On Monday, the Baltimore Orioles drew 7,915 fans to a home contest, a new low for games where fans were allowed into Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Technically, Monday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays is not the record low for attendance at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, as the April 29, 2015 game was closed to fans following protests in the city over the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody. As for games in which fans were admitted, however, Monday’s contest was the lowest in the ballpark’s history.
An announced crowd of 7,915 fans turned out during a cold and damp night in Baltimore, with the tempature announced at 44 degrees (the lowest among the Orioles first four home games in 2018) at first pitch before dropping as the game progressed. More from The Baltimore Sun:
But Monday’s attendance was the lowest for a game at Camden Yards in which fans were allowed into the ballpark. In the previous low, the Orioles had 9,129 for a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on April 13, 2010.
The Orioles never have drawn particularly well for games against the Blue Jays or Rays. That small crowd in 2010 broke the previous low set in a game against the Blue Jays on May 26, 2009.
On the field, the contest resulted in a loss for the Orioles, with the Blue Jays using a five-run top of the ninth to cap a 7-1 victory.
Major League Baseball is battling bad weather in 2018 — one of the perils of starting the season so early. The Cleveland Indians and their fans suffered through the coldest day in Progressive Field game history on Sunday. The Chicago Cubs saw their season home opener postponed a day after heavier-than-expected snow flurries hit the Windy City, particularly closer to the lake. That opening will take place today. The Chicago White Sox played their afternoon game yesterday, without having much of a choice: the opponent, the Tampa Bay Rays, were not scheduled to return to Guaranteed Rate Field this season, and another event was scheduled for the team tonight, which would have meant a Wednesday doubleheader. Also, it does appear that more snow hit Wrigley Field than Guaranteed Rate Field — that dreaded lake-effect snow hit the Friendly Confines pretty hard. (Yes, we were there.)