April 6, 1992 Marks Opening of Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Oriole Park at Camden Yards opened on April 6, 1992, 20 years ago today. It marked the beginning of a throwback era of baseball stadiums and changed the way sports venues were built. Growing up in Maryland I remember what went into the building of it and the anticipation of its completion. Memorial Stadium

Before moving to Camden Yards, the Orioles played at old Memorial Stadium on East 33^rd Street. It had been their home since the team moved from St. Louis in 1954. Fans of the team loved the old park as it had many memories from World Series’ to NFL championship games. But the Orioles felt Memorial had run its course and it was time for a new stadium.

Before the Colts left Baltimore in 1984 it was a football town. Radio and television personality Chuck Thompson dubbed Memorial Stadium the ‘World’s Largest Outdoor Insane Asylum’ in reference to Colts fans. The Orioles drew well, but they were always second fiddle to the Colts.

After the Colts left, Baltimore was down to one major league sports team. They had lost their football team to Indianapolis and their basketball team to Washington. Losing the baseball team would be a crushing blow to the city. This led to the building of Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Though Memorial Stadium was still serviceable and players and fans loved it, Baltimore management felt it was time for a new, more modern venue. And they knew that there was a good chance of getting one, because the city did not want to lose the Orioles.

The problem was who was going to fund it and where was the money going to come from? The answer was the state of Maryland and its lottery fund. Money that was to be used for state and city infrastructure became Oriole Park at Camden Yards funding. Every lottery ticket sold specifically stated this. In all, it would cost $110 million dollars to build the stadium. Not everyone was happy with the decision of how to pay for the park, but no one wanted to lose the Orioles.

News of the new stadium brought mixed reactions from fans. The thought of no longer going to Memorial Stadium made everyone sad, but there was anticipation for what the new ballpark would look like. I can remember going to Memorial Stadium with my best friend and both of us looking at Oriole Park at Camden Yards being built. We both looked forward to going to the new park, but dreaded the last days of the old one.

After a moving final game ceremony at Memorial in 1991, the Orioles opened their new park on April 6, 1992 against the Cleveland Indians. Rick Sutcliffe threw the first pitch and Cleveland’s Kenny Lofton was the first batter. The Orioles won 2-0, but the only thing anyone wanted to talk about was the new stadium.

And what a stadium it was. The team wanted a venue which represented ballparks of the past and Oriole Park fit the bill. The Camden Yards area was the perfect site and the stadium designers did a very good job. Though there were complaints of the seats facing straight ahead instead of towards the infield and obstructed view seats most fans were happy. So happy that over 3.5 million bought tickets the first season. Some fans, like me, had to wait a year before getting in.

This led to the trend of retro parks that we have seen over the last 20 years. April 6, 1992 was the beginning of a new era in baseball and Oriole Park at Camden Yards was the impetus.

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