Camden Yards Has A Real Community Feel (But Don’t Venture Too Far)
Originally posted in May, Camden Yards is the first venue being reviewed for our new “Stadium Series” project. Our writers will review the numerous sports venues we attend throughout the year.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been hooked on The Wire recently. Or maybe it’s because I have a soft spot for the Baltimore Orioles and want to pitch in to their falling attendance numbers. Whatever the case, I drove the two hours on Friday night — completely on a whim — to Camden Yards for their series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays.
To say it was a flawless experience would be a lie, there were a few things that were sub-par. On the flip side, though, I’d recommend the park to anyone who asked.
It wasn’t my first time at the ballpark, but it was my first game since 2015. The ballpark still has the same community feel that I remember, and nothing proved it more than during the seventh-inning stretch. At the time, I was getting a caricature done by “Toonboy” on Eutaw Street, who, as he told me, has been drawing funny-looking people since the park opened in 1992. Anyhow, the crowd erupted out of nowhere — one of the biggest explosions of the night. Luckily, it was my girlfriend’s turn in Toonboy’s chair, so I ditched her quick to see what was going on. When I got to the standing room landing, there was nothing happening on the field. Momentarily, I was confused, so I asked a middle-aged gentleman in an orange Cal Ripken Jr. shirt what the fuss was all about. Like the nice guy he was, he gestured up to the scoreboard. To my surprise, it was the score of the Washington Capitals’ game; they were winning 2-0 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The fans held their applause and cheers for quite a while…it was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever been a part of at a ballpark.
I say all that to say this: the experience at Camden Yards is still one of a genuine community. There were no blathering idiots who had too much to drink, just a solid place to bring a date or a family to watch a ballgame.
The Orioles won 9-4, making it three wins in a row for a team who had the worst record in all of baseball. Still, the fans who were there cared, and cheered, and didn’t seem salty about the potential disbandment of their team next year. And although my crab cake sandwich had a stale bun and it didn’t feel entirely safe walking three blocks after the game, I want to go back as soon as possible.
For the record, the O’s won their fourth game in a row today (Saturday) during Game 1 of their doubleheader, but then dropped Game 2. Also, approximately eight people approached us for spare change on our walk to our car after the game. (I didn’t have any cash, unfortunately.)