Camden Yards

May 15, 2004: In sultry heat and on a bone-dry track, Smarty Jones wins the Preakness by a record 111/2 lengths before an announced record crowd of 112,668 at Pimlico Race Course . The victory gives Smarty Jones two legs up in his quest to win the Triple Crown. He'll fail. May 14, 1998: In a 5-4 loss to the Cleveland Indians, Orioles pitcher Mike Mussina is hit in the face by a line drive that fractures his nose and barely misses his right eye. A bloodied Mussina walks off the field at Camden Yards to a chorus of "Mooooose.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Former Ravens center Matt Birk, a Minnesota native, threw out the ceremonial first pitch Saturday night before the Orioles faced the Twins at Target Field . Birk also took part in a pregame Pepsi home run contest. Birk came in second, hitting two softballs over the wall (from a center field plate). The Twins mascot, T.C., won. Birk, 36, retired from football after helping the Ravens to the Super Bowl title this year. His former teammate Haloti Ngata threw out the first pitch at a game at Camden Yards earlier this week .

MINNEAPOLIS -- Orioles rookie T.J. McFarland, who has transitioned nicely from a starter in the minors to a long reliever in the majors, had never pitched in back-to-back games in his professional career. That changed this week when he pitched a scoreless inning Thursday at Camden Yards against the Kansas City Royals and then 2 2/3 scoreless innings against the Twins at Target Field on Friday. "He's kind of done it before, but not in a game," manager Buck Showalter said. "[Pitching coach Rick Adair]

It was about this time last year - give or take a week - that it became apparent the Orioles had undergone some kind of karmic transformation. The exact date was May 6, 2012 and the team was at Fenway Park. Nobody has to tell a real fan the rest. Chris Davis came out of right field and shut out the Boston Red Sox for two innings. Adam Jones launched a three-run homer in the 17th to carry the Orioles back into first place in the American League East. That was the point in their turnaround season when everybody realized something really special was taking place.

Jeremy Guthrie received a warm reception from the crowd at Camden Yards when he took the mound Thursday for the first time here since he was traded away before last season. Then the Kansas City Royals right-hander did his part to beat his former team, handing the Orioles a 6-2 defeat in front of an announced 23,282. Guthrie, who was the Orioles' Opening Day starter in 2008, '09 and '11, held them to two runs (one earned) on seven hits over six innings to snap the Orioles' season-high four-game winning streak and allow the Royals to salvage the series finale.

Kate Joyce detests running. She has since she was in high school. But the prospect of trotting through vibrant clouds of yellow, blue, orange and pink has prompted her to make an exception this weekend. Joyce will be among 25,000 people participating in Saturday's inaugural Baltimore Color Run, a 5K race - in the loosest possible sense of the noun - that's non-competitive and all about having a blast as runners are smothered in colored cornstarch. Many won't break into anything more than a brisk saunter over the entire course, surrounding Oriole Park at Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium.

When Jeremy Guthrie came to Baltimore as a member of the Kansas City Royals last August it wasn't his turn to pitch. So he watched four games, signed autographs and soaked in the atmosphere from the visiting side. On Thursday night, the right-hander is scheduled to take the mound at Camden Yards and face the Orioles for the first time in his career after spending five seasons in orange and black. “It's great -- fond memories, great coming back to the fans,” said Guthrie, who was 47-65 with a 4.12 ERA in 161 games with the Orioles from 2007 to 2011.

Kansas City Royals infielder Miguel Tejada, who spent five seasons with the Orioles, was back at Camden Yards on Tuesday for the first time as a visitor since 2008 when he was with the Houston Astros. “I'm excited, and not just because it is against my old team, but because I am playing,” said Tejada, who entered Tuesday hitting .313 (5-for-16) in a limited role. “I'm happy to come back here, to say hi to my old people and I'm happy with the way the team is playing, too.” Tejada, 38, played with the Orioles from 2004 to 2007 and again in 2010.

Tommy Fortman and his Digital Harbor teammates have been here before. Yesterday, Fortman made sure they were all there again. Digital Harbor won the Baltimore City Division I baseball championship by defeating Poly, 11-1, at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Saturday afternoon. The game was stopped in the fifth inning by the 10-run rule. Fortman allowed one run and five hits in five innings. "It feels great to win it again," Fortman said. "We have a great group of seniors, and our coaches make us work hard.

The mood Tuesday inside Pickles Pub, across from Camden Yards, matched the gray rainy weather. As noontime regulars ate their lunch and quietly caressed glasses of beer amid the low-key chatter and music playing in the background, something clearly was wrong. Mick Kipp, their favorite bartender, co-worker, cook, spice maker, friend and genuine all-around character, was missing. Michael D. "Mick" Kipp, the stuntman-turned-bartender known for his zest for life and his colorful chili-pepper-decorated kilts, bandannas and earring, died Sunday from cardiac arrest at his Annapolis home.