What an Opening Day.
The experience – in and out of Camden Yards – would be nothing short of amazing if the Orioles could ever put a winner together. Based on what I saw on Opening Day, people do care about baseball in Baltimore — it’s just that the franchise needs to give people a reason to do so.
Case in point: During the pre-game ceremonies, closer/reliever Kevin Gregg got booed without mercy. It kind of bothered me a bit, as I do not boo anyone on teams I root for; however, sports is a what-have-you-done-for-me lately business, and fans do have a voice in the matter.
Plus, this little kid who ran out at the closing of the pre-game intros for both teams left an impression on me. He knew it was once-in-a-lifetime moment and took full advantage of it, as he sprinted down the orange carpet and thenraced by ALL the players, slapping their hands. A very, very cool moment on a very memorable day to kick off the season in Baltimore.
Outside of the park before the game…
This was the scene outside Camden Yards on Opening Day. I took these while I was walking down Russell Street, and it was amazing the sea of people who were out celebrating or hanging out before the game itself. There were crowds of people EVERYWHERE the eye could see near the vicinity of the stadium.
The scene inside at Eutaw Street during the game.
Inside of Dempsey’s.
I tried to get on the roof deck during a break in the game while walking around. It didn’t happen. There was an usher guarding the stairwell to keep occupancy down, and the line to get up there was at least hundred feet long.
The deck is quite a nice touch to the park, and if you get a chance, try hanging out there for a few innings or so. I would imagine at some point, however, that the Orioles may sell the seats near the field seperately if the demand is very high. When I saw it on Wednesday, the deck really, really reminded me of the Green Monster area – where the seats are – up at Fenway Park.
The view of the park from way above center field is stunning.
Walked around the concourse in the lower deck.
