By Cynthia Hernandez
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
This baseball offseason was a long one for Baltimore.
But as the memory of single-digit temperatures and foot-deep snow begins to recede into the past, Orioles fans like Bill Leishear of Annapolis Junction left winter behind on Thursday and took in the warm sunshine outside Camden Yards for Opening Day.
“There’s nothing better than a day at the yard,” Leishear said. “Beautiful weather, cold beer, peanuts? Come on.”
The beginning of baseball season is about community in Charm City. And this year wasn’t any different. An estimated 42,000 fans filled the streets in their signature O’s orange, taking over downtown with festivities to celebrate the summer game.
For 73-year-old Vivian Lomax, the Opening Day excitement is seeing people from every walk of life come together for Orioles baseball.
“It’s just the camaraderie,” Lomax said. “On Opening Day, to me, we are one family.”
Thursday marked the sight of a coming Spring for fans who got to bustle through Eutaw Street under a sunny sky in nearly 80-degree weather.
The sport and weather combined “bring the city out every time,” said Baltimore resident Patricia Handy. She has lived in the city for 35 years, enjoying the unofficial holiday when she gets the chance.
The 2026 season will see some changes at the stadium, including a new scoreboard, premium seating behind home plate, and new public spaces in the outfield where fans can eat and drink.
Before the first pitch, though, most of the action was outside the stadium. Synchronized cheers from the ballpark and the bass-filled music flowing out of nearby bars kept the energy alive, pulling locals to come by and soak it all in.
Some say baseball is boring. But Orioles fan Regina Williams disagrees, saying, “Once you get a taste of this, it’s going to turn you over.”
Towson University graduate Rob Frazier said fans have to truly watch and be involved to enjoy the game, adding that he has “never been to a boring game at Oriole Park.”
The regular season spans six months, with teams fighting for a playoff spot in October for a chance at a World Series ring.
The team began the 2025 season with a losing streak, ending their race for a playoff spot before it began. They ended the season with a 75-87 losing record.
In 2023, the O’s reached the postseason with 101 wins before falling short in the American League Division Series. This was the last time they made the playoffs.
This year, the Orioles are taking on the season with a new manager, balancing injuries from key position players like third baseman Jordan Westburg, and getting new players accustomed to the team.
“We are going to see what this new manager [will] do,” fan Lisa Williams said. Williams expects the O’s to “make it out of the regular season and at least get to the playoffs.”
The Orioles new manager, Craig Albernaz, was hired from the Cleveland Guardians in October. Albernaz spent time playing for the Tampa Bay Rays and Detroit Tigers organizations during his minor league career. Opening Day marked his official debut as a major league manager.
Obstacles that could threaten performance this early on have not broken the team’s and fans’ hopes for a strong performance this year.
With a clean slate to start fresh, “We’re going to win everything,” Tab Jones, a Baltimore native, said. Jones said she hopes the team will “try to do a little better” this year to make a postseason berth possible.
Whether the Orioles win or lose, some fans said it is the idea of community that makes baseball so important.
“The camaraderie, the community brings everybody out,” Leishear said. “We need more of that in this world. Baseball is perfect for that.”
Something else that was perfect yesterday: The Orioles defeated the Twins 2-1 in front of a sell-out crowd. The two teams finish out the series this weekend.