Another yr, one other Orioles season, however not every thing would be the identical when Baltimore followers head to Camden Yards on Friday afternoon.
Oriole Park has new meals, new guidelines and new sights for a 2023 season that has excessive expectations for a company that has declared an finish to its rebuild.
On the sphere, the Orioles are again dwelling after going 3-3 of their first two collection to open the marketing campaign. Baltimore will host the defending American League East champion New York Yankees for a three-game collection this weekend. The dwelling opener was initially scheduled for Thursday, however the staff pushed it again to Friday due to potential inclement climate.
Here’s every thing followers have to know.
Festivities
Gates on the ballpark will open at midday, about three hours earlier than first pitch at 3:05 p.m. The opening day giveaway for followers is an Orioles 2023 schedule magnet.
The pregame festivities will start at 2:30 p.m. for a ceremony emceed by Mid-Atlantic Sports Network broadcaster Kevin Brown.
Parijita Bastola, a Severna Park native who starred on season 22 of NBC’s “The Voice,” will sing the nationwide anthem. Bastola additionally sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s inauguration in January. Members of the Baltimore City Police and Fire Department honor guards will current the colours.
Moore and his youngsters, Mia and James, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Mia and James will then yell “play ball” earlier than first pitch.
Merrill Heim — the “Fired Up Guy” — will likely be acknowledged because the Mo Gaba Fan of the Year from the 2022 season. Geoff Meehle, a well being and bodily training coordinator for Baltimore City Public Schools, will likely be honored because the Birdland Community Hero.
Before the on-field festivities, the Budweiser Clydesdales will trot from Lee Street to Eutaw Street starting at 11:30 a.m.
New bag guidelines
Bringing meals, drinks and different objects into the park will likely be simpler this season than in the last few years.
Orioles followers can carry luggage inside Camden Yards because the membership has reversed its pandemic-era coverage that banned something bigger than one-gallon-sized luggage.
However, the brand new guidelines aren’t a return to the pre-pandemic days. Backpacks aren’t allowed, and the baggage which might be allowed should be clear and no bigger than 12-by-6-by-12 inches. The coverage is much like different sports activities groups, together with the Ravens.
Fanny packs and clutches no bigger than 5-by-7 inches and medically essential objects, resembling diaper luggage, are additionally allowed.
New meals
Fans who will eat within the park quite than usher in their very own meals will expertise Oriole Park’s new concessions operator.
This offseason, the Orioles changed Delaware North, which partnered with the staff since 2010, with Levy to handle concessions at Camden Yards. Levy, a Chicago-based hospitality firm, can be the concessions operator at Nationals Park, FedEx Field and Audi Field within the Washington area.
Some of the park’s hottest distributors, like Boog’s Barbeque and Jimmy’s Famous Seafood, will proceed to function beneath Levy.
In late March, the Orioles showcased a few of the new meals choices at Camden Yards this season, together with crab chips, a three-foot scorching canine topped with crab dip and a crab pretzel boule.
Ballpark modifications
One fan-favorite eatery at Oriole Park, although, is now not there.
Dempsey’s Brew Pub on Eutaw Street has been changed by SuperBook Bar & Restaurant. SuperBook Sports, a Las Vegas-based sportsbook, will function a sports activities lounge at Oriole Park, however the venue just isn’t a retail sportsbook. Opening day would be the restaurant’s debut.
Also on Eutaw Street, the Orioles’ staff retailer was renovated this offseason.
The 2023 season would be the Orioles’ thirty first at Camden Yards, and if the grass and filth look additional shiny, it’s not your eyes enjoying methods on you. The Orioles put in new sod and replenished 5 inches of filth, together with 105,000 sq. ft of Kentucky bluegrass and 1,500 tons of sand.
The middle area scoreboard can even look totally different. “The Sun” signal was taken down from atop the scoreboard this offseason to open the house up for sponsorship alternatives. Lower on the scoreboard, a brand new SuperBook Sports commercial has been added with the playing slogan: “Good teams win, great teams cover.”
MLB rule modifications
Baseball was as soon as the game with out time restrictions. Not anymore.
The 2023 season has ushered in a number of new guidelines for gamers, coaches and followers to get accustomed to, together with a pitch clock, bigger bases and limits to defensive shifting.
The change with essentially the most noticeable influence on the sport is the pitch clock. Pitchers could have 15 seconds with no runners on and 20 seconds with a base runner to ship a pitch. Batters should be within the field and able to hit with eight seconds remaining, and so they can name timeout as soon as per plate look. If a pitcher fails to ship a pitch in time, an computerized ball will likely be known as. If a batter isn’t prepared in time, the umpire will name an computerized strike.
The new guidelines have lower practically half-hour off sport occasions to this point this season. The size of MLB video games have grown in latest many years — from a median of two:30 within the Nineteen Seventies to three:06 final season. Through the primary week of the 2023 marketing campaign, the common sport has been 2:37 — the primary season beneath three hours since 2011 and the bottom to this point since 1979.
The infield shift has additionally been curtailed this season. The common observe — one which started a century in the past however grew to become widespread observe within the 2010s — has been blamed for the decline in batting averages, as defenses have been in a position to place a number of infielders on one aspect of second base to stymie a hitter’s probabilities of reaching base. Those aggressive alignments have been banned, although, as the brand new shifting guidelines state that every one 4 infielders should have each ft within the infield and two infielders on either side of second base.
The bases are additionally greater — up from 15-square inches to 18-square inches — in an effort to enhance participant security and encourage stolen-base makes an attempt. Pitchers are additionally restricted in what number of occasions they will step off the rubber to name timeout or decide off to a base, which is one other rule change that would enhance stolen bases. The Orioles lead the majors in stolen bases with 11. They swiped 10 luggage of their first two video games in opposition to the Boston Red Sox for essentially the most by any staff in its first two video games of a season since no less than 1901.
The on-field product
The modifications to Oriole Park will supply new taste for followers, however the on-field product may supply simply as a lot pleasure.
After an 83-win season wherein the Orioles have been one of many greatest surprises in MLB, the hype for the 2023 marketing campaign is increased than it’s been because the rebuild started in 2019.
Right-hander Dean Kremer will begin on the mound for the Orioles, hoping to get again on observe after permitting 5 runs in three innings to open his season in opposition to the Red Sox final week.
The Orioles are coming off a collection win over the Texas Rangers earlier this week. After their pitching and protection struggled within the opening collection in opposition to Boston, Baltimore bounced again to win its first two video games in opposition to the Rangers.
While a lot of the 26-man roster from final yr is again, newcomers resembling beginning pitcher Kyle Gibson and second baseman Adam Frazier will expertise their first Camden Yards opening day as Orioles. Former prime prospect Gunnar Henderson and Orioles prime pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez are actually within the huge leagues, as effectively.
Center fielder Cedric Mullins, catcher Adley Rutschman, first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, shortstop Jorge Mateo and outfielders Austin Hays and Anthony Santander are again to guide the Orioles’ lineup. And, if all goes effectively for the primary eight innings Friday, nearer Félix Bautista may get the decision to close the door within the ninth.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com