It’s Hard to Unsee the Orioles-to-Vegas News; Maybe That’s a Good Thing

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Camden Yards in downtown Baltimore revolutionized the way ballparks are made in professional baseball. Babe Ruth was born, and learned to swat homers, in Baltimore. Cal Ripken Jr. started and finished his unbreakable consecutive games streak in Baltimore. Baseball is a part of the city’s fabric, just like Old Bay seasoning and Natty Boh.

There’s a problem, though, and it sort of undermines what I just said: Baltimore and its surrounding areas aren’t treating baseball like it’s part of their fabric. Camden Yards, unfortunately, is less than half-full more often than not.

In a park that can hold almost 50,000, the O’s have had fewer than 10,000 fans six times this year and average less than 16,000 per game.

And it’s these numbers — combined with their AL East-worst record — that has me and a lot of other baseball fans, I’m sure, worried about the recent Orioles-to-Vegas rumors.

Sure, the rumors have been “debunked” but are they? Like, really?

In 2019, when brand power and dollars earned are paramount, is it that crazy of an idea to move a team that struggles to win and draw fans to their beautiful ballpark? It’s not crazy at all. And from a business perspective, it’s probably a move that makes some sense, as hard as it is to say.

I consider myself somewhat of a new-age sports purist: I don’t mind bat flips or celebrations, but I don’t think hockey should be in Phoenix and baseball should get yanked from Baltimore. Tampa Bay? I’d be OK with that. Miami? Same thing. But not Baltimore, the story of baseball cannot be told without the Charm City and that’s a pretty good test when looking at relocation, in general.

The more I think about what I heard/read yesterday — a Baltimore lawyer spoke on 105.7 The Fan about a bid to move the O’s to Vegas — the more I think it could be a good thing. Maybe it’s the kick in the pants that fans needed. I mean, I know I can’t unsee it; it seems like relocation could actually happen.

Maybe fans will feel the same way and you know, start going to the ballpark. Maybe they’ll fight to keep the O’s in Baltimore, regardless of how serious the threat was to begin with. Camden Yards and the Baltimore Orioles, after all, are worth fighting for.