As team rebuilds, Orioles have big plans for its main jewel, Camden Yards

[Going Underground]

Don't think the Orioles are moving. As for the concerts,have heard 3 to five. The Green Day,Weezer one went to Nationals Park. But still they think they can get a few. 

Orioles’ executives, facing the challenge of marketing a team that has lost 100-plus games in each of the last two years, are banking partly on its remaining superstar — its popular stadium — to draw in fans with “major headliner concerts” and other events in the near future.

“There is a lot of planning and development work going on now for what Camden Yards is going to look like for not just next year but five or 10 years from now,” said Greg Bader, the team’s senior vice president of administration and experience. Among the possibilities “up for conversation” is whether the stadium still needs 46,000 seats, Bader said. Newer venues, such as the Atlanta Braves’ Sun Trust Park, Nationals Park in Washington and Marlins Park in Miami, have fewer seats.

 

Last July, the Orioles broke with more than 25 years of team tradition by holding a concert at the stadium featuring singer Billy Joel. The longtime baseball-only venue joined other iconic ballparks such as Boston’s Fenway Park, Chicago’s Wrigley Field and Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium that have sought to capitalize on their cachet — and make money — in recent years by hosting concerts.

 

 

“That is not going to be a unique event. That is literally going to be the start of something,” said Jennifer Grondahl, senior vice president of community development and communications. “Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a venue, it’s a destination for residents, for tourists. We want to use this ballpark not just for baseball but for other concerts, for community events.”

Bader said fans could anticipate “major headliner concerts like that in the near future.”

 

https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-camden-yards-20191107-zm3textb4vfpxgehnfazm7yzja-story.html

[Dipper9]

Camden Yards would be an ideal venue for a major WWE Pay Per View.  Just sayin'.  

[Frobby]

What is the upside to reducing the number of seats?    The stadium shell is what it is.   Of course, I’m a tall guy, so if they wanted to give each row a couple more inches of leg room, I wouldn’t complain.   

[Dipper9]

Just now, Frobby said:

What is the upside to reducing the number of seats?    The stadium shell is what it is.   Of course, I’m a tall guy, so if they wanted to give each row a couple more inches of leg room, I wouldn’t complain.   

I think there has been some talk of removing some of the seats so that you can see into the stadium from the concession area, but that seems to me to be a major engineering change needed and not an easy task to complete in an offseason. 

[Going Underground]

1 minute ago, Dipper9 said:

I think there has been some talk of removing some of the seats so that you can see into the stadium from the concession area, but that seems to me to be a major engineering change needed and not an easy task to complete in an offseason. 

Yes, did not want to print the whole article but it is mentioned.

Newer stadiums look different than Camden Yards. Many are smaller and include open concourses with field views, and stadium clubs for VIPs that offer prime, low-level field views.

At Camden Yards, “there simply aren’t the areas of the ballpark that allow for folks to gather and have a social experience,” Bader said. “We’ve got the roof deck and we’ve got the flag court and Legends Park area that have greater potential.”

[Dipper9]

5 minutes ago, Going Underground said:

Yes, did not want to print the whole article but it is mentioned.

Newer stadiums look different than Camden Yards. Many are smaller and include open concourses with field views, and stadium clubs for VIPs that offer prime, low-level field views.

At Camden Yards, “there simply aren’t the areas of the ballpark that allow for folks to gather and have a social experience,” Bader said. “We’ve got the roof deck and we’ve got the flag court and Legends Park area that have greater potential.”

This is just strange to me.  I go to the ballpark to, ya know, watch a baseball game.  But I guess as they say, "the world is a-changing." 

[Going Underground]

9 minutes ago, Going Underground said:

Yes, did not want to print the whole article but it is mentioned.

Newer stadiums look different than Camden Yards. Many are smaller and include open concourses with field views, and stadium clubs for VIPs that offer prime, low-level field views.

At Camden Yards, “there simply aren’t the areas of the ballpark that allow for folks to gather and have a social experience,” Bader said. “We’ve got the roof deck and we’ve got the flag court and Legends Park area that have greater potential.”

I thought the social experience was getting up  from your seat during the inning and getting on your cell phone and waving here I am to someone on the other side of the stadium. Also getting up and talking about what concessions you want and getting money and blocking peoples view. Very social experience.

[DirtyBird]

13 minutes ago, Frobby said:

What is the upside to reducing the number of seats?    The stadium shell is what it is.   Of course, I’m a tall guy, so if they wanted to give each row a couple more inches of leg room, I wouldn’t complain.   

I'm all for removing some seats to make the playing field larger, so we have a chance to sign a stud FA pitcher someday.

[Whammer]

I say they should remove first 10 rows in outfield, move fences back 

[Frobby]

19 minutes ago, DirtyBird said:

I'm all for removing some seats to make the playing field larger, so we have a chance to sign a stud FA pitcher someday.

They can do that now by moving home plate back.   They did that one season, then reverted.   
 

Prior to the 2001 season, in conjunction with extensive renovations to the ballpark's playing surface and drainage system, the Orioles reconfigured the ballpark with outfield dimensions that were up to 7 feet larger than those used since Camden Yards opened in 1992. However, it was found that the new dimensions did not significantly improve sight lines for fans, as had been anticipated, and adversely affected the viewing angle of the batter's eye wall. 

As a result, the ballpark was returned to its original dimensions before the 2002 season.

https://www.mlb.com/orioles/ballpark/information/history

 

 

[DrungoHazewood]

41 minutes ago, Dipper9 said:

I think there has been some talk of removing some of the seats so that you can see into the stadium from the concession area, but that seems to me to be a major engineering change needed and not an easy task to complete in an offseason. 

Those are load-bearing walls, they're not coming down!

[DrungoHazewood]

27 minutes ago, Whammer said:

I say they should remove first 10 rows in outfield, move fences back 

 

28 minutes ago, DirtyBird said:

I'm all for removing some seats to make the playing field larger, so we have a chance to sign a stud FA pitcher someday.

Once again I'll bring up my plan to remove the center field fence and put the turf area in front of the 30' wall out in between the bullpens and bleachers in play.  There'd be a half dozen inside-the-park homers a year!

[MurphDogg]

If they really wanted to do so, they could remove the entire third deck in left field fair territory, which would improve the view into the stadium for the Hilton and the Zenith, and improve the view looking out somewhat (but not of anything as attractive as the Bromo Tower, more like the top of the University of Maryland hospital). Maybe replace that area with a party deck. Obviously, if it were built now, that area would not be 30+ rows deep.

But that is a lot of money to spend just to make tickets artificially more scarce. It would only make sense to do that if the team were to have a financial interest in the Hilton and/or the Zenith.

The entire upper deck could probably lose the back 5-10 rows, but there isn't really much you can do with that space, short of putting up ugly billboards like at FedEx Field.

 

[Ripken]

I was at the Billy Joel concert.  Like most stadiums the acoustics were not great but it sure looked neat.  Whatever makes money I guess.

[wildbillhiccup]

1 hour ago, Dipper9 said:

I think there has been some talk of removing some of the seats so that you can see into the stadium from the concession area, but that seems to me to be a major engineering change needed and not an easy task to complete in an offseason. 

I hate this idea. PNC Park is like this and I hate it. The concession area feels cramped and very minor leagueish. Maybe they should focus more on improving the team and trying to fill the empty seats instead of removing them.