The who’s who of Camden Chat 2019

Hey, you. Yes, you. Are you a lurker who’s been watching Camden Chat from afar, waiting for the right chance to jump in and introduce yourself, only you haven’t found your chance? Have you been here for a little while but you’re not quite sure if anyone has noticed?

Here is the one place each year where we are all on equal footing, brand new people and lurkers and the most recognizable veteran community members: The annual Camden Chat introductions.

It’s not a secret to anyone that our beloved Orioles are probably not going to be any good this year. Even if the future offers some hope, right now, things stink. Here you are among people who know it’s bad and who will be suffering along with you until things start looking better for the franchise.

If you’re brand new, make sure to go to the upper right of the page to sign up for an SB Nation account first, then come back here and join our site down below in the comments section.

Once you’re set up, head down to the comments to tell us a bit about yourself. Then, next time you come back, just act like you’ve been here forever. As long as you correctly remember to use the reply button to respond to a specific comment when you are talking to someone else, no one will even notice that you’re new.

You’re nice enough to read this post, so I bet you’re already nice enough to follow the rules without my telling them to you. Just so we’re all clear, though, you can find SB Nation’s Community Guidelines here. Please be excellent to each other as much as you are able, even if you have just read the dumbest comment you have ever seen on the Internet.

Now that that’s out of the way, we would all like to know about you, not in a creepy way, but in the way that it’s fun to get to know your fellow fans.

Where are you from? Where are you now? How did you become an Orioles fan? Who’s your favorite Oriole of the present, if you have one right now? Who’s your favorite Oriole of all time?

If you’re still feeling loquacious, and it’s OK if you’re not, here are some more: Why did you choose your screen name? What do you do when you’re not watching baseball? Do you have a favorite story that everyone else in your life is sick of hearing but you want the chance to tell it to someone new? Here’s your place.

As for me, I am Mark. I am a Maryland lifer and I probably always will be. I’m going to guess I’m not the only one here in that category.

Thanks to my parents, I have been an Orioles fan since before I was even born. They attended Game 2 of the 1983 World Series, and so did I, although I had a bit of an obstructed view seat: My mom was eight months pregnant at that time. I have loved the Orioles for as long as I can remember, and even though they have not won it all since I have been born, AND they were bad for the first decade of my adult life, I’ve only come to love them more as I’ve gotten older.

My favorite Oriole had been Adam Jones for the last several seasons. I don’t think I have one right now. Maybe by the end of the year I’ll have a different answer. My girlfriend and I have stuck with our season ticket plan, so we’ll get some chances to see this team up close. As for all time, the boring but true answer is Cal Ripken Jr.

When I’m not watching or writing about baseball, I’m probably reading or trying to catch up on some TV show where I’m behind. I just recently finished playing Breath of the Wild, which was amazing, and if you have any recommendations for Switch games, I’m all ears.

So, that’s me. Who are you? If you’re a longtime Camden Chat commenter, thank you for joining us for another season, especially this season. I hope that we can find some things to enjoy about it as the year goes along. If you’re returning after a long time gone, welcome back! And if you’re brand new, welcome to the party. There’s no better place to talk about the Orioles than right here. I hope your enjoy your stay.