Oriole Park Rated #1

by purpleonblack86 on Nov 18, 2009 3:49 PM EST Comment 28 comments

I found this site called Stadium Journey which consists of people that go around the country reviewing major sports venues and their take on them. They have several categories too score the stadiums, which they call "FanFare." They rate Oriole Park as their best MLB stadium out of 29 teams. The team they leave out is the Twins because they couldn't review the Metrodome in time before it was demolished. I've only had the pleasure of catching a few game's at Oriole Park since I'm pretty far from Baltimore but I've had some good times there when I was able to see a game.

What they had too say about the park and its surroundings was pretty interesting and any opinion's from people who are regulars at Oriole Park would be nice to read. I know of it and never tried it but the site say's that the Boog's BBQ is something you gotta try even if your not into any of the other food at the park. Even though it's closer for me, I've never seen a game at Nationals Park as I lack interest for them but when the Orioles come to town I'll be making sure I make a trip there. The Nats were ranked 28th and scored 17 for "FanFare" while the Orioles had the highest score with 33. Anyways if anyone could give me some comparison's of the two park's and anything else they think about the review go right ahead. Thanks.

http://stadiumjourney.com/?cat=16

FanPosts are user-created content and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors of Camden Chat or SB Nation. They might, though.

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OPACY is #1 for me too

When I retired, I decided to go on a MLB ballpark tour. It took me four year in an old camper, but I made it to all 30 MLB ballparks. Camden Yards is my #1 favorite. Cleveland and Philadelphia as well as San Diego and San Francisco are taken from the same idea as Camden Yards and are very good. Wrigley is friendly and in a fun neighborhood in Chicago. Fenway is just plain old. The worst parks were Tampa and Minnesota, but Oakland was bad, too. Milwaukee had great food as did Wrigley. Kansas City was very friendly and family oriented. Dodger dogs are awful. Old Yankee stadium was more fun than the new one. St Louis fans are very knowledgeable. Cinncinati fans can’t understand why Pete Rose is still not in the HOF.
I’m sure I’ve left alot out, but those were the highlights. Camden Yards is still the classiest park in major league baseball. It isn’t close.

by fuddnelson on Nov 18, 2009 6:19 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

that's awesome

I hope to be able to do that one day.

Some Day, Matt Wieters Will Make The Cooperstown Crowd Laugh By Talking About The Time He Batted Behind Melvin Mora And Luke Scott. -Keith Law via Matt Wieters Facts

by Stacey on Nov 18, 2009 10:53 PM EST up reply actions

I loathe National Park

I’ve been to two games there. The first one was a day game in the inaugural season, and it was pretty nice. We got some great seats through a friend. Took the Metro, entering and leaving the park was easy.

I went to a game this year, when the Orioles traveled down there. It was a packed yard, and at least 50% Oriole fans. Tickets are expensive. Leaving the stadium was a night mare. There was only like one exit, and it took almost half an hour to get out of the park. And then we had to wait almost another hour for the line in the Metro.

Everything about Nats park sucks. Food is expensive, tickets are expensive. THe field seems further away. They had some ridiculous thing going on the scoreboard at all times. Too many fans watched the scoreboard and not the game. The ushers have chains for the more expensive seats, which is the opposite of Camden Yards. At OPaCY, ushers practically TELL you to move down if there isn’t a lot of people there.

Nats park sucks. OPaCY is my home away from home.

The stock market will never recover, our armies will never again be #1, and our children will drink filthy water for the rest of their lives - HST

by the fix is in on Nov 18, 2009 11:30 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

I don't know man.

I’ve had very different experiences with ushers at OPACY – they seem to guard the lower seats like their lives depend on it even if they are completely empty.

I don’t think the Nats stadium is nearly as nice as CY, but I’ve never had any bad experiences there. It’s a nice stadium.

by O'sFan21 on Nov 18, 2009 11:38 PM EST up reply actions

You're right about the home plate seats

I won’t even try. But the third base side is usually good. I don’t like being under the overhang, but it’s really easy to sneak up some steps.

The stock market will never recover, our armies will never again be #1, and our children will drink filthy water for the rest of their lives - HST

by the fix is in on Nov 18, 2009 11:45 PM EST up reply actions

I don't know

I had seats right behind the Orioles on-deck circle last summer for the only time in my life – though I’ve been in the lower bowl all over the place pretty often – and I’ve never, ever, ever had any problems whatsoever with the ushers. Of course, I don’t really move around to better seats during a game (if anything, I go out to the flag court), so I can’t speak to that.

"I like baseball, movies, good clothes, whiskey, fast cars ... and you. What else you need to know?"

by Andrew_G on Nov 19, 2009 12:22 AM EST up reply actions

Well that's what we were talking about.

Moving down to seats where you don’t have tickets.

by O'sFan21 on Nov 19, 2009 12:27 AM EST up reply actions

i remember going to a game at OPACY against the nats a few years ago

game had like 3 rain delays and eventually nearly everybody had left the stadium. i tried to move down but the fucking ushers wouldnt let ANYBODY sit behind home plate or the dugouts even tho there were only about 100 ppl left in the stadium. fuckers.

by twistedlogic on Nov 19, 2009 12:35 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah that's been my experience pretty much every time at OPACY.

by O'sFan21 on Nov 19, 2009 12:41 AM EST up reply actions

there was nobody there!!!

they coulda backed down a little bit. fuck them. i got behind the dugout anyways and got ryan zimmerman’s autograph. take that bitches.

by twistedlogic on Nov 19, 2009 1:01 AM EST up reply actions

Maybe the dugout and on-deck area is just hard?

I went to three rain delays this year, each time I had tickets to under the overhang, but sat near front row after the delay.

I got some young Indian pitcher’s autograph. I don’t think he was even in the program that night. I’m pretty sure his number was 32.

The stock market will never recover, our armies will never again be #1, and our children will drink filthy water for the rest of their lives - HST

by the fix is in on Nov 19, 2009 1:19 AM EST up reply actions

For a second I thought you meant from India...

by O'sFan21 on Nov 19, 2009 11:09 AM EST up reply actions

I had seats right by the visitor dugout late in the season

first row and all that. We got there early, were shown to our seats by an usher, and then got up to walk around the stadium. When my GF and I got back and sat down, an usher started yelling at us – “HEY you can’t sit there! No autographs! You can’t sit there! You have to have tickets to sit there!” And I was like, “You mean these tickets?” and I pulled them out of my pocket. He looked embarrassed and walked away. Asshole.

by PhilR8 on Nov 19, 2009 10:55 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah

I’ve never had trouble sneaking down along the third base side. Never tried behind home plate, though looks like I’d better be careful if I do…

by O Nina on Nov 19, 2009 11:03 AM EST up reply actions

oh oh oh

and the program included an article talking up their PS3 lounge. They told a 3 page long story about this little ~~shit~~ kid that LOVED to go to Nats park with his father because his father would let him play in the PS3 lounge the whole time. The article actually ended with “after the seventh inning stretch, when it closes, (kids name) sadly goes to watch the rest of the game with his father”

The stock market will never recover, our armies will never again be #1, and our children will drink filthy water for the rest of their lives - HST

by the fix is in on Nov 18, 2009 11:42 PM EST up reply actions

that's one thing I hate about the Nats stadium - that fucking video game area.

total horseshit

by O'sFan21 on Nov 19, 2009 12:07 AM EST up reply actions

yea....totally retarded

the point of going to the game is get your off ass and stop playing video games! i’m glad i dont play video games.

by twistedlogic on Nov 19, 2009 12:32 AM EST up reply actions

That's the one thing I like about it.

Then again, I’m biased, I won a free playstation from them.

I now have a blog: http://justanotherbaltimoresportsblog.blogspot.com/

by BaltimoreSportsFan on Nov 20, 2009 4:37 PM EST up reply actions

You're 12! You're supposed to like video games!

We’re old. We want to see a baseball game at a baseball park, not watch our kids play video games we already have at home.

"(Brock Lesnar) is never in good spirits and he's not in good spirits now." - Dana White

by duck on Nov 21, 2009 10:10 AM EST up reply actions

I walked up to Nats Park last summer

to see the Mets with my best friend. It was alright, I guess…except for the bathrooms out in left field. It was like they converted a closet in a bathroom with toilets at all sorts of weird angles.

Also: you can’t see the damn capital building from the stadium. “Breathtaking view” my ass.

"I like baseball, movies, good clothes, whiskey, fast cars ... and you. What else you need to know?"

by Andrew_G on Nov 19, 2009 12:20 AM EST up reply actions