BALLPARKS
BALLPARKS
Now this is how it’s done. First opening in 1992, this is the first “retro” ballpark that inspired all of the parks built since. It’s old-fashioned look in a downtown industrial area (near the train yard) that actually incorporates the old B&O Warehouse (built in 1898 - and the “longest” building on the East Coast) into the ballpark in right field.
Kim was on spring break from her teaching job, and we decided visit her cousins Meltem & Dan Priest in northern Virginia. After much sightseeing in the DC area, Dan recommended we check out the new ballpark. It was Tampa Bay vs. Baltimore. Not that it mattered much.
On my way in to the park, we ran into a bit of traffic. Downtown Baltimore can be quite busy. Fortunately, not all cities provide such interesting sites as Baltimore. While waiting, I was able to gaze upon that beautiful monolith... The World’s Largest Trashcan. Amazing. Sniff, sniff. Teardrop.
Anyway, back to the park. The integration of the old and new is quite amazing. It feels like a new park, yet like it has been there for years and years. Now it is a bit of fraud if you look at it philosophically, but the experience is one that “feels” very authentic. And I’m buying it.
Other parks will follow in it’s footsteps, no doubt (such as Petco). But this was the one that really made other cities envious of it’s retro look.
And to top it off, Cal Ripkin Jr. (who I met in High School at Disneyland on the Disneyland Creativity Challenge) got his 5000th base. Sweet.
**All photos on this page taken on film
Baltimore Orioles - Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Friday, April 13, 2001