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Anyone in the greater Baltimore area tomorrow should roll on down to the Annual Orioles Fanfest at the Baltimore Convention Center.
Season ticket holders will get in at 10:00 am for a special "State of the Orioles" address and Q+A session with Andy MacPhail and Dave Trembley. Doors open to the general public at 11 and the event goes on until six that evening.
Vendors, forums, autographs, swag: Fanfest is always a good time.
If you can't make it fear not, the Oriole Post will be there to bring you all the important coverage especially the morning forum with Dave and Andy. If you do stop by please hang out for the "Blogging the Birds" forum on the main stage at 5:00 pm featuring representatives from MASN.com, Baltimore Sports and Life, Camden Chat, the Loss Column and ME (!) representing the Oriole Post.
Players signing autographs will include, but are not limited to: Matt Wieters, Brad Bergesen, Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, Brian Roberts, Josh Bell, Kevin Millwood plus many more current and former players as well as Dave Trembley and the entire coaching staff.
PS - A portion of the gate proceeds and auction sales will go to help UNICEF with their on-going relief efforts in Haiti. The Orioles will also be accepting staright donations at the door and the organization will match all funds raised tomorrow.
There doesn't seem to be much happening today at all with the Orioles, but Fan Fest is taking place this weekend at the Baltimore Convention Center. As always it should be interesting to see what comes of the event, the various personalities and seeing a crowd ready for baseball -- for better or worse with this team -- in the Spring.
Over the weekend, the Orioles announced that they were raising the price of tickets bought on 'game-day', plus those of 'prime games' -- mainly those against the Yankees and Red Sox. Considering how bad the team has been over the past decade-plus, a lot of fans would not be happy about the price increases at all.
Really, a lot fans are upset at the new policies not so much because an increase in ticket prices, but because of the performance of the Orioles on the field. As sad it is to say, there are kids around my brother's age -- he's 16 -- who will have almost zero recollection of a winning organization in Baltimore.
Are most people seemingly upset about shelling out a couple of more bucks - no. The issue in a nutshell is that the Baltimore Orioles have sucked for years and why should fans feel compelled to pay for a lackluster product? For most people, I'd assume that they'd be willing to spend more if there was a marquee player signed this offseason on the roster such as a Matt Holiiday or a John Lackey.
I don't want to disrespect anyone on the Orioles, but there isn't one.
Two winters ago (if I'm correct), the Ravens raised prices on their tickets all across the board when the economy had started to completely suffer. While there were still a few people who grumbled at the price increase, most - if not all - fans paid for the priviledge to watch their team on gameday at M&T Bank Stadium.
The comparison between the Ravens and the Orioles are simple. Simply, the football team has won in the past few years. The baseball team has not.
Personally, I'm not bothered by the policy as I tend to just call my ticket representative and order them ahead of time; however, I can see where the vast majority of people are coming from with their anger.
Over the past week, Miguel Tejada's name has come up over and over with the Orioles, and now it he looks like he may be a potential viable candidate to suit up at third base.
Tejada, who had a productive season in 2009, is still on the market into late January.
Reading a lot of the comments online, the opinions range greatly on a possible return for the one-time slugger. They range from outright indignation for Tejada being a steroid user, to his perceived lack of hustle and sometimes "me" attitude, to a lot not really caring about his percieved slights at all. He's not the player now that he was when he signed his big contract with Baltimore, but he's still got it at the plate.
All things considered (once you look at the remaining free agents left at third), Tejada may not be a bad choice to fill in as a stop-gap measure until Josh Bell is ready to play in the majors.
The Orioles came to terms with Luke Scott on a contact for 2009, meanwhile Jeremy Guthrie and the team are trying to hammer out a deal and avoid arbitration.
The Eutaw Street Hooligans wants more bloggers to make Andy MacPhail accountable for the moves he makes. I'm going to hold off on the heavy-handed criticism until Spring Training starts, but there are a lot of fans who are not happy at how the offseason has progressed after a promising start.
Last week, the blog sent some questions to Greg Bader - Director of Communications of the Baltimore Orioles - that centers more of the fan experience for the upcoming season.
The topics touched upon in this Q&A include the teams's new Spring Training home in Sarasota, a little bit of what fans should expect at Camden Yards in April, and the new "day-of-game" ticket policy.
What should fans who are heading to Florida expect to encounter in Sarasota -- the Orioles' new Spring Training Home for 2010. Can you tell us a little about the facilities at Ed Smith Stadium? How has the reception been so far with the team in town?
As demonstrated by a very successful mid-November FanFest at Ed Smith and this weekend's potentially record-setting lines for spring training tickets, Sarasota residents and the business community have enthusiastically embraced the Orioles. To say we have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support would be an understatement. I am told by many individuals who worked for the Reds that the enthusiasm being generated this year is like nothing seen before in Sarasota. I believe the residents know how close they came to losing Spring Training, which has been a fixture in this community uninterrupted since the mid-1920s. The deal with the Orioles, which represents a true year-round partnership between the club and the community, is one that folks in Sarasota know is a mutually beneficial relationship.
Ed Smith Stadium itself certainly represents an upgrade over the facilities we had in Fort Lauderdale. The ballpark is quite charming and will be undergoing some changes prior to the games in March, including painting and installation of Orioles logos, pennants and other historical elements. Like most Spring Training facilities, the layout of the complex affords the opportunity for a significant amount of interaction between players and fans--something that makes Spring Training so special. I am confident that fans who travel to Sarasota will be excited to find a welcoming environment both at the ballpark and around town. I know a few people in the Fort Lauderdale who were sad that the Orioles decided to move their Spring Training home across the state. Did the organization attempt to stay in the area or consider any other facilities in that part of the state?
For many years, the Orioles worked with the City of Fort Lauderdale, Broward County and the State of Florida to reach a long-term agreement to keep the club in Fort Lauderdale. An agreement was reached between all parties, including funding sources, but unfortunately was derailed by the FAA (which owned the land where Fort Lauderdale Stadium stood and where the proposed new ballpark would be built). After many years of working towards and ultimately reaching a long-term agreement in Fort Lauderdale, this decision was obviously a disappointment to us and to our many fans in the area. Ultimately, however, we are extremely excited that Sarasota presented itself as an opportunity to become the long-term home of the Orioles.
In addition, is the team looking to perhaps get some of those fans in that part of the state over to Sarasota to see the Orioles and perhaps keep them part of things?
We have looked into partnering with a bus company to run a service from Fort Lauderdale to Sarasota; however, we have not found a cost-effective solution that fans in Fort Lauderdale would be willing to pay. That said, we have heard from many of our Fort Lauderdale ticket holders that they want tickets to select games in Sarasota and plan to come across the state several times each to see the games on their own.
There's been some concern that the team has not done enough to keep some of the ex-Orioles as part of the organization. Recently, it looks as if the Orioles have taken steps to improve that situation by hiring ex-players to fill in spots at the minor league level. Is there anything planned on the major league level - PR wise, etc. - that fans will be able to see in Baltimore?
The club has an extremely proud history and has always embraced bringing back former players to be honored and held ceremonies recognizing great teams of the past. Many former players have served as coaches, scouts and front office personnel. Last year we launched the Orioles Alumni Association which helped the club provide even more opportunities for former players to appear at Oriole Park. Our Alumni Autograph Series brought back a total of 40 former Orioles to meet and sign autographs for fans prior to each Monday and Thursday home game. We will have the same program this year as well.
Additionally, as you know, this year represents the 40th Anniversary of the 1970 World Series Champs, so we will be honoring that team with a special Turn Back the Clock event (a date will be announced early next week). Expect to see nearly every member of the team back for a special reunion weekend.
The economy, as we all know is still fairly shaky, and a lot of teams ushered new ways to get fans into ballparks. Are the Orioles planning on revamping or adding programs/promotions to get fans into Camden Yards in 2010?
The entire Birdland Stimulus Package returns in 2010... Tuesday Bargain Nights; Thursday Kids Nights; Friday Student Nights; Junior Orioles Dugout Club; All-You-Can-Eat Picnic Perch; and the Free Birthday Ticket Program. These cost-savings ticket programs have all proved to be popular so we are not changing them for the coming season. Additionally, the 2110 Eutaw Street promotion will be back for 5 different weekend dates (dates to be announced next week, but details on the program will be announced at a later date).
Now that Camden Yards is closing in on it's 20th anniversary, were there any improvements or additions made to ballpark in the off-season? If not, will there be any more additions made in the next few years?
The Maryland Stadium Authority did move forward with a planned deferred maintenance program to replace all lower level seats between the foul poles. After removing the old seats, the MSA had the concrete reinforced in certain areas and new seats will be installed. Plans are for the process to continue throughout the rest of the ballpark (lower level outfield, club level and upper deck) prior to the 2011 season.
Of course in the recent past, major upgrades to the video boards and televisions throughout the ballpark, to the video control room and to the audio system within the seating bowl have been made, helping the Orioles provide an improved ballpark entertainment experience.
Other changes fans can expect to see in the coming years have not yet been formalized, but it is safe to assume that additional enhancements will take place to various areas throughout the ballpark in the coming years.
Why did the Orioles decide this season to institute a 'day-of-game' ticket fee? Based on the responses online on various websites from fans, the new program is not very popular right now. Will it still affect discounted games -- i.e., Student Night -- that have a strong walk-up crowd?
Any time ticket prices are increased, the decision is not going to be popular with fans, and we understand this. But in an effort to keep Orioles baseball the most affordable entertainment option in the region, we kept season ticket prices the same and also kept prices the same on 75% of our games, when tickets are bought at least 24 hours in advance. With some advance planning, many fans will not have to pay any price increase for tickets over previous years. The exceptions of course are a modest 10% increase on prime games and a small increase for tickets purchased the day of a game. The average difference in price for tickets purchased on a gameday is just $2, so we do not believe this will negatively impact attendance.
We do not plan to alter the cost of Student Night tickets or Dugout Club tickets purchased on a gameday. Bargain Night tickets purchased on a gameday will cost $9 instead of $8.
We are officially one month out from "pitchers and catchers" ladies and gentlemen! WOOOOOO, right? Woo?
After making two fairly quick and well-received moves the Orioles have been largely dormant. Rumors put them in the Matt Holliday running, but logic dictated otherwise. The Orioles were legitimately in the Adam LaRoche running and according to Roch the Orioles offered the same money that he took from the D-backs, but he opted for Arizona. Fair enough I suppose, but I genuinely thought that he would be an Oriole.
Aside from that there has not been a lot of action to talk about. On top of all of this the Orioles announced the "walk-up" surcharge which is pretty stupid but not something I am sharpening my pitchfork over. Most fans plan in advance to go to the game nowadays, but there is still a walk-up crowd of city-dwellers. They probably make up something like 3-7% of the crowd on a good day so the fees impact a relatively small portion of the fanbase - but that just so happens to be me this time. I guess that my girlfriend and other friends decided on a spur of the moment game at least 10-12 times last year. Will the extra buck stop us from doing that? Nah, don't see that happening but it is still a bit of a let down.
The real bad thing about this price-change is that, with no other real Oriole news to talk about, it is the focus of the reporting and the negative nancies re coming out of the wood-works using this new policy as a launching pad to dredge up every slight, real or imagined, against them. That can be rather tedious.
An interesting thread was started over at Orioles Hangout the other day. "Assuming the Orioles make no other moves...are you still excited [for the start of the season]?" Of course I am always excited for the start of any baseball season. Yesterday I was at the mall decked out in my Adam Jones orange shirt and '88 Orioles hat (the best looking hat ever made in baseball history) and a young lady making me a coffee asked me if I was a "big Oriole fan?" Now, I wear my Oriole swag so often that I don't think of them as "Orioles" shirts anymore, they are just part of my average rotation. My girlfriend chuckled as I began to awkwardly answer the question - fighting the urge to go into full level five fanboy mode. We were in public and decorum must be respected. Her older manager then began to regale us of stories of Memorial Stadium and the good'ol days.
I went through that little diversion to better explain my answer - I am always excited about baseball, but I am VERY excited about this team. I can honestly say that I am as excited about this team as I was at the beginning of that glorious spring of '05. In fact more-so. The Orioles may not make another move before Spring Training, though I am sure they will, but that was never the point of 2010. Success in 2010 will not hinge on any of the potential acquisitions - it all rests on the shoulders of the Orioles' young players.
While the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays are rightfully viewed as the Red Sox chief competition in the division, the Baltimore Orioles have very stealthily, and quickly, laid the groundwork for what could be a long-awaited Camden Yards renaissance...
The Orioles have no shortage of building blocks. Right fielder Nick Markakis is a legitimate No. 3 hitter whose power should blossom at age 26. Center fielder Adam Jones is coming off his first Gold Glove and All-Star appearance. Second baseman Brian Roberts is a two-time All-Star. Left fielder Nolan Reimold made a push for 2009 AL Rookie of the Year.
Then there’s Wieters...
But more importantly than that group of players is the young pitching. The Orioles pitching staff was the worst in the American League last year. With some valuable experience under their collective belt and an an entire year on the mound one can get positively giddy at the what Brian Matusz and Chris Tillman can accomplish. Not to mention a healthy Brad Bergesen and don't forget Jake Arrieta in the minors. It is very easy to get excited about this core group of players.
There are always going to be people that sit on the sidelines and whine when the Orioles fail to make a big "headline catching" move during the offseason. And those fans are right to a point. Would Matt Holliday have made the Orioles better? Most certainly, it is impossible to really disagree with that. Would Roy Halladay have made the Orioles better? Most certainly. If those things had happened would people have been complaining about a day-of-game surcharge? Probably not nearly as loudly. But things are what they are. The Orioles were not in a position to go all in on one or two of these guys - the season does not rest on the shoulders of Matt Holliday, with or without him the season will be carried by the above names. And that is a very exciting prospect.
Those who wish to continue to help the nation of Haiti I strongly suggest donating to Doctors Without Borders, an organization that does a lot of good and does not nearly get all the press it deserves. Also, while you donate your dollars to the American Red Cross, why not donate a pint as well. That blood will most likely remain local, but it is always needed.
The thoughts of Birdland this weekend are with Brooks Robinson as he is recovering from surgery.
The news was first reported on Roch's blog yesterday and it goes without saying there was an outpouring of support towards the Oriole legend as well as one of the nicest men you'll ever meet.
Not many people are aware that Brooks Robinson has been dealing with a serious health issue. I'm thrilled to report that he was released from the hospital late yesterday and is doing fine.
Robinson and his family wanted to keep the matter private, which I certainly understand and respect. I'm just thankful that he's home again.
The following is a statement from No. 5, which I'm honored (and greatly relieved) to pass along to Oriole fans everywhere:
"On December 28, 2009, I had abdominal surgery. The surgery was successful and I anticipate a full recovery. I have assured my wife Connie and my doctors that I will take it easy over the next few months.
"I thank you for the outpouring of prayers, compassion and concern."
The Baltimore Sun has more on Robinson's condition:
Hock said Robinson, who returned to his Baltimore home, considered the surgery routine, and that it is not related to the cancer issues he battled earlier this year.
In May, Robinson acknowledged at an American Cancer Society luncheon that he had been treated for prostate cancer, undergoing 39 radiation treatments.
In September, while at Camden Yards for a ceremony honoring Melvin Mora, Robinson said he was "feeling great."
The Hall of Fame third baseman's most recent hospitalization was first reported by Masnsports.com.
Even though he's been gone from Baltimore for a little while, it's good to see Dominican baseball star Miguel Tejada doing his part to help those in Haiti.
Now that we are pretty much a month-plus away from Spring Training (mainly, pitchers and catchers showing up). Although the Orioles have improved -- somehwat -- it looks like some of the fans are growing restless at the lack of moves that have taken place after the New Year. It's safe to assume that Andy MacPhail and members of his staff are obviously not making most of their thoughts public, we should give them the benefit of the doubt -- for now.
We, as fans still have time before things kick off in Florida. However, there are a small group of fans still smarting that Adam LaRoche took a deal in Arizona and that the team has still not signed a 'slugger'. Of course, the Orioles probably need a huge bat considering they play in the AL East with the powerhouse Yankees, Red Sox and the competitive Rays.
It definitely looks as if the Orioles -- much like other teams in the sport -- are just laying in the weeds and waiting for the chips to fall into place. Most teams don't announce their moves ahead of time, unless they deal with Scott Boras, and maybe the O's are still looking for their big bat.
However, if Baltimore can't find their big bat, one must think Michael Aubrey will be perhaps a prominent part of the team.
Based on Aubrey's stats and the amount he played last year, he certainly wouldn't embarrass the Orioles, but then again he's not Mark Teixiera either. All things considered, perhaps he should given a chance to be an everyday player. Seriously, if you look at the other men left on the board, all have issues -- most of the injury variety.
Aubrey can definitely hit for average and is a fairly good defender at first based on the amount I saw him play; however, the issue I guess with him would be if he could hit for power. He definitely has got some solid attributes, but again, the team may still hunt for what's available on the market before giving him a shot at first.
Well, only Andy MacPhail and his staff only know for sure.
I can't imagine the change to purchasing tickets that the Baltimore Orioles will be all that popular that they are instituting next season.
You're going to pay more to see the Orioles next season, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun if you purchase tickets the day of the game. (Peter Schmuck also gives his take here...)
In other words, walk up to the window to buy tickets on game day and you'll pay extra.
The new policy, which will average an additional $2 per game-day-purchased ticket, is becoming more common in major league baseball, according toGreg Bader, the Orioles' director of communications.
Last season, 10 teams did it; the Orioles have become the 11th and several more could implement it in 2010, Bader said.
"In our mind, it accomplishes a couple of things. It rewards fans who buy in advance and make a commitment ahead of time to come to the park, and it has them make the commitment to come to the park," Bader said. In addition to the game-day fee, the Orioles have instituted another price change for 2010, increasing the cost of tickets for 19 premium games - Opening Day and the nine home games each against the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox - by about 10 percent over last year's premium-game costs.
Times are tough economically for businesses and perhaps the Orioles are just trying to open up another method to improve cash flow and revenue. Obviously, the team will make all the money they can off the prime games considering the amount it cost fans to see the Red Sox and Yankees at their home park.
Obviously, running a sports team is a for-profit business, not a charity venture. I guess the way around the new policy is to get your tickets ahead of time, or buy a season ticket plan. Hopefully, the team hopes that fans will be proactive in purchasing tickets for games they want to see -- in advance.
However, is the new ticket policy a smart business move in the eyes of local, die-hard Oriole fans, especially after a decade plus of losing baseball? This is new plan prudent or out of line?
Personally, while my season ticket pricing for the seats I have at Oriole Park didn't go up (and have not in years), I'd like to see a winning product before a team can justify raising their prices.
For inquires, feel free to email me at mdguy2415@aol.com or follow me on Twitter under the username oriolepost. You can also join My Facebook blog page here!
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