The Baltimore Orioles announced plans for a year-long celebration marking the 30th season of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, which launched the retro trend in Major League Baseball ballparks.
The retro style of ballpark architecture combines design elements found in old buildings, such as plenty of exposed steelwork and brick construction, along with amenities fans expect with a modern experience. In Baltimore, the design team, led by Populous and Janet Marie Smith, integrated a ballpark with a historic location and buildings. The design inspired many other MiLB and MLB ballparks, including PNC Park and Oracle Park, forever changing how fans experienced a baseball experience. It’s billed by the Orioles as “The Ballpark That Forever Changed Baseball,” and they’re not too far off in that assessment.
Throughout the 2022 season, jerseys for all uniformed personnel will feature the official Oriole Park at Camden Yards 30th Anniversary logo patch on the right sleeve, a constant ode to the home ballpark. Fans will be able to take home their own piece of Oriole Park history as the Orioles Team Store will have 30th anniversary merchandise, novelties, glassware, hats, and apparel available for purchase. Here’s a list of what the Orioles have planned, per a team press release:
- Birdland Memberships – At the start of the season, each Birdland Member will receive a member-only gift: an exclusive hat and vial of dirt from the Oriole Park infield. For information on additional Member-only perks, including up to a 30% discount on concessions and merchandise, and to become a Birdland Member, visit Orioles.com/BirdlandMemberships.
- $10 Eutaw Street Bleachers – The Orioles will offer $10 seats in the outfield Eutaw Street bleachers for each home game, Monday through Thursday, for the duration of the season, excluding Opening Day. The on-sale date for 2022 individual games will be announced at a later time.
- Habitat For Humanity – As part of the club’s ongoing community efforts to Strengthen Our Community and Empower Our Youth, the Orioles have partnered with Habitat For Humanity to provide housing to those in need in our own backyard for decades to come. Located in the shadows of Oriole Park in the Pigtown neighborhood, the Orioles will help build three new-construction homes, two rowhome rehabs, and a community greenspace, among other projects. Throughout the year-long project, members of the front office, Orange & Black Gives Back Employee Volunteer Program, and various other partners will participate in build days to complete the project.
- Oriole Park Exhibit – Located within the ballpark gates, fans will be able to experience the history of Oriole Park through a 30th anniversary exhibit featuring memorabilia and never-before-seen photos of the ballpark from the last three decades. Fans will also be able to share their unique personal history of the ballpark by contributing photos and memories.