Column by Scott German
Absolutely a no-brainer, Baltimore is a great baseball town. Taking its place along the likes of St. Louis, New York, Boston, Detroit and a few others. A city where its legends are known simply by their first names or nicknames. Cal, Eddie, Frank, Brooks, “The Earl” and “Cakes.” As in Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray, Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Earl Weaver and Jim Palmer.
The Orioles hail from “The Land of Pleasant Living,” where the team even has its own unofficial beer, National Bohemian, or simply “Natty Boh” in Charm City.
When Brooks Robinson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983, a local Associated Press writer, Gordon Beard, put Baltimore baseball in perspective. “In New York, they named a candy bar after superstar Reggie Jackson, in Baltimore we name our children for Brooks Robinson.”
In 1988 the Orioles lost their first 21 games to open the season. After consecutive loss number 21 in Minnesota, the O’s then returned home for a mid-week game against Chicago, which drew over 51,000 fans to Memorial Stadium. The O’s ended the losing streak with a 9-0 blanking of the White Sox. The fans came to the almost non-significant late April game to simply say “welcome home, this is our town and you are our team.”
Today the Orioles call Oriole Park at Camden Yards home, located in Baltimore’s revitalized Inner Harbor. The team regularly plays in front of capacity crowds in a stadium that most experts agree is the best place in the majors to watch our “National Pastime.”
In case you haven’t heard, after a decade-long dark period of losing baseball, “The birds are back.” Two playoff appearances in the last three years, home to some of the game’s most iconic stars, Baltimore Orioles baseball is tradition, inviting, affordable, best of all a day trip away from the Shenandoah Valley.
If distance were a concern, we give you the Washington Nationals.
There was a time when the Orioles didn’t just belong to Baltimore, they were Washington’s team as well. That’s not an opinion, that’s a fact, as the Orioles often attracted as many as 30% of its season attendance from the District of Columbia and its surrounding suburbs of Maryland and Virginia.
Washingtonians had other ideas about the district being “Birdland.” They wanted their own team! Realizing the high interest in the Orioles, they thought there would be plenty of interest to support two big-league clubs.
Washington had its own team for 70 years, two separate franchises to be exact. Playing in both Griffith Stadium and Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, respectively, both teams bolted town for greener pastures. In 1971 the Washington Senators relocated to the Dallas suburbs becoming the Texas Rangers.
Still, when the Montreal Expos moved to DC to become the Nationals, skepticism abound as to the logic of such a move. Could the area support two major league teams with a mere 30 miles of separation? Especially when the District had certainly become deeply rooted to the Orioles. The Orioles had an official team store located on Farragut Square, a hub of Downtown DC. Washington’s most-listened-to radio station was part of the Orioles Radio Network, and local television station WDCA was a vital player in the Orioles Television Network.
So when baseball returned to the nation’s capital in 2005, an uphill battle ensued. Not only did the Nationals organization have to attract its own fan base, they had to convince the long -tanding local Oriole fan base to give the Nats a look-see.
Well, ten years removed, and all concerns have been erased. The 2014 season saw both Washington and Baltimore attract over 2.5 million fans each. Both clubs have solid TV and radio networks, merchandising sales by each team are among tops in the majors. Not discounting winning, as each team tasted victory 96 times each year, both resulting in divisional titles, a strong foundation has been constructed by both teams’ general managers.
Baltimore GM Dan Duqette has built the Orioles on the basis of a “one brick at a time” framework. Trading aging veterans for other teams’ prospects, developing a solid farm system and investing into a global scouting system. The team has players at both the major and minor leagues that are from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Cuba, Puerto Rica and Canada. In 2014 Taiwan native Wei-Yin Chen led the O’s in pitching with 16 wins. Baltimore has led the major leagues in defensive fielding for the past two seasons establishing an all-time record for defensive efficiency both years. Three-time all-star Adam Jones anchors center field, while the Orioles practically have a Gold Glove infield.
Manny Machado and JJ Hardy anchor third and short for the Orioles, each winning Gold Gloves. First baseman Chris Davis belted 55 homers during the 2013 campaign. Baltimore is managed by one of game’s most respected field generals, Buck Showalter.
Mike Rizzo, the Washington GM, has done an equally impressive job inside the beltway. The Nats have some of the game’s most recognizable faces. Young stars like Bryce Harper, pitching ace Stephen Strasburg, and slick fielding Ian Desmond. Washington made one of the games largest splashes into the free-agent waters this off season signing pitcher Max Scherzer to a multimillion-dollar seven-year deal.
The Nationals most recognized face is University of Virginia alum Ryan Zimmerman, who has been with the team since its inaugural 2005 campaign. Having anchored third base for the first nine years of his career, Zim makes the move to the right side of the diamond and will begin playing first base on Opening Day. Washington captured the National League Eastern Division by 17 games last year and appear poised to duplicate that feat this year.
The club’s homes, Nationals Park and Oriole Park at Camden Yards, are among the most fan-friendly in the major leagues. Nationals Park in Southeast Washington is just over a mile south of the United States Capitol. Restaurants and businesses sprout for blocks around the park. The region’s subway system known as the Metro is the best way to access the stadium.
Oriole Park at Camden Yards, simply referred to as Camden Yards, is in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. The ballpark changed baseball forever when it opened in 1992. On September 6, 1995, Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig’s record of 2,130 consecutive games played, and hit a home run during that game. Camden Yards is surrounded by pubs, restaurants, and is just a long fly ball from the birthplace of Babe Ruth. Ruth’s father operated a saloon in what is now shallow center field of the stadium.
Both the Orioles and the Nationals offer affordable family-friendly ticket prices. Baltimore Orioles tickets can be obtained at Orioles.com or by calling 1-800-250-2525. Washington Nationals tickets are available at Nationals.com or at 1-202-675-NATS (6287).
The Augusta Free Press Beltway Report will be a regular column for quality Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals news, analysis, stats, and opinions from the fan perspective. Heck, from time to time, we may even discuss the other teams in the Majors! After all, we do need to have something to talk about between UVA football season and UVA basketball season!
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