station is just two blocks from the ballpark.

Subway and Light Rail Maps:
http://mta.maryland.gov/services/

http://mlb.mlb.com/bal/ballpark/tours/index.jsp

Even when the Orioles are at home, they offer ballpark tours throughout the morning and early afternoon. We found this to be one of the most informative and comprehensive tours in the majors. It took nearly two hours and afterward we really felt as though we’d gotten a behind-the-scenes appreciation for the ballpark. We particularly enjoyed seeing the control room and poking around in the Orioles dugout. Our friendly guide spent most of the tour singing the praises of Oriole Park architect Janet Marie Smith, which became humorous after a while. Josh counted twenty-three evocations of her name in all.

301 West Camden St.