Could the O's leave town?

[SaltDoggyDog]

I'm just giving the outsider's perspective and from what I can see, Baltimore no longer cares about the Orioles. They are irrelevant when compared to the Ravens, and granted that is due to the losing, but you still see that they come in second.

I'm glad to hear that is isn't neccessarily the case, but that's the feeling I get everytime I am down in that area.

All I can say is look at Philadelphia and you are 100% Wrong with your assumptions. Philadelphia couldn't sell out a home game three years ago. Did the fans stop careing? Absolutely not, they just didn't want to see a team that wasn't any good. Make it to consecutive World Series, and win one the fans are right back at it and more hardcore than ever. Same thing will happen with the Orioles! Honestly though, there seem to be more bandwagon fans than real fans in Philly, complete opposite what I see in Baltimore.

When's the last time you were in Baltimore?

[SilentJames]

Just look at the excitement with Opening Day. The largest crowd in Orioles history. Against the Blue Jays, and it was the 4th game of the year.

I can not tell you how big that was. The crowd in the stadium and the 10's of thousands of people outside. It was a complete party, the biggest OD I had seen in years. The traffic was backed up for miles! - Luckily the #27 rolls right past my block

I swear Trea, I swear you have posted some hair-brained things in the past but this - this.

[hobbycars]

The Yanks began life as the 1901-02 Orioles, so why can't we return the favor?

I like it! LOL

[joeyc]

Could the O's leave town.

If there is a baseball god, they will.

I guarantee you the Marlins , Royals, and a lot of other teams would love to come here. With an owner that really cares about this city and winning. The rich tradition and fanbase. I wish they would at this point.

As long as this team is owned by an Angelos, we're doomed.

[JTrea81]

There's a thing called a pie hole. You might want to consider shutting your virtual pie hole about this city unless you live in this area.

As I said in the post above that, I apologize if I offended anybody, but what I posted is the feeling I get.

And it could be the time of year because when I am down there, the Orioles have usually gone into a their annual tailspin and fans and the city have switched to Ravens mode.

I'm glad to hear this picture I get is not representative of the city's feelings in general.

[Maverick Hiker]

Angelos has made his mistakes as owner.

But the best thing about him as Orioles owner is how dedicated he is to keeping this team in Baltimore. The team will not leave.

And he will make sure that when he sells the team or passes it on the new owner will not move it.

[JackO]

I can not tell you how big that was. The crowd in the stadium and the 10's of thousands of people outside. It was a complete party, the biggest OD I had seen in years. The traffic was backed up for miles! - Luckily the #27 rolls right past my block

I swear Trea, I swear you have posted some hair-brained things in the past but this - this.

Ummm. I was at opening day. It might have been a good time. But the stadium was barely more than two thirds full. If that. FOR THE FRIGGIN HOME OPENER. WHEN THERE STILL WAS HOPE AND EVEN PROMISE AND REAL HONEST TO GOD OPTIMISM!!!!

[TonySoprano]

Baltimore has been more of a football town versus baseball since the days of the Colts. However, you take the Orioles out of Baltimore and it would be akin to ripping out a piece of the city's soul. The outrage would easily match that of when Irsay loaded the Mayflower trucks.

[ShaneDawg85]

Could the O's leave town.

If there is a baseball god, they will.

I guarantee you the Marlins , Royals, and a lot of other teams would love to come here. With an owner that really cares about this city and winning. The rich tradition and fanbase. I wish they would at this point.

As long as this team is owned by an Angelos, we're doomed.

Say what you will about Peter Angelos as an owner, but to say he doesn't care about the city of Baltimore, given all of his charitable donations and causes is simply laughable.

[JTrea81]

Say what you will about Peter Angelos as an owner, but to say he doesn't care about the city of Baltimore, given all of his charitable donations and causes is simply laughable.

Yeah if anything the case can be made he cares more about Baltimore than the Orioles.

[Mizerooskie]

If the O's had the caliber organization and team that the Ravens have, I wouldn't bet against the chance that they'd be the #1 team in town.

There just isn't the same nostalgic attachment to the Ravens to most over the age of 25.

The O's were THE team for many sports fans in the Baltimore area grew up with.

I don't know where you'd find them, but take a look at the attendance figures in the first 5 years in OPACY. That's an indication of how Baltimore supports a winning Orioles team.

[Mad Mark]

As I said in the post above that, I apologize if I offended anybody, but what I posted is the feeling I get.

If you were to apologize every time you offended anybody here, your post count would double...because you'd have to apologize for every damned one of them.

I'm sorry to tell you that you've shot so far off the crazy scale that we can barely see you any more. You're deep, deep into foil hat territory, and I for one can't see any path back to the reservation for you.

Having said that, the Orioles apparent attendance problem would be a lot less severe if Camden Yards had a capacity of 38,000 rather than 48,000...but that ship left port a long time ago.

Ask the Red $ox how life works when you have far more demand for seats than supply...pretty damned well, even when they were still just lovable losers.

[DannyO]

Baltimore is one of the greatest baseball towns in the country; always was and still is. If anyone thinks this is no longer true they are mistaken, and I won't go into it.

Anything is possible however. I never thought I would see the end of the Soviet Union or the Impeachment of a President with a trial for removel from office in the Senate.

Another 13 years of this and it is possible.

[TonySoprano]

Having said that, the Orioles apparent attendance problem would be a lot less severe if Camden Yards had a capacity of 38,000 rather than 48,000...but that ship left port a long time ago.

Ask the Red $ox how life works when you have far more demand for seats than supply...pretty damned well, even when they were still just lovable losers.

Average attendance last season was 23,545. We haven't been close to 38,000 since Ripken's last year in 2001.

Close off the upper deck, reducing the amount of available tickets, like they have done in Florida and Oakland (?), and you won't increase demand. In fact, unless they lowered the prices of some of the seats in the lower bowl to the levels in the upper deck, I'd wager attendance would further decline. The only attendance problem you'd solve in a smaller park in Baltimore would be to lower the percentage of unsold seats.

[DannyO]

All I can say is look at Philadelphia and you are 100% Wrong with your assumptions. Philadelphia couldn't sell out a home game three years ago. Did the fans stop careing? Absolutely not, they just didn't want to see a team that wasn't any good. Make it to consecutive World Series, and win one the fans are right back at it and more hardcore than ever. Same thing will happen with the Orioles! Honestly though, there seem to be more bandwagon fans than real fans in Philly, complete opposite what I see in Baltimore.

When's the last time you were in Baltimore?

This is one great response to a really stupid comment. Great job.