Baltimore’s Camden Yards is a Modern Classic

Baseball is my favorite sport, and one of the things I love about it is how each field is different in ways both obvious and subtle. You can go to a game at Yankee Stadium or at the local indie league park, every stadium has its own feel. Unlike most other major sport, the fields even have different dimensions depending on where you play. The pace of the game, derided by some, allows for the surroundings to be a greater part of the experience. I visit every new baseball stadium that I can, in the major or minor leagues, and I’ve never been disappointed. Thus, I’m definitely hoping to post to this feature as often as I can! Today, we’ll take a tour of Camden Yards.

The Park

Camden Yards (full name “Oriole Park at Camden Yards”, but no one calls it that) is probably the most influential major league baseball stadium built in the past fifty years. Opening in 1992, It was the first of the “modern retro” stadiums, which take inspiration from the history of the sport but have all the modern amenities. Located in downtown Baltimore, just a few blocks from the beautiful Inner Harbor, Camden Yards is the home to the Baltimore Orioles. The ballpark’s signature feature is the old brick B&O Railway warehouse (built 1899) beyond right field, which is built into the structure of the stadium.

The most famous moment at Camden Yards came in 1995, when Orioles “Iron Man” Cal Ripken, Jr. broke the Major League record for most consecutive games played, an event remembered as giving baseball some much-needed good press after the 1994 players’ strike. That season Ripken’s streak was marked by a large sign on the Warehouse, with a number being ceremoniously removed in the fifth inning when each game became official. The Warehouse has never been hit by a home run during a game, though Ken Griffey, Jr., famously managed it during the 1993 All-Star Game Home Run Derby.

Getting There

Camden Yards’ location in Downtown Baltimore means that if you’re driving, you’ll be paying for a downtown parking garage. Fortunately, the stadium is one of the most convenient in the Majors in terms of public transit, with one of Baltimore’s light rail lines letting out directly outside the gate. If you do have to walk from further away, this is one of those ballparks where the area around the stadium is an integral part of the experience. Just outside is the pedestrianized Eutaw Street, lined with shops and restaurants and much frequented during games. Also next to the stadium is a museum dedicated to maybe the biggest baseball star ever, Babe Ruth, who of course became famous playing for the New York Yankees but was born and grew up in Baltimore.

Experience

I’ve been to two games at Camden Yards and there were great atmospheres at both. The Orioles are an integral part of Baltimore culture, whether they are good or… not that good. Among the unique traditions are the fans yelling out the “Oh” during the line “Oh say can you see” from the National Anthem (the Orioles are often referred to as “The O’s” for short). Like most modern baseball stadiums, there aren’t any “bad seats.” In fact, this was probably the first Major League stadium with every seat angled toward the infield, which has since become standard practice.

As the first of the “modern” stadiums, Camden Yards hasn’t quite perfected the genre, though: much of the outer concourse feels dominated by concrete, and unlike many of the fields influenced by Camden Yards, you can see the field from very few places inside the stadium that aren’t seats.

Concessions

The most famous food at Camden Yards is the barbecue, which is available from several different stands. The best known is called “Boog’s” and is run by former Orioles star Boog Powell.

There is a lot of really good local beer available throughout the stadium, as well. Locals swear by “Natty Boh” (short for “National Bohemian”), but what I love is that this may be the only stadium in the Majors where the roving beer vendors will sell you Flying Dog at your seat.

My Take

There is something about a game at Camden Yards that really is a special experience that every baseball fan should have once. At night, the stadium lights shine on the brick of the Warehouse, the dark green walls, and the hand-operated scoreboard in right field, and it feels like it really could be 1935 and Babe Ruth could be striding to the plate. Never mind that the place wasn’t even built until the 90s, and for that matter the Orioles weren’t even a team until the 50s.

The combination of architecture, atmosphere, location, and the history that has already occurred there combine to give a sense of timelessness to Camden Yards. I would recommend Camden Yards to any baseball fan.