With the home opener of the 2011 season less than three weeks away, it’s nearly impossible to believe Oriole Park at Camden Yards will open its 20th season on April 4th.
Since opening in 1992, the retro-classic ballpark continues to be the standard by which new parks are judged. Nineteen baseball stadiums have opened since Camden Yards first became the new “old” place to enjoy a ballgame in the shadow of the B&O Warehouse in downtown Baltimore.
Even with a few minor facelifts and the well-chronicled struggles on the field, the jewel that is Oriole Park still sparkles nearly 20 years after its birth at 333 West Camden Street.
To count down to the start of the 20th season at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, I take a look back at the top 20 moments in the history of the ballpark. Pleasant memories have been few and far between since — potential spoiler alert — Cal Ripken’s retirement a decade ago, but numerous snapshots have been engraved in our collective baseball memories, good and bad.
In an effort to create parameters for selection, moments had to relate directly to the action on the field at the time. Therefore, no orchestrated events such as World Series anniversary celebrations or Orioles Hall of Fame inductions were eligible for the list despite the additional memories they’ve created.
Your comments are strongly encouraged and welcomed, particularly if you were lucky (or unlucky) enough to experience any of these moments in person. I will reveal one per day, culminating with the top moment in the history of Oriole Park at Camden Yards being revealed on Monday, April 4 when the Orioles host the Detroit Tigers for the 20th home opener at Camden Yards.
Without further ado, here’s No. 20 >>>
