When I hear about the Baltimore Orioles, the name that comes to mind is Cal Ripken Jr. He was most famous for breaking and setting the consecutive start record in Major League Baseball, but was also a top tier Shortstop both in batting and fielding.
The Orioles of today are comprised of such players as Miguel Tejada, Javy Lopez, Brian Roberts, Melvin Mora and Kevin Benson. As a Braves fan myself, I was sad to see Lopez go to the Orioles 2 years ago, but this year, long-time pitching coach Leo Mazzone also made the jump, and that was a huge hit to the Braves pitching staff. Mazzone will have his hands full as the Orioles pitching staff is far from the caliber that he is accustomed to in Atlanta. Currently the team is 11-8 and 2nd in the tough AL East division.
I went on a family vacation some years back and one two free tickets to an Orioles game. It was in celebration of the new stadium they had at the time and I was really into Cal Ripkin Jr at the time. The stadium was really nice and the fans seemed to welcome everyone. I just really liked the town and the team atmosphere there and would love to go back some time.
I too, got the opportunity to visit Camden Yards for a day-game a couple of years ago. It was a great experience walking alongside the old warehouse across the way from the ballpark. The city of Baltimore, in general, is a great place to visit, especially if you are a fan of seafood.
As for the Orioles, Tejada has been the one bright spot for a team that is 16-20 and 1 game out of last place. He is currently batting .355 with 9 HR's and 29 RBI's. No one else has really stepped up, either in hitting or pitching. It is too bad since they showed a lot of promise last season.
Baltimore struck back at New York in the 13th inning to beat the Yankees 2-1. Ref. USAToday
The team says former Baltimore Orioles manager, Earl Weaver, who brought them a World Series title has died. Ref. USAToday