By Will Mades
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Swarms of fans wearing orange and black packed Eutaw Street on a sunny and warm Opening Day at Oriole Park at Camden Yards Thursday. While many of the backs of jerseys display recognizable names like Jones, Ripken Jr., and even Machado, the Orioles players on the field this season are not so familiar.
“There’s a new energy so far with this team,” said Paul Bycoffe, an usher in his fourth season at the Yard. “We don’t have any superstars or prima donnas.”
Those yet-to-be superstars include new players with names like Martin, Ruiz, Jackson, and Severino.
“It takes a while to learn who can play and who can’t,” Bycoffe said. “What you’re going to see today isn’t what you’ll see in June or August.”
With most popular sports sites like CBS Sports and Bleacher Report predicting the O’s to record another disappointing season ending at the bottom of the division with over one hundred loses, it could be easy for fans to enter this season with a bad taste in their mouths. Instead, with a new general manager, game manager, and collection of young players, spirits are high.
“Buck Showalter did a great job,” said Joe Miller, a third-year usher. “But it was time for a fresh start, and I think everyone around here is getting really excited. Baseball is back and summer is right around the corner.”
With the Orioles off to a 4-2 start on the road before the first pitch on Opening Day, there was reason to feel good about the new players being hungry to prove themselves.
“Dwight Smith Jr. couldn’t find a good fit in Toronto the past couple seasons,” said Miller. “But he has a hit in every game so far this year and looks like he could be a great addition.”
Each season at Camden Yards brings with it new foods, attractions, and promotions, but what the fans care about more than anything else is just seeing some quality baseball.
“I’ve been to at least 20 Opening Days for the Orioles since 1982,” said Laura Jositis, of Towson, a fan in section 12 donning a grey and orange. “I remember because that was Cal’s first full year with the O’s, when his streak began. There’s always such a great feeling of hope at the first home game, certainty a lot more than at the All-Star break!”
That feeling of hope was palpable outside of the stadium as well. On West Lee Street, busy with fans rushing over the cross walk as police whistles direct traffic, vendors sold their merchandise and snacks, hoping for a great turn out this summer.
“Water! Water! Cold Water! One dollar here, $4.75 in the stadium!” Yelled Eric Brown as he held two water bottles in each hand over his head.
“I just don’t want us to lose one hundred games again, man,” Brown said with a smile. “Of course, I’ll love my O’s no matter what, but more wins mean more fans at the games, which means more customers for the people outside the stadium as well. Plus, happy fans buy more gear.”
With the beginning of another spring and summer of trying to best the Old Bay crab shuffle, chowing down on pit beef at Boog’s BBQ, and singing along to John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” during the seventh inning stretch, Orioles fans don’t have to hope for a fun time for everyone when walking into Camden Yards. They can count on it.
“There isn’t a better place in Baltimore,” Jositis said as she squeezed mustard onto her ball park dog, “as long as you don’t get too caught up in who wins and who loses.”