The Red Sox are coming, the Red Sox are coming !!

I may get flamed for this, but hear me out. The times I most enjoy hanging around Camden Yards is when the Red Sox play. The team plays Monday night, but the fans will start lurking around the Warehouse about noon.

I know this is heresy to those who resent having Oriole Park taken over by a sizable (and highly vocal) contingent of opposing fans, particularly when they all come in costumes and sit together. They do seem to take over the place. But they also bring enough energy to light south Baltimore, and demonstrate a real appreciation for the game.

That’s not all they appreciate. I’ve spent a lot of time talking to them – on Eutaw Street and in my favorite haunt, Pickles Pub – and what I hear repeatedly is how much these folks from New England enjoy coming to Camden Yards. For many, the trip to Baltimore is a family vacation, a weekend with the guys, or even a romantic getaway. (No kidding!) For some, it is the only chance they get to see their favorite team in person since Fenway Park tickets are so scarce (and expensive.) As one group of guys told me (while swilling at Pickles) it’s cheaper to catch an AirTran out of Boston or Southwest out of Providence, get a hotel at the airport and light rail to the stadium, than it is to pay for tickets and parking in Boston. At Pickles, you can’t have a conversation without comparing StubHub steals.

In fact, said one, they enjoy coming here so much they call it “Fenway South” (I don’t think I’ll share that with Mr. Angelos anytime soon.) When one shouts across the bar to another “I'll catch you at Boog’s” you know it isn’t their first time here. For some, it’s an annual migration.

So while many O’s faithful (and probably the Birds themselves) resent the highly partisan Sox fans in their roost, look at it from an economic standpoint. Not only do the interlopers stay in hotels, eat in restaurants, visit attractions, and drink in bars (particularly the latter) but they also buy concessions and souvenirs at the stadium. With the hospitality industry hit particularly hard by a soft economy, these free spenders from the north are a welcome bump for the local economy.

That isn’t the reason I like the Sox visits the most, though. It’s the genuine admiration they express for Camden Yards and the experience they have when visiting here. Anyone who appreciates what a special place we Marylanders have is OK with me.

Don’t let the Beantowners have all the fun. Come to a game and spend the day or evening around the park. Be a tourist in your own state and see what we have that is the pride of the Major Leagues. Oriole tickets are available here:
baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/ticketing/index.jsp?c_id=bal