Opening Day 1983

[fansince1988]

 

 

[Moose Milligan]

GTFO you could get a cigar at the concessions stand? 
 

I’m sure it was something terrible like a White Owl but still.  I was born way too late. 

[OriolesMagic83]

17 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

GTFO you could get a cigar at the concessions stand? 
 

I’m sure it was something terrible like a White Owl but still.  I was born way too late. 

I'm surprised the O's don't have a "smoking" lounge for a different type of cigar.  You've got to attract all demographics.

[Billy F-Face3]

Wow, seeing that bar/lounge restaurant triggered a childhood memory. The very 1st game I ever went to was with my grandparents at Memorial Park (and it was the only game I've ever been to there), and before the game they took me to eat at that restaurant. My memory is very limited about that restaurant, and I could only remember it being a dark place with nice tables in the stadium. This video is very nice to see because it adds perspective to that faded memory.

[ChipTait]

25 Front Office staff?  Pretty sure there are over 300 now...

[Going Underground]

Beer as high as $3.30. Now they have the first or second highest beer prices. Lowest price is around $10.99.

Beer prices at the B & O matket:

16oz beers are $10.99 for domestic and $12.49 for craft, hard, seltzers, or imported beers. 24oz beers are $14.99 for domestic and $15.75 for imports or hard seltzers. 12oz canned cocktails are $12.99.

Edited April 7, 2023 by Going Underground

[Sports Guy]

That’s great

[glenn__davis]

Man, the 80's were just the best.

[OldNewGuy]

Great video clip. Brought back many memories. Saw first pro baseball game at Memorial Stadium in 1953. Little League baseball team went to see the International League Baltimore Orioles (Phillies AAA affiliate). Took all of my sons to see a game at "the stadium". One now a life long O's fan and another a "water cooler fan".  Future father-in-law helped build the upper deck extension. A lot of Baltimore sports history rapped up in that palace. Both Orioles and Colts. Aah, 1983, the year Home Team Sports (HTS) brought every Orioles game to TV in distant lands, like historic Southern Maryland. Last WS champion.

[Frobby]

Wow, that’s a fantastic period piece.  Honestly, it felt like it could have been from 1960 rather than 1983.   I have to admit, in many ways I miss the simplicity of those days.  

[Going Underground]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

Wow, that’s a fantastic period piece.  Honestly, it felt like it could have been from 1960 rather than 1983.   I have to admit, in many ways I miss the simplicity of those days.  

The 1980's had many of the same issues we have now. We always look back and say they were better times 

[Frobby]

13 minutes ago, Going Underground said:

The 1980's had many of the same issues we have now. We always look back and say they were better times 

I didn’t mean it in any broad, societal kind of way.  Just looking at how people were dressed for opening day, the very affordable prices, the unbridled (and totally justified) optimism of the fans.  Baseball held a very special place in the fabric of Baltimore back in those days that I do not think they hold now in the same way.  Part of that is the decline in popularity of the sport in general; the bigger part is the difference between 19 winning seasons out of 20 (1963-1982) going into that year, vs. 6 winning seasons out of the last 25 now.  

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, Frobby said:

I didn’t mean it in any broad, societal kind of way.  Just looking at how people were dressed for opening day, the very affordable prices, the unbridled (and totally justified) optimism of the fans.  Baseball held a very special place in the fabric of Baltimore back in those days that I do not think they hold now in the same way.  Part of that is the decline in popularity of the sport in general; the bigger part is the difference between 19 winning seasons out of 20 (1963-1982) going into that year, vs. 6 winning seasons out of the last 25 now.  

Just keep in mind we've had 202% inflation since '83.

BTW the 1983 O's drew 2,042,071 (with a capacity over 50K).

[Frobby]

2 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Just keep in mind we've had 202% inflation since '83.

BTW the 1983 O's drew 2,042,071 (with a capacity over 50K).

Their greatest teams (1969-71) could barely draw 1 million fans.  The teams beginning in 1977 really captured the fans’ imagination because the free agency period had begun and the team competed so well against the Yankees and Red Sox despite the obvious economic disadvantages.  Those were seen as really blue collar teams that fit Baltimore’s self-image to a T.  Of course, it didn’t hurt that Washington had lost its team after ‘71 and Tom Boswell began covering the O’s in the Post on a daily basis and helped convert a lot of DC-area fans into Orioles fans with his eloquent coverage of the team.  

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Frobby said:

Their greatest teams (1969-71) could barely draw 1 million fans.  The teams beginning in 1977 really captured the fans’ imagination because the free agency period had begun and the team competed so well against the Yankees and Red Sox despite the obvious economic disadvantages.  Those were seen as really blue collar teams that fit Baltimore’s self-image to a T.  Of course, it didn’t hurt that Washington had lost its team after ‘71 and Tom Boswell began covering the O’s in the Post on a daily basis and helped convert a lot of DC-area fans into Orioles fans with his eloquent coverage of the team.  

Yep.  I'm just saying the special place in the fabric stuff is a bit rose tinted with history.