Nine-year-old Brooks Silverman was the first kid to test out Camden Yards’ new Home Run Porch, a platform beyond the newly renovated left field wall that gives children a chance to get closer to the action. With his father, Adam, standing a few feet behind him and the space to themselves, Brooks chased after baseballs slugged in his direction. None found his glove, but he still came away with two and gave three more away.
Monday was the father and son’s fourth Orioles opening day in a row, but their first in Section 84. They usually sit behind the home dugout. The family-friendly addition pulled them to left field.
“I know [Ryan] Mountcastle likes it,” Adam joked when asked about the new wall, referring to the Baltimore slugger who lost 11 homers to the extended dimensions before it was adjusted again this offseason. “It’s good for the kids. He’s gonna love watching the game from down there.”
Camden Yards’ changes were on display at Monday’s home opener, an 8-5 Orioles win over the Boston Red Sox. Most fans gave the renovations a favorable review, from the expanded Splash Zone where Terps basketball stars Derik Queen and Shyanne Sellers spent the second inning taking turns with Mr. Splash’s hose to cheaper food and drink options. After all, it’s difficult to be disappointed under a sunny sky while surrounded by the joy the annual home opener provides.
Still, anxiety looms over Orioles fans. Games in March are fun, but October matters most. Camden Yards has a way of temporarily erasing frustration.
“It’s the same as last year,” said York, Pennsylvania, native Tahlon Crooks describing his confidence level. “They’re good. They’re fun to watch. And this is an awesome place to come see baseball.”
The allure of Camden Yards enamored even those not from Baltimore — or Orioles fans at all. Blake and Erin Johnson, along with their son Bryce and daughter Elizabeth, are Atlanta natives and Braves fans but were at Monday’s home opener as a part of a longer northeast baseball expedition. Bryce, who plays Little League and is on spring break, has only been to the Braves’ Truist Park. He’ll soon be able to check off a few more ballparks.
The Johnsons saw a Nationals game in Washington this weekend and are set to visit Philadelphia, New York and Boston over the next few days. The family goes to several Braves games each season and spends lots of time at The Battery, the area surrounding Truist Park filled with bars and restaurants that former Orioles owner John Angelos once said he’d like to model Camden Yards after. But upon seeing Baltimore for the first time, they acknowledged having a new favorite ballpark.
“The stadium itself, I don’t think it compares to this,” said Blake Johnson, who got his family to their seats early so Bryce could hunt for autographs.
Crooks and Jesse Martin, now in their 20s but friends since childhood, took in their first home opener Monday. They watched the forecast closely and likely wouldn’t have been able to make it if the game were moved to Tuesday. The storms held, and Crooks and Martin found their seats in Section 1 with Boog’s Barbecue in hand.
While excited about what this year could bring, they’ve become all too familiar with postseason heartbreak, a common sentiment amongst Orioles faithful.
“They’ve won 193 games in two years, but zero playoff wins,” Crooks said. “I kinda have to see it to believe it.”
Annapolis residents Ryan Koorey and his son, Mason, watched Red Sox batting practice from left field near the Home Run Porch, but their seats were actually in the 300 level on the first base side. Mason, like Brooks Silverman, hoped for a souvenir, and they said they plan to buy seats there later this year. And similar to others, they’re also tantalized by the future while acknowledging past October failures.
“We got a good group of core guys who little ones like this can watch for the next 10 to 15 years,” Koorey said while pointing to his son. “Hopefully, the owner can spend a little bit of money and we can compete.”
The happiness that filled Camden Yards on Monday was absent the last time these seats were filled. The Orioles’ 2024 season ended in a flash last fall with a quick two-game sweep by the Kansas City Royals in the American League wild-card round, the second straight year the Orioles failed to deliver a postseason win. Baltimore has lost 10 straight playoff games, tied for the fourth longest streak in MLB history.
This offseason, the Orioles lost Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander from that squad and added free agents around the margins to supplement the young core that remains intact — though contract extensions for stars Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg remain elusive. The Orioles’ payroll increased by more than $50 million from last season, one of the largest jumps in MLB. And yet for some, it doesn’t feel like the team got better.
“I was a little more excited last year,” Silverman said. “Especially with Corbin. We’re still excited, but I think it was better last year.”
Others lauded Baltimore’s offseason strategy.
“The only other thing I would’ve preferred is another [starting pitcher],” said David Kates, a Glen Burnie native who took in pregame sights from Section 72. “I understand wanting to spend money, but at the same time, it’s not worth overpaying for.”
The Orioles sale to David Rubenstein became finalized nearly a year ago to the day of Monday’s home opener. He said then that his focus was on “returning a World Series trophy to Baltimore.” Minority owner Mike Arougheti stood on a bar at the fan-favorite Pickles Pub and told everyone their next drink was on him. Rubenstein has made it a point to greet every fan he meets — one of Koorey’s fondest Camden Yards memories is shaking his hand last summer.
Rubenstein infused confidence in a fan base that had grown apathetic toward previous ownership. For many, that confidence is still there.
“He’s done an awesome job,” added Torrey Chew, who brought Kates using tickets from his company. “You saw him build us a winner. I can’t complain. I’m looking forward to watching some games.”
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