BALTIMORE - One of the few stadiums on the east coast I have never been to prior to 2010 was Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles. And although their team is a constant struggling story, the Orioles should be commended for their ballpark.
The main feature that makes Camden Yards so unique is that it was built right by a former train station and has a warehouse for a backdrop. On the inside side of the warehouse is a good area for eating and drinking. All parts of the park were easy to get to and it seemed that you would have a good view at any vantage point.
The fans were very friendly, and basically ignored the fact that I was wearing an Indianapolis Colts jersey, a garment that is not too popular around the town the Colts abandoned in 1984. But the fans seemed laid back and the ushers were very helpful, one even offered to take a photo of my father and I with the stadium as the background.
As it is with most stuggling baseball franchises, the Orioles did not have many people out for the game, even though it was a Friday night. Most of the concessions on the top level were closed, much like how it was when I went to a Florida Marlins home game.
The Orioles were bad in the game, but I was glad to see one of the best performances by Texas Rangers hurler C.J. Wilson, who threw a two-hitter in a 2-0 Rangers victory. Buck Showalter provided one way for the crowd to get excited, getting thrown out of the contest after coming on the field to argue on two different occassions.
I liked the experience, and part of that was the comfort provided with a small crowd. The ushers clearly did not care where you sat regardless of where your tickets were. They were happy people showed up.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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