"Man, I hate the f**king Yankees."
Those were the words spoken, straight from the mouth of one passing Baltimore Orioles fan to another, mere moments after I bought my ticket from the box office Tuesday evening, a few feet away from the Eutaw Street entrance to Oriole Park at Camden Yards. And, immediately, I felt a strange sense of belonging; that I was, in a way, at home.
As I made my way south down Eutaw St., walking between the marvelous baseball amphitheatre and once-upon-a-time B&O (Baltimore & Ohio Railroad) Warehouse, and then around Oriole Park on Russell Street, I was engulfed in what seemed to be a Yankees fans' invasion. They had followed me from New York. Finally, upon arriving at Baltimore's infamous Pickles Pub on Washington Boulevard, directly across Russell St. north of the ballpark, there I was, a neutral party amongst a sea of orange and pinstripes.
But I wasn't about to get my Switzerland on. At approximately 5:30 pm Tuesday evening I decided that for one night, and one night only, I would be a Baltimore Orioles fan.
The Baltimore Baseball Experience
If you ever venture south to Maryland to watch an Orioles game, here's your first tip: head to the ballpark early. You've got no excuse; you're in Baltimore. Grab some seafood for lunch at one of the many Inner Harbour area restaurants, and aim to be at the park around 5:00 pm. Washington Blvd. is the spot, and pick your poison: Pickles Pub and/or Sliders Bar & Grille. Outside each venue are huge patios where you can hang out, although it's standing room only because by 6:00 pm both are packed. For your convenience, bars are set up on the patios as well; you don't have to venture far to grab the next round. They are both quality spots where you can easily spend a couple of hours, enjoying your favourite adult beverages before the game. Two blocks northwest of Oriole Park, on Pratt Street, you'll find Camden Pub, another popular local watering hole. I didn't venture that far; I'm easily satisfied, and Pickles Pub and Sliders Bar & Grille scratch right where itch.
For my history buffs: even closer to Camden Yards, on Emory Street, a block north of Washington Blvd., you'll find the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum. Again, I didn't make it that far. Now, I know Ruth is a baseball legend; a local Baltimorean, his statue stands outside Oriole Park. And while I certainly do appreciate baseball history, Ruth goes a little too far back in time for me to visit his museum. I've been thinking about it, and, in what I hope will make an interesting future column, I'm curious as to which players, in the shadow of The Steroid Era, will be immortalized in statue form outside the new ballparks that will be built over the next 25 to 30 years.
Back to business. Full disclosure: I've been to Oriole Park at Camden Yards before. Two years ago, to watch the Orioles entertain my Toronto Blue Jays. Upon walking into Pickles Pub on that first visit, decked out in my powder blue Toronto jersey and black Blue Jays cap (majestically curved and without its sticker, I might add), an Orioles fan, absolutely dumbfounded, stopped my buddy Dean and I and said: "Wow. I thought you guys were unicorns."
What I love dearly about the Orioles baseball experience is the setup on Washington Blvd. A couple of great pubs and, in between the stadium and the bars, tents where you can buy peanuts, bottled soda, cheeseburgers, sausages, and even crab cakes. It's all right there; literally two minutes from the ballpark. All you've got to do is cross the street. That, my friends, is exactly what Toronto lacks. Sure, there's now a St. Louis Bar and Grill on the ground floor of a new condo across the street from the Rogers Centre, but it's a St. Louis; a franchise. It's got no baseball atmosphere, no baseball charm, and no connection to the Toronto Blue Jays. Pickles Pub, Sliders Bar & Grille, and even Camden Pub, are certified Baltimore Orioles institutions.
