Oriole Park at Camden Yards Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===Renovations=== After the [[2008 Major League Baseball season|2008 season]], a new HD video display and scoreboard were installed below the right field flag court, a standing-room area between the warehouse and the right field wall. A new, high fidelity sound reinforcement system was added around the ballpark in [[2009 Major League Baseball season|2009]]. The Orioles made numerous improvements to their home ballpark and to their spring training facility, [[Ed Smith Stadium]], before the start of the [[2011 Major League Baseball season|2011 season]]. All seats in the lower seating bowl were replaced and drink rails were added in the club level. Several skyboxes were also eliminated and refurbished to make room for more casual party suites, including the Miller Light Flight Deck. The renovation reduced Oriole Park's capacity from 48,876 to 45,971, making it more comparable with newer ballparks. During the 2011–12 off-season, the Orioles announced further upgrades to Camden Yards in preparation for the 20th anniversary of the park's opening. These improvements included the expansion of concession food choices, widening of the concourses in the upper deck, the installation of a replica of the [[B & O Railroad|B&O Railway]] Warehouse's original canopy, and the addition of a lounge atop the [[batter's eye]] in center field, which had previously been inaccessible to fans. All fans are permitted to access the standing area of the lounge and fans can purchase tickets for drink rail seats. The Orioles also opened Dempsey’s Bar and Grill, named for beloved longtime Orioles catcher and TV broadcaster [[Rick Dempsey]], on the ground level of the warehouse that is open before games and on non-game days. The team also erected cast-bronze statues of all the Oriole [[National Baseball Hall of Fame|Baseball Hall of Famers]] in the picnic area beyond the bullpens in left-center field.<ref name="baltimore.orioles.mlb.com"/> Furthermore, the right field wall was lowered from {{convert|25|ft}} to {{convert|21|ft}} to improve the view of the field from Eutaw Street. ====Blocked skyline views==== In 2007–08 construction started on two large buildings beyond the stadium's outfield walls—a 757-room [[Hilton Baltimore]] hotel north of the stadium occupying a two-city-block area and a high-rise apartment building, both completed in 2009—which have blocked views of the city's skyline from most sections of the grandstand. ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'' said on April 21, 2008, "There's just a glimpse of the [[Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Tower|Bromo Seltzer Tower]]'s crenellated top just to the right of the new Hilton Baltimore Convention Center hotel ... something's drastically different at Oriole Park this year ... the sweeping view of downtown Baltimore that fans have enjoyed for the past 16 seasons has changed considerably."<ref name=Gunts08>{{cite news |first=Edward|last=Gunts|title=Going, Going, Gone|newspaper=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|date=April 21, 2008|page=C1}}</ref> Sportswriter [[Peter Schmuck]] complained, "the big, antiseptic convention hotel ... looms over Camden Yards ... [and] has blocked out the best part of the Baltimore skyline".<ref>{{cite news |author=Schmuck, Peter |author-link=Peter Schmuck |title=First Word|newspaper=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|date=July 17, 2008|page=3Z}}</ref> A ''[[Washington Post]]'' columnist called it a "cruel cubist joke on a previously perfect ballpark", although others said they were pleased with new construction downtown as indicative of urban revitalization.<ref name=Gunts08 /> ====Changes in field dimensions==== In January 2022, Orioles general manager Mike Elias announced adjustments to Camden Yards' left field dimensions in an attempt to reduce the stadium's propensity for home runs. The changes—the first to the size of the iconic ballpark’s playing area in two decades—raised the wall's height from {{convert|7|ft|m}} to about {{convert|13|ft|m}} and moved it back as much as {{convert|26+1/2|ft|m}}, according to information provided by the team. The new configuration resulted in the elimination of the first 10 rows of outfield bleacher seats in sections 72–86, resulting in a net reduction of about 1,100 seats. Major League Baseball approved the adjustments, which cover the area from the left-field corner to the bullpens in left-center field.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ruiz|first=Nathan|title=Orioles altering Camden Yards' left-field dimensions amid ballpark's historic home run binge|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-alter-camden-yards-left-field-dimensions-20220111-s2fesn2obrcqtmmjamgckml76m-story.html|access-date=2022-01-12|website=Baltimore Sun|date=11 January 2022}}</ref> As of 2020, Camden Yards' {{convert|333|ft|m|adj=on}} distance from home plate to the left-field corner was about average for the 30 major league stadiums, though its {{convert|364|ft|m|adj=on}} distance to left-center was the sixth-shortest in the league. In addition, Oriole Park was one of only eight ballparks with a wall shorter than 8 feet in left and had the shortest wall in left-center field of any venue. The new left-field wall is tied for the sixth-tallest in the majors. The new dimensions to straight away left ({{convert|384|ft|m}}) and left-center ({{convert|398|ft|m}}) make Oriole Park's left field the most spacious in the American League. However, the salient created by the bullpens results in an unusual sight on a modern baseball field—a reduction in dimensions as one moves from left field toward center field. The left-center field dimension marked to the immediate left of the bullpens is 398 feet, while the left-center field dimension marked on the bullpens' wall is 376 feet. This creates a hypothetical scenario in which a batter could hit a longer non-homerun to left field than homerun to left-center field, if the latter is hit into the bullpens.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ruiz |first=Nathan |title=Orioles altering Camden Yards' left-field dimensions amid ballpark's historic home run binge |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-alter-camden-yards-left-field-dimensions-20220111-s2fesn2obrcqtmmjamgckml76m-story.html |access-date=2022-01-12 |website=Baltimore Sun|date=11 January 2022}}</ref> The club informed its season-ticket holders in the affected sections of the changes. Although fans who typically sit in those locations will be farther from the infield and home plate, they will remain as close as they were to the field of play. As part of this process, the orange seat honoring franchise icon Cal Ripken Jr.'s 278th home run to set the MLB record for home runs by a shortstop will be moved and used as part of the Oriole Park Exhibit for the ballpark's 30th anniversary celebration.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Data calls plate-blocking rule change a win for pro baseball players|doi=10.21203/rs.2.17276/v1|doi-access=free}}</ref> ====B&O Warehouse==== {{Main|Baltimore & Ohio Warehouse at Camden Yards}} [[File:Oriole Park Baltimore.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Right field and the former [[Baltimore & Ohio Warehouse at Camden Yards]] ]] [[File:EutawSt.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1|B&O Warehouse and Eutaw Street before a September 2013 game]] The stadium planners incorporated the warehouse into the architecture of the ballpark experience rather than demolish or truncate it. The floors of the warehouse contain offices, service spaces, and a private club. The warehouse has never been hit by a legal home run during regulation play. However, several players have reportedly struck the wall during batting practice,<ref>{{cite news|last=Connolly|first=Dan|title=O's power trip leads to Eutaw Street|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-xpm-2010-05-11-bs-sp-orioles-eutaw-street-20100510-story.html|access-date=April 9, 2020|newspaper=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|date=May 11, 2010}}</ref> and it was hit by [[Ken Griffey Jr.]] during the [[Home Run Derby (Major League Baseball)|Home Run Derby]] associated with the [[1993 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1993 MLB All-Star Game]]. ====Eutaw Street==== Eutaw Street, between the stadium and the warehouse, is closed to vehicular traffic. Along this street, spectators can get a view of the game or visit the many shops and restaurants that line the thoroughfare, including former Oriole star [[Boog Powell]]'s outdoor barbecue stand. On game days, pedestrians must have a ticket in order to walk on the part of Eutaw Street adjacent to the stadium; however, on non-game days the street is open to all, while access to the stadium is gated. Sections 90–98, called Eutaw Street palace, are located not in the stadium, but adjacent to Eutaw Street, with the seats descending toward the outfield below. If a game sells out, fans may purchase reduced-price "[[standing-room only]]" tickets, which entitle them to enter Eutaw Street and watch the game from two designated standing areas (in the left field bullpen area or above the scoreboard in right field). Many home run balls have landed on Eutaw Street, and the Orioles organization has marked the spots with small baseball-shaped bronze plaques embedded in the street, though it sometimes takes up to a year for each homer to get a plaque. As of 2023, there have been 120 homers have cleared the flag court to land on Eutaw Street. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mlb.com/orioles/ballpark/information/eutaw-street | title=Eutaw Street | Baltimore Orioles | website=[[MLB.com]] }}</ref> The first home run to reach Eutaw Street was hit by [[Mickey Tettleton]] of the [[1992 Detroit Tigers season|Detroit Tigers]] on April 20, 1992.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3CoDAAAAMBAJ&q=mickey+tettleton+baseball+digest&pg=PA33|title=Mammoth Homers by Active Longball Hitters Recalled|last=Stewart|first=Wayne|publisher=Lakeside Publishing Company|location=Evanston, Illinois|date=May 1993|work=Baseball Digest|access-date=March 9, 2011}}</ref> The longest in-game home run to land on Eutaw Street was a towering 462 foot shot by [[Gunnar Henderson]] of the [[2023 Baltimore Orioles season|Orioles]] on June 11, 2023. However, the only player to ever hit the [[Baltimore & Ohio Warehouse at Camden Yards]] on the fly is [[Ken Griffey Jr]] of the [[Seattle Mariners]], who accomplished the 465-foot clout as part of the 1993 HomeRun Derby. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mlb.com/cut4/ken-griffey-jr-homers-off-warehouse-at-camden-yards-c284814602 | title=Home Run Derby hero Ken Griffey Jr. Is still the only player to ever homer off the Camden Yards warehouse | website=[[MLB.com]] | date=12 July 2018 }}</ref> The June 29, 2012 game against the [[2012 Cleveland Indians season|Cleveland Indians]] was only the second time multiple home runs have landed on Eutaw Street in a single game. The first occurrence was during the April 11, 1997 game against the [[1997 Texas Rangers season|Texas Rangers]] when [[Rafael Palmeiro]] hit two home runs which landed on Eutaw Street. The single season record for home runs landing on Eutaw Street is eight, set in 2008.<ref>{{cite news|last=Connolly|first=Dan|title=The Year of the Eutaw Street Homer Continues|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-the-year-of-the-eutaw-street-homer-continues-20120629,0,4488067.story|access-date=June 30, 2012|newspaper=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|date=June 29, 2012}}</ref> Major League Baseball's official website, MLB.com, publishes an updated list of Eutaw Street on the Orioles webpage.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mlb.com/orioles/ballpark/information/eutaw-street#all-time-list | title=Eutaw Street | Baltimore Orioles | website=[[MLB.com]] }}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page