Camden Yards

Gino's is coming to Camden Yards. The Gino's Burgers & Chicken operation at Camden Yards will be a licensing arrangement between the King of Prussia-based restaurant franchise and the stadium's concessionaire, Buffalo-based Delaware North Companies Sportservice. Sportservice President Rick Abramson confirmed the Gino's addition and restated his commitment to improving the amenities at Camden Yards that his company began last season, its first at Oriole Park. "We're here to please the palate of the Baltimore foodies," Abramson said.

Baltimore gets lots of face time in “VEEP,” the Maryland-made HBO political satire starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus. But so far, all of it has been as a stand-in for Washington, the setting of this fictional series about the vice president of the United States. Last week, the Ottobar and the New Wyman Park restaurant doubled as D.C. settings for a rock concert and a breakfast meeting between two political aides. This week, however, in an episode titled “Baseball,” Baltimore gets to play itself in a story line that finds Vice President Selina Meyer (Louis-Dreyfus)

Number-crunching baseball fans who flock to Camden Yards today will eat this up: 9,200 hot dogs, 4,500 pounds of french fries, 3,700 soft pretzels, 2,500 Boog's pit beef sandwiches and 1,500 hamburgers. But the food stats that the Orioles throw out every year, based on how much gets gobbled up at Oriole Park on a typical Opening Day, don't tell the whole story this time. There's no telling how many gluten- and casein-free Asian noodle salads, "Turtle Bites" or Attman's coddies and knishes fans will down because no one's had the chance to eat them at the ballpark before.

Orioles fans often hear about the Oriole Way, "Orioles Magic" and the three World Series titles during the team's glory years in the '60s, '70s and '80s. Even 20-somethings who missed the last title, in 1983, have playoff appearances in 1996 and 1997 and the historic career of Cal Ripken Jr. to hold onto. But for many, being an Orioles fan has been nothing but disappointment, a streak of 14 straight losing seasons and teams that have started out hot, with plenty of players showing lots of promise, only to find new ways to crush our spirits.

Burgers, fries, nachos, pizza. Camden Yards is still offering lots of tasty - but high calorie and fatty -- foods to please visitors, according to Alison Massey, a dietitian at Mercy Medical Center , who took stock on Opening Day. But she said careful eaters can get away without doing too much damage. “I had a turkey burger, which is probably the best among the meat choices,” she said. “I saw sunflower seeds and peanuts, and they're good too because they contain protein.

I've read the sports pages and seen the articles about the greatest games and most exciting sports moments at Camden Yards, and they bring back memories. But the greatest event at Camden Yards was not sports related at all. It was the Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II in October of 1995. On that day, 60,000 people were entranced and had their hearts and spirits profoundly touched by a great man. None found the need to overindulge in beer or to fight or to curse. Peace, love, hope and charity reigned at Camden Yards on that day. As a Jewish man living in Baltimore, I didn't attend.

To mark the 20th anniversary of Oriole Park at Camden Yards , Pabst Brewing Company is releasing commemorative National Bohemian cans.  For a limited time, your regular 16-ounce Natty Bohs will feature new packaging that has a brawny Mr. Boh swinging a bat and the Baltimore skyline in the background. His head is roughly as big as the Natty Boh logo on the can. The cans have been released to wholesellers already and should be making their way to any bar or liquor store that already carries Boh, said a spokeswoman for Pabst.

Aramark is warning state regulators that it will lay off 613 employees next month if its contract to sell food and merchandise at Oriole Park at Camden Yards is not renewed. The company, which provides services at a dozen ballparks in North America, issued a similar warning last October before its contract in Baltimore was extended for another year. It gave Oct. 13 as the potential layoff date this year, the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation said Tuesday.

On April 8, 1992, in the first inning of the second game at Camden Yards, Cleveland Indians first baseman Paul Sorrento hit the first home run in the history of the ballpark. It was a three-run shot hit off Orioles pitcher Bob Milacki to left-center field on a 1-2 pitch. That and other details are easily accessible in The Baltimore Sun's home runs database , which enables users to search for every longball hit in an Orioles game since Camden Yards opened 20 years ago. It includes all home runs hit at the ballpark, as well as those hit on the road during that time period.

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. If you're happy and you know it And you really want to show it If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. Can someone please tell me how this inane little ditty that appeals to four year-olds is supposed to fire up a major league baseball team and its fans? I'll bet the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, and so on, shudder in horror, quaking in their collective spikes whenever they hear our "fight song" as they set foot on the turf of our beloved baseball cathedral.

The 911 call came in like so many do, a frantic voice that cuts through the night like the wail of a siren. "My granddaughter has drowned! She's not responding! Please help me!" Dave McGowan took the call. Last year at this time, he was the veteran public address announcer at Orioles games at Camden Yards. But now, less than five months on the job at the Prince George's County Emergency Communications Center, he faced this: a frenzied Laurel woman on the line and a 2-year-old with the life ebbing from her after a backyard pool accident.

"VEEP" keeps getting better week by week. And the last couple of weeks, it feels as if the HBO comedy has really found its feet. Baltimore viewers will be especially interested in the ending of Sunday's episode as it sets the wheels in motion for a trip next week that will bring Vice President Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to Camden Yards. The episode includes appearances by Baltimore Orioles pitchers Jake Arrieta and Tommy Hunter, as well as former Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer.

Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis could feel the energy back at Camden Yards. As the Orioles rallied from a six-run deficit Sunday against Tampa Bay in Baltimore's eventual 9-8 loss, Markakis - the most veteran player currently on the team's 25-man roster - took notice of more fans in the the stands. "It's awesome,” Markakis said. “A packed house, going into the ninth inning down by two runs. It's just momentum. Crowd is in it. That's all you can ask for. “It's all about the fans.

WEATHER Today's forecast calls for mostly sunny skies, breezy conditions and a high temperature near 69 degrees. Tonight is expected to be partly cloudy, with a low temperature around 51 degrees. TRAFFIC Check our traffic updates for this morning's issues as you plan your commute. FROM LAST NIGHT... Md.'s economic mobility is among the best in U.S. : The state is one of the best in the country for moving on up, what the study calls positive economic mobility, a new study by the Pew Charitable Trusts concludes.

Earlier this year, I did two top-10 lists in connection with the 20 th anniversary of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The first was rank the top 10 games in stadium history. The second was to rank the top 10 moments in stadium history. Yes, there was some overlap -- Cal Ripken Jr.'s 2,131 st consecutive game was the top in that category, and his victory lap was the top moment -- but I tried to separate them a little. For the moments list, I tried to winnow the game into one moment we'll never forget.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter half-joked recently about how the Orioles never seem to get much publicity on ESPN's Web Gems. But through the first five innings of a scoreless game against the Athletics here at Camden Yards, the producers of Baseball Tonight have their choice of defensive gems. The Orioles have turned in four outstanding defensive plays, none bigger than Nolan Reimold's homer-robbing catch of Kurt Suzuki on the fifth. Suzuki put a charge in a Tommy Hunter delivery, but Reimold reached over the left-field fence, extended his glove over and brought the ball back into the yard.

When the Orioles open their season Friday, it's a safe bet that while many in attendance will be rooting for the home team (and some for the visitors, alas), all will appreciate the venue. Oriole Park at Camden Yards has remained one of the great showplaces of Major League Baseball even 20 years after its first opening day game. Yet even today, some naysayers still question whether the public investment in Camden Yards was worthwhile. Economists point out that the direct financial return on stadiums is not particularly good - a criticism heard two decades ago, as well, by the way - and that some alternative public investment of $110 million might have served downtown better.

Twenty years ago, I was thrilled to stand in a line that wrapped around the B&O warehouse in the hope that I'd be able to purchase a standing room only ticket to see the Baltimore Orioles play at Camden Yards. That seemed much longer ago the other night when I was put in a position to defend the empty seats around me at Camden Yards and defend the integrity of the home of the Orioles. Do opposing teams' fans have a right to visit Camden Yards? Absolutely. Do they have a right to cheer for their team?

Players for both Gilman and Mount St. Joseph will be trying to control their emotions Saturday when they meet in a rematch of the inaugural President's Cup final Saturday at Camden Yards. The two long-time Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference rivals will be trying to take in the scene and dwell on the moment at the second-annual event. But the teams will be approaching the game differently. A year ago, Gilman won the President's Cup title but turned around a week later and lost to the Gaels in an MIAA A Conference game.