#28/30: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore

Iron Man Jr. Jr.

Monday, September 2, 2024

Ever heard of a ballplayer named Cal Ripken Jr.?

If you're reading this, that means you probably know at least a little bit about baseball, and probably know the name. They call him the Iron Man. Among his many achievements is a record that no other player will ever break - Ripken holds a streak of 2,632 consecutive games played. That's over 17 seasons without taking a single day off.

Ripken played his entire 20-year career with the Baltimore Orioles. The latter half was at Camden Yards, from its opening in 1992 through his final season in 2001 - and I was there. My parents took me and Ben, a very good friend still to this day, on a road trip through the Northeast in August 2001. Along the way we stopped in Baltimore for an Orioles game to see Ripken’s farewell season in person.

And now, visiting Camden Yards some 23 years later - my 28th different ballpark of this season and 5th in 5 days, I couldn't help but think about the Iron Man and his unmatchable endurance. It made me feel proud of this great achievement I’ve been chasing this summer.

But to be clear… I'm not even pretending to compare myself to Cal Ripken Jr.

Camden Yards is a great ballpark, especially considering it's neither new and modern nor old and historic. Is was built 32 years ago and started the trend of “retro” ballparks, marking the end of an era where stadiums were built to be big, plain, and often multi-purpose (for NFL and MLB franchises to share). Camden Yards is easily recognized for its unique features - like Eutaw Street and the old B&O Warehouse in right field. It also contains all the modern amenities that one would desire. But I don't believe it was ever meant to feel particularly “new”, even in its opening season. It's a timeless venue - one I could see staying the home of the Orioles for many more decades to come.

I arrived when the gates opened and found a spot above the bullpens in left center field. It was a gorgeous sunny afternoon and batting practice was in full force. My spot was a little bit of a stretch for batted balls to reach, but players in the outfield and the bullpens were plenty close enough to toss balls my way.

And sure enough, about 15 minutes after I had settled in, a visiting White Sox pitcher threw a ball from center field up over the two stacked bullpens - about 120 feet - and I caught it!

But wait… it’s not that simple.

There was a kid standing right beside me. I'd guesstimate he was 12 years old. The ball was sort of coming at the kid, and I sort of moved my glove to the left to catch the ball sort of in front of him. But I guarantee you - had I not made the play, the kid would have dropped the ball down into the visitors bullpen. He didn't have a glove, and this ball came in hot. It was a long throw. No way he would have grabbed it with his bare hands.

I was fully deserving of that ball. I took it out of my glove, paused for a quick second, then instinctually… I handed the ball to the kid. He and his parents standing behind him were incredibly grateful, but what the $%@! was I thinking?? Children have become my sworn enemies in the ballhawking game! They steal ALL the opportunities from the grown-ups. I regret the move 100%, especially because I ended up having to buy a game-used ball that day. Was it just my natural instinct to be a nice guy? I suppose the big-hearted Iron Man would have done the same thing… but I'm not even trying to compare myself to Cal Ripken Jr.

Disappointed in my own generosity and slightly sunbaked from the outfield, I looped around the ballpark to my seat behind home plate and settled in for the game.

The Orioles had a lot to be playing for as the postseason was near. And what better way to pick up some easy wins than by hosting the Chicago White Sox - a team on pace for the worst season record in modern MLB history. Simply put… the Orioles are good, and the White Sox are downright terrible. The visiting team came into this game having lost 10 straight, which is actually somewhat typical for them. Spoiler alert: the streak was extended to 11. Although the White Sox did hold a lead for the first few innings - they produced two runs off three hits in the top of the 1st. Orioles slugger Gunnar Henderson hit a home run in the bottom of the 1st, and then in the 3rd they scored two more to take the lead 3-2. In the 5th, the Orioles extended the lead to 5-2. And then in the 6th, the White Sox gave up two walks followed by four straight hits (one of them a triple by Orioles infielder Emmanuel Rivera). That got another six runs on the board for Baltimore, and they led 11-3. The White Sox found a way to score one more in the top of the 8th, but the Orioles countered with a two-run homer off the bat off Cedric Mullins in the bottom of the 8th. Final score: Orioles 13, White Sox 3.

It was the 108th loss of the season for Chicago, and still with 23 games left to play. I don't mean to beat a team when they're down, but good or bad, the overall performance of the White Sox this season has been historic in the worst way. Of course, I will remember the 2024 MLB season as the greatest of my life for visiting all 30 ballparks. Many other baseball fans, media, and the like will remember it as the season where the White Sox had the worst win-loss record of all time. It will be remembered as a remarkable feat - remarkably bad, no doubt - but even still. And fitting for this post, given that we've covered another one of baseball’s most outstanding records. But of course, I wouldn't even dare to compare the 2024 White Sox to Cal Ripken Jr.

Extra Innings

My swing through Baltimore was less than 24 hours. I went to a baseball game and hung out in my hotel room - that's about it. The Lord Baltimore Hotel was a surprisingly affordable option for the overnight stay ($116.17 total) given its 3.5 star rating and central downtown location. I had some suspicion that it could be a historic place, but perhaps hadn’t been completely upheld in its grandeur over the decades. That turned out to be true, but not to an extreme. The building was gorgeous - built in the late 1920s, and at the time Maryland's largest building. It was an architectural standout, and most of the Italian and French Renaissance elements are maintained to this day. You notice them prominently when you enter the grand lobby.

Throughout the mid-20th century the Lord Baltimore was frequented by celebrities and dignitaries. But here's what I found that was of particular interest - in 1958, the MLB All-Star game was held in Baltimore. The color barrier in baseball had been broken over a decade earlier, but African-American MLB players were still being shut out of many places as they traveled from city to city. Baltimore had a local ordinance that disallowed African-Americans from staying at most hotels, but in ‘58, the owners of the Lord Baltimore defied that ordinance and welcomed All-Stars Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Frank Robinson as guests. Of course, I knew none of this when I booked the room - I just wanted something clean, close, and affordable. But I was delighted to learn more about the hotel’s history and ties back to baseball. Could it possibly be that room #919 was once occupied by Hammerin’ Hank??

So there's a very slim chance I spent the night in the same space once occupied by a baseball legend. But even if true, that certainly would be where the comparison ends.

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Next stop: September 3, New York