Cheer the Oriole Way

Before every Orioles home game, PA announcer Ryan Wagner congratulates and reminds Baltimore that we have the “best fans in baseball,” and to be courteous to those around you. If you have gone to any games this season, you know exactly what shpiel I’m talking about.

And as the Orioles sit idle here tonight, we have some time for reflection before the final homestand of the year begins against the rival Red Sox.

After many complaints of low attendance despite the Orioles having their most successful season in 15 years, fans finally packed the Yard against the Yankees. The stadium sold out two of those four games, including the Sept. 6^th matchup in which the Orioles honored Cal Ripken, Jr. for his years of consistent service to the franchise.  A few days later against the Rays, however, attendance did not even reach 30,000. The Orioles even encouraged fans to come out by offering tickets for only $4 and $8.

Yes, many fans jumped on the opportunity for cheap seats, me included. And yes, those cheap seats sold out in an instant. If only the entire stadium was as full as the left-and-right field bleachers. If you were at any of the Rays games, you saw the numerous sections on the Upper and Club levels that were nearly empty.
When the gates opened at 5pm, a sea of orange and black began to storm Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Most people began to gravitate towards the courtyard beyond the visitors’ bullpen area, where the festivities were about to begin. Within 20 minutes, there was no room to move. Standing room only was an understatement. There were people looking over the edge from the upper deck, people gathered together on the new deck in center field, and even more trying to look over each other’s heads to get a glimpse at the podium ahead of them. In the minutes prior to the start of Cal Ripken, Jr.’s ceremony, many Orioles players rode on golf carts around the stadium to watch a Baltimore legend become immortalized in bronze.

The ceremony went much as everyone had expected. Gary Thorne provided his usual insight, with a slightly comedic and dramatic tone. Brady Anderson told his own quirky stories, dropping a few off-color remarks in the meantime. Billy Ripken gave a rousing speech about Oriole baseball, and the Ripken Way. Then, ironically enough, just as Cal took the stage, Alex Rodriguez stepped into the batting cage for the Yankees. Cal spoke in his usual mild-mannered way, encouraging Baltimore to get behind their Orioles, and support the “Oriole Way.” It was the perfect start to what Orioles fans knew would be a memorable night.