Another sign of summer winding down is the end of the baseball season. I live about a seven-minute walk from Oriole Park at Camden Yards and Ravens Stadium, both in the heart of downtown Baltimore. 
Camden Yards is a great "old-fashioned" stadium, very intimate and warm and nestled into the surrounding community (unlike Ravens Stadium, next door).
Camden Yards is a great "old-fashioned" stadium, very intimate and warm and nestled into the surrounding community (unlike Ravens Stadium, next door). 
The eastern part of the stadium is a quarter-mile long, and 25-foot wide warehouse, once used a part of the B&O railroad system and now used as office space for the Orioles and other businesses. You can see the warehouse on the right side of the image above, which was taken by the pilot of this balloon.
As the Orioles play out the last few games of the season, the crowds dwindle and the atmosphere becomes very casual. 
Before we went into the game (a twilight double-header, the second half of which started at 8:30 p.m.), we wandered around the Plaza of Champions to look at the statue of Babe Ruth and the retired numbers of former Orioles, including Cal Ripken, Jr. and Eddie Murray. 
Amazingly, it's been 13 years since Cal broke Lou Gehrig's consective games streak at 2131. And if you can't guess, I am a huge Cal Ripken fan.
Before we went into the game (a twilight double-header, the second half of which started at 8:30 p.m.), we wandered around the Plaza of Champions to look at the statue of Babe Ruth and the retired numbers of former Orioles, including Cal Ripken, Jr. and Eddie Murray. Amazingly, it's been 13 years since Cal broke Lou Gehrig's consective games streak at 2131. And if you can't guess, I am a huge Cal Ripken fan.One of the interesting facts about Camden Yards is that it was built in the exact same place as the tavern that Babe Ruth's father owned in the early 1900's. The house where he grew up is just a few blocks from the baseball park and is now a small museum.
Soon enough, the 2008 baseball season will be just a memory and we can look forward to a better season next year.
Fantastic pictures. My husband and I are going to the last game of the season this Sunday.
ReplyDeletePleeeeeeease let the O's be better next year! And opening against the Yankees should start things out with a bang!
ReplyDeleteIn 2002, they opened against the Yankees, had a grand slam and just to make the day even better, UMaryland won the NCAA Hoops final that night. WHEW!!!
I hope the O's play better next year. I know that sounds weird coming from a Yankees fan, but I live here now and I'd like to catch a few more winning games. I'm going to miss baseball season. My husband and I went to 27 games this year and hopefully we can go to even more next year.
ReplyDeleteI love Cal Ripken, too. And when I was a kid, there were a couple of years where I did all of my book reports on Babe Ruth. When I first started reading your blog, it was partly because I wanted to read more about his hometown.
ReplyDeleteMama... I should go over to the Babe Ruth House and do a post about that, just for you!
ReplyDeleteI love the story about his father's tavern and camden yards.
Did you see Babe's daughter at the Yankees game on Sunday? Read Heidi's blog for a first-hand account of it.
Nothing is better or more American then a great baseball game! I go just for the hot dogs and beer!
ReplyDeletePorter... I actually had a gin & tonic and some nachos! Doesn't sound very all-American, does it?
ReplyDeleteGreat photos--Baltimore looks so pretty! It sounds like you had a fine evening.
ReplyDeleteI hope the O's keep Brian Roberts, he's one of the reasons I go to the games!
ReplyDeleteFirst a post about the coming of fall, now a post about the ending of the baseball season. It's all a little sad. Good bye, summer.
ReplyDelete