Peregrinator Mark: Charming Baseball: Afternoon at Camden Yards

A friend of mine who lives in Alexandria and loves baseball asked me if I wanted to go with her to see the Orioles play at Camden Yards since the ballpark is only about fifteen minutes away from where I'm staying. I always love going to a new baseball park and seeing a game when it's not expensive. I also have some birthday and Christmas money left over since I've been trying to live frugally. Camden Yards is supposed to be one of the most beautiful baseball parks in America, and it was a really nice to enjoy a Sunday afternoon talking and watching the Orioles struggle to hit and catch balls. And, of course, I had to eat a hot dog.

For the past several weeks I've been trying to follow baseball, but I've been following and rooting for the Washington Nationals, which can be a frustrating and heartbreaking experience. For weeks I've watched one relief pitcher, Sean Burnett, screw up game after game and cause the Nats to lose. At least I'm beginning to remember the players' names. Unfortunately, I usually remember them for their mistakes. "Oh, that's the player who had three errors in one game." It's supposed to be a young team, but I'm not sure how much that matters. If the big-market teams like New York, Boston, and Philadelphia poach the best players from the small-market teams every year, then teams like the Nats will always be a 'young' team. They can't spend $300 million annually on their roster. Unless MLB comes up with a way that brings the teams closer to parity the way the NFL has done, I doubt that I will be a big follower of the sport. I don't care to see the wealthy teams beat up on the poorer teams year after year. Still, it's nice to watch a game at the stadium with a friend. Maybe someday I can afford to buy tickets for more expensive sports, like hockey.

There were a couple sad things about Camden Yards, though. Even though it was a Sunday afternoon game, there weren't many people in the stands. It should have been packed. I've read about how the Great Recession has caused lower attendance at ballgames, which makes a lot of sense. I'd probably go a lot more often if I had a good and stable job. Also, the Orioles kept playing a "Remember When" game. It would show events that happened back in the day when the Orioles were actually good and won some World Series. Those days are long gone.