Remember the excitement when Camden Yards opened its gates 19 years ago? It was a beautiful baseball cathedral, combining modern day amenities with old-school charm and ushering in a new era in baseball. Goodbye cookie-cutter, multi-purpose stadiums. Hello expensive, eye-catching, baseball-only parks. The trend swept through the sport, with the Minnesota Twins being the latest team to join the club.
While Camden Yards certainly maintains its charms, the team has not, and attendance is reflecting that. Despite having some exciting young talent and facing off against the Tampa Bay Rays, another team with plenty of exciting young talent, the Orioles drew only 9,129 customers to Monday night’s game.
It was the smallest crowd in Camden Yards history but at least it had some star power, as it included Olympic hero Michael Phelps (pictured right) and what I can only assume was an extravagant entourage. So they have that going for them, which is nice.
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