A visit to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, June 2002
Today's
question is: should Oriole Park at Camden Yards be called a classic?
Ten years ago, there was no question: baseball pilgrims like me were stunned by its immaculate red-brick walls and green seats. But after seeing other parks, I started to wonder: Had I been dazzled by inaugural-year hype and novelty? There was only way to find out: a return trip to Baltimore.
The first time I visited Oriole Park, I spent the weekend downtown and walked to games. This time I arrived by car; parking in the ballpark lot was only $7, and getting in and out of the city was no problem. (Many locals arrive by light rail, which stops right outside the ballpark--a smart move if you're planning on hitting the bars after the game.)
However you get to the park, the ceremonially proper way to enter is from the north, passing a gauntlet of vendors selling hot dogs, cold drinks, and nuts. Most snacks are allowed inside the park, which helps take the sting out of concession prices. The colonial-style plaza at the north end of Eutaw Street has a row of ticket windows; a statue of Babe Ruth, who grew up in the neighborhood; and metal sculptures honoring numbers retired by the Orioles.
Whether it's your first visit or your hundredth, it has to begin with a walk down the Eutaw Street concourse. Its number-one attraction still is
Boog Powell's barbecue stand, where fans patiently line up for smoked beef and
pork, and a chance at an autograph from the Oriole great. The concourse is also home to a sports art gallery, a stand where regulation bats are made, and plenty of stands selling food and beer.
The concourse has a special treat for trivia buffs: baseball-shaped metal plaques marking
the spot where home runs landed. There are 30 in all, each commemorating the hitter, the date of the feat, and the distance. On the wall of the now-famous B&O warehouse, there's a plaque marking where Ken Griffey, Jr., hit one during a All-Star home run derby. (Bulked up as today's sluggers are,
no one has managed to hit the warehouse during a game.)
Next to the concourse is the porch overlooking right field. During the Nineties, when capacity crowds were the norm, the Orioles sold day-of-game standing room there. Sellouts have become much rarer, but the porch is still the best place in the majors to watch batting practice.
With ten categories of box seats alone, you'll need to study a seating chart before buying tickets. The $40 boxes in the club level offer a commanding view of the field, and the $32 and $35 field boxes are right behind the
infield. Both are worth the money--if you can find tickets. Avoid the terrace boxes, where overhead visibility is cut off and sections near the foul pole are at an awkward angle to home plate.
In the upper level, the best value is the $15 boxes; the $9 seats in left field are a good choice for bargain hunters. But don't shell out for a ticket upstairs if there's room in the "Eutaw Street Reserves," five sections overlooking right field. At $13, they're Oriole Park's best deal.
Other cities have more impressive skylines, and newer parks do a better job showcasing them,
but Oriole Park was the first to turn downtown into a backdrop for baseball. Among the buildings beyond left field is the turret-shaped Bromo-Seltzer tower; at night, it's lighted blue. In right field, of course, is the B&O warehouse, best known for counting off Cal Ripken's consecutive-games-played record.
The scoreboard in left-center field features a large clock which also can be seen from downtown, and Oriole birds that serve as weathervanes. It suffers in comparison to the fancy boards in newer parks, providing little beyond basic stats and game information. The JumboTron screen is obsolete, but help is on the way: a replacement is due next season.
The park's open design and roomy concourses encourage fans to see the game from a variety of locations. If you're making the rounds, be sure to visit the standing room above the bullpens, where you'll literally be on top of the players.
If you're headed toward the upper level, a word of warning: getting there is a
chore. There are long lines and traffic jams at the escalators, a rare error on
the part of Oriole Park's designers.
Most of the concession menu is tried-and-true ballpark fare. If you're looking for something fancier, the delis serve crab cakes and Boog Powell's barbecue sandwiches. A hot dog stand on the lower level specializes in Esskay franks, with your choice of regional condiments (a Baltimore-style dog is topped with roasted peppers and onions and honey mustard). The beer selection is good, with Maryland craft brew on tap at a number of stands.
Despite years of underachieving teams, Oriole fans are still good-natured and loyal. A surprising number stay to the bitter end, even when the Birds are hopelessly out of it. Booing is reserved for umpires' calls--perhaps in honor of Earl Weaver--and
guys in the stands who drop
easy popups.
Fans still have fun at the ballpark. They sing along to favorites
like "Thank God I'm a Country Boy"; and, September 11 notwithstanding, yell "O!" at the start of the national anthem. They're also fond of dancing, especially when the camera is panning the stands for the "Fan of the Game." And they yell with gusto when the Oriole mascot leads the "O-R-I-O-L-E-S" cheer from the top of the dugout.
The Orioles go out of their way to make your visit enjoyable. Where else does the public-address announcer tell fans, "We hope you have received the best service possible," and really mean it? The park is spic-and-span, and helpful employees in old-time uniforms are glad to help. Dozens of flower baskets lining the concourses lend an extra touch of class.
For a ballpark, ten years is literally a generation, more than enough time to
expose its flaws. But with a few small exceptions, Oriole Park has aged well, especially considering it was the first attempt to re-create the ambience of bygone parks without sacrificing modern comforts.
Not only is Oriole Park beautiful, but it has influenced every park built afterward.
Many features we take for granted, like irregular playing field dimensions and
shrines to past greatness,
got their start here. Simply put, Oriole Park revolutionized ballpark design. To call it a classic is an understatement.
