Wednesday’s Open Workout

[justD]

I only heard about this in one tweet by Roch. The O’s workout and simulated game was open to the public, and apparently was pretty well attended and appreciated by Hyde and the guys.

Quote

“That was super cool,” manager Brandon Hyde said of the large turnout. “What a great idea, and we’re really appreciative of all the fans that came out. I wasn’t expecting this, and it shows you how incredible Orioles fans are. They were energetic and into it, and our players appreciated.”

Did anyone who posts here attend? It looked pretty cool. Between this and the Brooks ceremony Monday, I’m almost wishing I’d stayed there the whole week!

https://www.masnsports.com/blog/orioles-notes-on-alds-start-time-and-simulated-game-at-camden-yards

 

(photo by Roch Kubatko)

[justD]

 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

 

[scarey1999]

The Braves did the same exact thing today for their fans. I’d never heard of teams doing this until this year.  Really cool idea. 

[Don_Aase_Fan]

I went down with my youngest son and had a great time, although he was hoping to catch a ball. The weather was absolutely perfect. Very cool to see the team warm up and practice in a relaxed setting. Adley, Gunnar and Tony got the biggest cheers by far, and Elias stopped by, too. Bravo to the O’s for organizing. 
 

Pics: https://imgur.io/a/Hk3qG36

Edited October 5, 2023 by Don_Aase_Fan

[Frobby]

33 minutes ago, Don_Aase_Fan said:

I went down with my youngest son and had a great time, although he was hoping to catch a ball. The weather was absolutely perfect. Very cool to see the team warm up and practice in a relaxed setting. Adley, Gunnar and Tony got the biggest cheers by far, and Elias stopped by, too. Bravo to the O’s for organizing. 
 

Pics: https://imgur.io/a/Hk3qG36

How many people would you say were there?   From your pictures, I’d say 2-5,000.   

[AdamK]

Stuff like this cements fandom in the young and young at heart, and it's impact in growing Orioles family memories can not be overstated. 

Keep giving access to the fans and watch the business flourish.

[Don_Aase_Fan]

19 minutes ago, Frobby said:

How many people would you say were there?   From your pictures, I’d say 2-5,000.   

3-4k sounds about right. We got there right as the lots opened, so it was great to park so close in Lot A. We were also one of the first ones in when they opened Gate E, and by then the line to get in stretched all the way around home plate plaza. 

[ThomasTomasz]

9 hours ago, scarey1999 said:

The Braves did the same exact thing today for their fans. I’d never heard of teams doing this until this year.  Really cool idea. 

I think it’s because they want to keep some things consistent for the players.  Apparently Braves learned from the time off before.  

[ThomasTomasz]

I thought it was a good event for being pulled and announced 36 hours before it happened, if that.  Probably around 4k attendance.  You could sit between the dugouts.  Some concessions were open and selling beer too, and stadium team store in the corner by the elevators was open selling merch.  They basically did some fielding drills, pitching long toss and then got warmed up for the simulated game.  Pitchers were the only ones in true uniform, and it seems like they played the game loose.  I think one inning went 4-5 outs because they wanted a pitcher to throw a little more.  Our regulars got the ABs.  

[Sanfran327]

1 hour ago, AdamK said:

Stuff like this cements fandom in the young and young at heart, and it's impact in growing Orioles family memories can not be overstated. 

Keep giving access to the fans and watch the business flourish.

It's amazing to me how many sports organizations still don't get this. Any team that relies on revenue in the slightest to succeed needs to be doing whatever they can to attract and serve fans. Before Elias showed up, it was apparent that the O's didn't care about the fans, as the gameday fan experience had reached new lows for me. Now they are going above and beyond to connect with and grow the fan base, and that's what will eventually allow us to keep some of our new favorite players around. 

[AdamK]

1 hour ago, ThomasTomasz said:

I think it’s because they want to keep some things consistent for the players.  Apparently Braves learned from the time off before.  

Another benefit is to get accustomed to the stadium shadows/light of day this time of year. Hyde referenced how important the last game of the regular season was (3pm start) to see what they might be in store for in postseason play.

[AdamK]

5 hours ago, Sanfran327 said:

It's amazing to me how many sports organizations still don't get this. Any team that relies on revenue in the slightest to succeed needs to be doing whatever they can to attract and serve fans. Before Elias showed up, it was apparent that the O's didn't care about the fans, as the gameday fan experience had reached new lows for me. Now they are going above and beyond to connect with and grow the fan base, and that's what will eventually allow us to keep some of our new favorite players around. 

One would hope. 

 

I've noticed the team is getting a bit more current with the fanbase in other ways too. 

- Mr Splash seems silly, but this was a very innovative stroke of genius turning the homer hose and basepath celebration into a theme that gets the fans involved. 

- City Connect, as polarizing as the design seems, does do a fine job IMO bringing in local art to the stadium. There are murals inside that bring the campaign to life more than just an advertisement.

- Their YouTube channel has lots of content that is contemporary capture a vibe I don't recall was there before. Check out these Low Fi videos...

 

 

 

[emmett16]

6 hours ago, AdamK said:

Another benefit is to get accustomed to the stadium shadows/light of day this time of year. Hyde referenced how important the last game of the regular season was (3pm start) to see what they might be in store for in postseason play.

That wouldn’t have occurred to me.  Brilliant. 

[AdamK]

12 minutes ago, emmett16 said:

That wouldn’t have occurred to me.  Brilliant. 

Hoping this gives us some amount of edge against a team that's been playing in an underground bunker as recently as yesterday.