Camden Yards

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.

Rarely will you see Buck Showalter as agitated as he appeared after the Orioles' 6-4 extra-inning loss to the New York Yankees last night at Camden Yards. You couldn't blame the Orioles manager for being in a less-than-sunny mood, either. His team had just lost its season-high sixth straight game -- with all six coming at Camden Yards. (Showalter particularly hates losing at home, considering it a slap in the face to fans who've bought tickets and might have traveled long distances to get to the ballpark.)

Orioles right-hander Miguel Gonzalez was encouraged by his three-inning simulated game on Tuesday afternoon at Camden Yards and said he hopes to be able to return to the mound in a major league game Tuesday against the New York Yankees. Gonzalez, who has been dealing with a slow-healing blister on the inside of his right thumb, threw 25 pitches in the bullpen and then 50 to 55 in the simulated game, throwing all of his pitches - including breaking balls - to teammates Alexi Casilla, Chris Dickerson and Chris Snyder.

Orioles closer Jim Johnson can be depended on to always be at his locker to answer questions anytime he becomes a focal point of a game following a blown save. Those times have been rare, until recently, as Johnson has blown three consecutive ninth-inning leads that all ended in losses.Following the Orioles' 6-4 loss to the New York Yankees in the 10th inning on Monday at Camden Yards, Johnson put the team's season-high six-game losing streak in perspective. “Well, three of them are my fault,” Johnson said.

The recent article ("Beyond the Preakness," April 9) outlining the current reality of the Pimlico race track and its future highlights the need for broader and bolder thinking in order to advance a sustainable solution to make horse racing in Baltimore a thriving industry once again. As reported, the Jockey Club wants to attract better trainers and horses by investing 15 percent of projected earnings to renovate the stables. Yet this approach will do little to improve the fan experience.

If you're heading to Camden Yards for today's opener and you want to smoke during the game, you're going to have to leave the stadium to light up. Orioles fans will be able to smoke only in a designated area just outside of Gate E1 on the third base side of the ballpark. On March 4, the Maryland Stadium Authority's smoking ban went into effect at the Camden Yards sports complex, which includes Oriole Park and M&T Bank Stadium. The new code “prohibits smoking or carrying lit tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars and pipes)

Coleen Deems sat down after every Ravens season and wrote a letter to the team, asking it to ban smoking at the stadium. This year, when her 10-year-old grandson looked up and said, “I have to hold my breath,” while walking past a designated smoking area at M&T Bank Stadium, the 11-year season-ticket holder became more determined and considered tracking down the personal email address of team owner Steve Bisciotti. She didn't have to, and the Ravens won't need to decide how to deal with the divisive issue.

The Orioles have an interesting starting lineup in tonight's series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays, which includes Yamaico Navarro starting at second base. This could be the beginning of the Orioles taking an extended look at Navarro at the position, and it could signal that the team is about to option struggling second baseman Ryan Flaherty to Triple-A Norfolk. Navarro was hitting .303/.395/.434 with eight doubles, two homers and 13 RBIs at Triple-A Norfolk, so he definitely deserves a look.

Orioles right-hander Miguel Gonzalez, who has not pitched since developing a deep blister on his right thumb May 3 in Anaheim, is getting closer to appearing in a big league game. Gonzalez threw 35 pitches in a bullpen session Wednesday, the last few without a bandage covering the thumb (he won't be able to use a covering in a game). He said he came out feeling “really good.” “The ball was coming out good,” Gonzalez said. “The breaking pitches were fine. I was pretty happy about my performance.” Gonzalez is next scheduled to pitch in a simulated game Friday afternoon at Camden Yards so that the team can best control the environment.

Less than two weeks ago, the Orioles were tied for first place in the American League East. Despite subpar starting pitching, they were winning games -- more than 60 percent of them -- because Manny Machado, Adam Jones and Chris Davis were pounding the ball and the Baltimore bullpen continued to be a stabilizing force. The top-heavy offense is still producing -- the Orioles scored 17 runs over the weekend -- but with the rotation being held together with bandages and Scotch tape, closer Jim Johnson having blown back-to-back save opportunities, and seemingly every bounce going the other way right now , the 23-20 Orioles are free-falling.

Less than two weeks ago, the Orioles were tied for first place in the American League East. Despite subpar starting pitching, they were winning games -- more than 60 percent of them -- because Manny Machado, Adam Jones and Chris Davis were pounding the ball and the Baltimore bullpen continued to be a stabilizing force. The top-heavy offense is still producing -- the Orioles scored 17 runs over the weekend -- but with the rotation being held together with bandages and Scotch tape, closer Jim Johnson having blown back-to-back save opportunities, and seemingly every bounce going the other way right now , the 23-20 Orioles are free-falling.

Miguel Gonzalez, who has been on the disabled list since May 9 (retroactive to May 4) with a blister on his right thumb, will start against the Yankees on Tuesday. He said it's been difficult to not be able to pitch in a game while not really being injured. “I've been telling the guys that it is frustrating not to be out there because of a blister,” said Gonzalez, who is 2-2 with a 4.58 ERA in six starts this season. “And it's not an injury or anything like that. You just have to sit down and wait for it to heal.” Since he threw 80-plus pitches in a simulated game Friday and the blister appears to be healed, Gonzalez said he believes he'll be able to pitch as long as he is needed on Tuesday.

Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen leaves Baltimore on Tuesday for the club's minor league complex in Sarasota, Fla., but how long he'll be there is unknown. “I just want to go down there and prepare early and rehab early so I can get everything [done] down there,” Chen said through interpreter Tim Lin. “And just hope everything will be fine moving forward.” Chen suffered a Grade 2 strain of his right oblique in the fifth inning of his last start, May 12 in Minnesota. He is eligible to come off the disabled list on May 28, but that certainly won't happen.

Last season, Orioles manager Buck Showalter had the base of the right-field foul pole at Camden Yards painted black in order to help discern balls in play from home runs. Most stadiums have a yellow line on the top of the wall that serves as a marker in cases where there could be doubt. Camden Yards doesn't, and on most days here, you'll never notice. In the Orioles' 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday afternoon, that anonymous nook of the ballpark was the point of focus in front of an announced 37,704 at Camden Yards.

Right-handed hitter Danny Valencia has been called up from Triple-A Norfolk and will be with the Orioles at Camden Yards on Sunday, according to an industry source. The 28-year-old, who did not play for the Tides on Saturday, is batting .306 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs in 40 games this season. In his past 10 games, Valencia is batting .356 with seven home runs and 17 RBIs. He hit two home runs last Tuesday against Lehigh Valley.

For the first five weeks of the season, the Orioles slogged through one of the toughest early season schedules in baseball and came out clean on the other side. An impressive display of power, timely hitting and solid relief that has made them one of the winningest teams in either league at the quarter pole. So, what happens? They get a quick breather against a couple of struggling teams and go 2-3 before wading into another long stretch of games that features three divisional rivals and tough series against the Detroit Tigers and Washington Nationals.

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.

CUMBERLAND -- A special train will take Oriole fans from Cumberland to the Camden Yards stadium four times this summer, a happy Gov. William Donald Schaefer announced yesterday.Mr. Schaefer, a railroad buff and Oriole fan himself, announced the special arrangement outside the Cumberland station of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, which runs from Cumberland Frostburg.A Maryland Rail Commuter train will haul up to 500 passengers to Oriole Park at Camden Yards June 28, July 26, Aug. 23 and Sept.

Orioles right-hander Miguel Gonzalez was encouraged by his three-inning simulated game on Tuesday afternoon at Camden Yards and said he hopes to be able to return to the mound in a major league game Tuesday against the New York Yankees. Gonzalez, who has been dealing with a slow-healing blister on the inside of his right thumb, threw 25 pitches in the bullpen and then 50 to 55 in the simulated game, throwing all of his pitches - including breaking balls - to teammates Alexi Casilla, Chris Dickerson and Chris Snyder.

The Orioles have an interesting starting lineup in tonight's series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays, which includes Yamaico Navarro starting at second base. This could be the beginning of the Orioles taking an extended look at Navarro at the position, and it could signal that the team is about to option struggling second baseman Ryan Flaherty to Triple-A Norfolk. Navarro was hitting .303/.395/.434 with eight doubles, two homers and 13 RBIs at Triple-A Norfolk, so he definitely deserves a look.