Fourteen years, that's how long its been since the Baltimore Orioles last had a winning season. Its a very long time, I was 11 years old in 1997, I'm 26 now. So obviously all the years of losing and a very good football team right across the street attendance numbers are sure to take a hit. The one constant I always heard however is that as soon as they start winning again the fans will come back. Well, as I write this its August 21st and the Orioles are 10 games over .500 and own the second wild card spot. Yet during the last home stand their biggest crowd was 25,000 plus, well actually the paid attendance for Eddie Murray's statue game was 40,000 but a three hour rain delay chased people away. So Baltimore your O's are winning where are you?So lets get into to the excuses a lot of Orioles fans make. Maybe the most popular is its too much money. Now look the last thing I'm going to do is judge people on what they decide to do with their hard earned money and if you don't want to go that's fine but don't tell me its too expensive. The most expensive single game ticket is $65 and that's right behind home plate. A little steep yes but you don't have to sit behind home. A favorite spot of mine is the Center field seats, where the O's have the "2110 Eutaw Street" promotion. Tickets out there are $15. Now the one thing ill agree with most O's fans are the extra charges for tickets. For instance if you buy a ticket the day of the game its usually 4-6 dollars more than if you bought it a few days earlier, it might stop people from deciding a few hours before to go to the game. The second charge is for prime games (Red Sox and Yankees), however this happens at pretty much every ballpark so if you want to see the better teams you will have to pay. Still there are plenty of promotions and deals that should help you save a buck if you want to go to the ballpark.
Another popular complaint is the price of food and drinks at the game. Ill be the first to admit I think beer and food are way too expensive but nothing says you have to buy refreshments at the game. Oriole park may be the only ballpark that at least I know of that allows you to bring food and drinks into the ballpark. Of course there are restrictions but at least the give you the option. Another way to avoid the high prices at the game is real simple eat before you go. There are plenty of restaurants either in the Baltimore area or from where you are coming to eat at and save some money.
This is the only thing that I wont meet the Orioles fans half way on, not going to O's games because of who they are playing. Maybe 3 or 4 years ago, OK I get it but this year who cares who the Orioles are playing, you should be going to watch the Orioles, especially now. Adam Jones is having a career year, Manny Machado making his debut, Matt Wieters, JJ Hardy and the way this pitching staff is performing. There I gave you plenty of reasons to watch your own team, it shouldn't matter if the Rays or Royals or the Yankees are in the other dugout. In fact when they play lesser teams you should want to go more, better chance of seeing an Oriole victory.
One last thing I'll comment on is the ownership of the team. Now I work at a Baltimore radio station and have heard several fans say that as long as Peter Angelos is the owner they wont support the O's. Now I understand that the radio audience is a small portion of the entire Baltimore area but I tend to think a lot of people think that way. Angelos does not have a great track record as the O's owner but an owner alone shouldn't keep you away. Look right down the street, Dan Snyder might be the most hated owner in sports but Redskins fans still support the team. I know football and baseball are completely different but supporting your team is universal. Why would you deprive yourself of maybe witnessing something special because of your hate for a man I'm sure most of you have never met? Don't punish Jones, Wieters, Hardy, Markakis, Machado and others over something so silly.
It has been a long time since the O's won and maybe that's a large part of it. I understand it I just don't like it too much. The Orioles are averaging a little over 25,000 a game, which is actually about 4,000 above last years average and that's definitely something to be proud of. I guess just a large part of me aches for the day that a ticket to Oriole park is actually hard to get. I want 40,000 to be the rule more than the exception. I will also practice what I preach when the O's come back home I plan on going to a handful of games on that home stand. I just don't want to miss a moment of what might turn out to be a special season, hopefully the rest of Baltimore feels the same way and soon.
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