15. Camden Yards
The second stop on my 2012 East Coast baseball road trip was Baltimore. Mike & I arrived in the city late on June 12 after the Nationals game and stayed in a hotel within walking distance of Camden Yards.
The next day we touristy things in Baltimore. We went to the Baltimore Aquarium. Then we got out of the heat by spending several hours in National Pinball Museum, which sadly has apparently closed but was a fantastic place to play pinball while learning about historically relevant games (really). We met up with Tony (fraternity brother), Sara (his girlfriend), Astrid (college friend) and her boyfriend (Chris?) at Pickles Pub before moving into what is widely regarded as one of the very best baseball stadiums around. It was cloudy that night and sporadic light showers hit our seats in the outfield. This didn't slow down the game, which was a taut pitching duel leading to a 2-1 Orioles victory over the Nationals.
Camden Yards opened in 1992, and its success launched the baseball stadium rebuilding era that is just now starting to ebb. In particular, it is arguably the finest specimen of the retro-classic ballpark genre. I've been to ten of the twelve in that genre, and it's certainly by far the nicest of those ten. It kicked off some trends like incorporating pieces of existing structures into the new park. The B&O Warehouse is out in center field next to the last little piece of Eutaw Street (with Boog's BBQ), and it looks pretty sweet when you're up close to it. Both the street (which is not publicly accessible) and the warehouse wall have little plaques embedded in them where particularly memorable home runs have landed, which is a nice touch. You can see the city of Baltimore outside the park pretty much wherever you look.
Honestly, I'm not going to claim noticed much more than that. I was with friends I hadn't seen in many, many years, I'd had several beers, and the game was really good. Compared to all that, walking around the park to check out the details was inconsequential. If I ever go back (and I hope I do) I'll check it out further, but even without a deep look I rate this park highly just because the vibe was so overwhelmingly positive.
Park Rankings
RankParkTeamFirst Visit# Visits
1 Wrigley FieldChicago CubsApril 23, 20042
2 PNC ParkPittsburgh PiratesSeptember 25, 20042
3 Jacobs FieldCleveland IndiansApril 17, 199963
4 Miller ParkMilwaukee BrewersApril 24, 20041
5Camden YardsBaltimore OriolesJune 22, 20121
6 Yankee Stadium (original)New York YankeesJuly 28, 20061
7 Comerica ParkDetroit TigersJuly 31, 20041
8 Turner FieldAtlanta BravesMay 5, 20071
9 Nationals ParkWashington NationalsJune 21, 20121
10 Rogers CentreToronto Blue JaysMay 21, 20051
11 Cinergy FieldCincinnati RedsAugust 8, 19984
12 The MetrodomeMinnesota TwinsJune 22, 19923
13 Shea StadiumNew York MetsJuly 24, 20061
14 Great American Ball ParkCincinnati RedsMay 9, 20041
15 U.S. Cellular FieldChicago White SoxApril 25, 20041
Background: Prologue Memory Interlude
The next day we touristy things in Baltimore. We went to the Baltimore Aquarium. Then we got out of the heat by spending several hours in National Pinball Museum, which sadly has apparently closed but was a fantastic place to play pinball while learning about historically relevant games (really). We met up with Tony (fraternity brother), Sara (his girlfriend), Astrid (college friend) and her boyfriend (Chris?) at Pickles Pub before moving into what is widely regarded as one of the very best baseball stadiums around. It was cloudy that night and sporadic light showers hit our seats in the outfield. This didn't slow down the game, which was a taut pitching duel leading to a 2-1 Orioles victory over the Nationals.
Camden Yards opened in 1992, and its success launched the baseball stadium rebuilding era that is just now starting to ebb. In particular, it is arguably the finest specimen of the retro-classic ballpark genre. I've been to ten of the twelve in that genre, and it's certainly by far the nicest of those ten. It kicked off some trends like incorporating pieces of existing structures into the new park. The B&O Warehouse is out in center field next to the last little piece of Eutaw Street (with Boog's BBQ), and it looks pretty sweet when you're up close to it. Both the street (which is not publicly accessible) and the warehouse wall have little plaques embedded in them where particularly memorable home runs have landed, which is a nice touch. You can see the city of Baltimore outside the park pretty much wherever you look.
Honestly, I'm not going to claim noticed much more than that. I was with friends I hadn't seen in many, many years, I'd had several beers, and the game was really good. Compared to all that, walking around the park to check out the details was inconsequential. If I ever go back (and I hope I do) I'll check it out further, but even without a deep look I rate this park highly just because the vibe was so overwhelmingly positive.
Park Rankings
RankParkTeamFirst Visit# Visits
1 Wrigley FieldChicago CubsApril 23, 20042
2 PNC ParkPittsburgh PiratesSeptember 25, 20042
3 Jacobs FieldCleveland IndiansApril 17, 199963
4 Miller ParkMilwaukee BrewersApril 24, 20041
5Camden YardsBaltimore OriolesJune 22, 20121
6 Yankee Stadium (original)New York YankeesJuly 28, 20061
7 Comerica ParkDetroit TigersJuly 31, 20041
8 Turner FieldAtlanta BravesMay 5, 20071
9 Nationals ParkWashington NationalsJune 21, 20121
10 Rogers CentreToronto Blue JaysMay 21, 20051
11 Cinergy FieldCincinnati RedsAugust 8, 19984
12 The MetrodomeMinnesota TwinsJune 22, 19923
13 Shea StadiumNew York MetsJuly 24, 20061
14 Great American Ball ParkCincinnati RedsMay 9, 20041
15 U.S. Cellular FieldChicago White SoxApril 25, 20041
Background: Prologue Memory Interlude