In a gesture intended to soothe the bruised feelings of angry fans, the Baltimore Orioles will mark the 30th anniversary of their downtown ballpark by offering early-season tickets – and even hot dogs – at 1992 prices.
Tickets for the team’s first two series, against the Milwaukee Brewers April 12-13 and New York Yankees April 15-17, will drop 50-85 per cent, matching prices that existed on April 6, 1992, opening date of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Those prices will be $4 for bleacher seats, $8 for reserve seating, and $12, 13, or $18 for box seats.
As an added bonus, the Orioles will also sell hot dogs at the 1992 price of $1.75 apiece at Camden Franks concessions stands, with a limit of two dogs per person. That offer does not include Opening Day April 11 but does include the rest of the first two series.
Though billed as a thank-you to fans for their support over the last 30 years, the price rollback is also a gesture by a team trying to woo fans back in the wake of the 99-day winter lockout.
That work stoppage, the ninth in baseball history, wiped out the Baseball Winter Meetings, the first half of spring training, and virtually all of the Hot Stove League season when trades and free-agent signings often dominate sports-page headlines.
The second-longest labor interruption in baseball history, the lockout could have wreaked havoc with the 162-game schedule had it not been settled on March 11. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred had already cancelled the first week of the season but saved those games by adding a week at the end as well as previously-unscheduled doubleheaders.
Fans had an angry reaction after the longest interruption – a 232-day player strike that stretched from 1994 into 1995 and wiped out the World Series – finally came to an end. Many fans stayed away and some who went to ballparks showed their displeasure by booing and even showering players with money.
One of the on-field events that helped ease hurt feelings occurred at Oriole Park in 1995 when Cal Ripken, Jr. broke Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played.
Although the latest labor problem was triggered by owners, it still inspired vitriol among fans, including Orioles patrons.
Baltimore fans wishing to take advantage of 1992 prices can enter the coupon code ‘1992’ before selecting seats at Orioles.com/Tickets. The offer, available exclusively online, has a limit of six tickets per game per buyer.
Spectators will also experience another change at Oriole Park: the left-field wall has been moved out 26½ feet to reduce the frequency of home run balls that previously made the park the game’s top target for sluggers. The change is expected to make the stadium no better than average among the 30 major-league parks.
