Game Days

The Baltimore ordinance seems clear. Drinking an alcoholic beverage "in open container" on a "street, etc., or in vehicle" is illegal, and violators are subject to fines of up to $500. A judge can throw you in jail for up to a month. That rarely happens, of course. But if you ask people who live near M&T Bank Stadium, it never happens on a day the Ravens play at home. They complain that many laws, particularly the one governing where revelers can drink beer and throw their empty cans, seems to get lost in the revelry of the spirited tailgate.

Don't tell anybody in the Orioles clubhouse that there is some kind of magic in the air, because they work too hard to make it seem real. That's going to have to be our little secret. How else do you explain a team that shakes off adversity the way Chris Davis shrugs off an 86-mph fastball down and away - all the way into the left-field bleachers. The Orioles awoke on Friday morning wondering just how long second baseman Brian Roberts would be lost after suffering a painful leg injury in the ninth inning of Thursday's victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

If you're going to go to a bar on New Year's Day, it might as well be a special place. To watch the Ravens this Sunday, consider Red House Tavern in Canton. A mainstay on the corner of Essex and Leakin streets for years, Red House didn't make its mark until April, when new owner Ron Singer, who also runs Leon's in Mount Vernon, reopened it as a mature alternative for the neighborhood. Under the new management, everything from the decor to the menu was overhauled. Red House is now handsome and classy, with lots of new beers and a terrific menu that includes french fries that taste like they came from Thrasher's in Ocean City . In many ways, it is the ideal neighborhood bar: friendly and familiar without being boring.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Each of the Orioles' first five batters facing Yankees starter Nik Turley scored before the New York left-hander could record a single out Wednesday afternoon as the O's ran out to a quick seven-run lead in a 10-7 win. A rematch of last year's American League Division Series it was not. The Orioles brought 12 players from the team's minor league minicamp to fill the later innings, and the Yankees' starting lineup included just two...

Every night the Birds are roosting at Oriole Park is a winner for bars and nightclubs around the stadium. In fact, just about the only place you can't buy a beer is in the stretch of outfield where Babe Ruth's father once ran a tavern.Probably the best gauge of how thirsty fans get is to stand on the stubby block of Washington Boulevard directly across from Camden Yards as a game lets out and then brace yourself as many of those 45,000 fans head toward you. Anyway, that's the vantage point for the barkeeps at Pickles Pub (520 Washington Blvd.

MaGerk's in Federal Hill has a reputation. If we're being charitable, we could say it's a sports bar for young people. More accurately, it can be referred to as meat-heat central - especially upstairs. But that reputation obscures the fact that MaGerk's is, above all, a highly accommodating sports bar, with lots of flat-screens and several specials just on game days. And, it should also be noted that MaGerk's is not just for Ravens fans. They're also a proud Eagles bar. On Sundays, the sound is split in the building so that fans of each teams can hear their games.

Dear Doctor:Has the state Department of Transportation provided any furthe information about possible train service to Camden Station for Orioles night and weekend games?Scott ArnopolAdelphiDear Scott Arnopol:Thank you for your letter and for affixing a 29-cent stamp to th envelope. Yours is the first I have received free of charge.Anyway, I have good news for you. Not great. But good. Although firm schedules have not been set, MARC and the new light-rail line will serve the ballpark before and after games starting with Opening Day on April 6.MARC already runs from Union Station in Washington to th ballpark.

Camden Pub A short walk from the stadiums, Camden Pub is a prime spot for pre-gaming. Where --647 W. Pratt St. Call --410-547-1280 Web site --camdenpub.com Notable --Decent drink specials and food and amiable service. There are also plenty of black-and-white Babe Ruth photos on the walls. Vibe --Here, you can rev up for or unwind from a game among diehard sports junkies and casual fans. What to wear --Depends on who you come to cheer. You can also sport a ruddy outfit or something nice and chances are no one will care.

The voice was loud and angry. It rose above the noise of the fans watching the Ravens train at McDaniel College on Wednesday, like the whine of a blender in a crowded bar. "Hey, Flacco!" the voice cried. "What about the handicapped zone?" Joe Flacco shook his head. "Guess that's supposed to make me feel bad," he said softly. The Ravens quarterback had just spent a few minutes signing autographs after the team's morning practice. But he hadn't made it over to a group of fans in wheelchairs, having been pulled aside by a member of the team's public relations staff to do a media interview.

Aside from the curve and why it is Ben McDonald offers up so many gopher balls, there aren't very many true mysteries in baseball. Certainly one of them is what really transpired on July 2, 1903, which just so happens to be the title of a book soon off the presses.Listen to the names of some of the main characters: Boileryard Clarke, Smilin' Al Orth, Dirty Dick Harley, Wild Conroy, Scoops Carey (a first baseman, what else?), Strawberry Bill Bernhard, Deerfoot Harry Bay, Happy Jack Chesbro, Silent Martin, Highball Wilson and "Nuff Ced" McGreevey.

B&O Brasserie is amping up its Ravens love with playoff week specials. The bar will be serving 50-cent National Bohemians and the Hail Mary, a purple cocktail concocted by Head Bartender Brendan Dorr. Thomas Dunklin is bringing bar snacks like candied bacon deviled eggs, pork belly sliders and Gulf shrimp corn dogs. The specials are in effect all day long on Purple Friday (Jan. 4) and game-day Sunday. Midtown BBQ & Brew is promoting a free halftime buffet for Sunday's game along with beer and shooter specials.

There's little question that the Ray Lewis era has been all good for the Ravens and Baltimore sports fans. There's no doubt that he will go down in history as one of the greatest middle linebackers in NFL history. And, since everyone knew he was inching closer and closer to the decision to retire and spend more time watching his sons play football, his announcement to that effect could not be considered a total blind side. So, really, the only questions that remained suspended over the Under Armour Performance Center on Wednesday afternoon were the ones that nobody likes to ask at a historic and heart-strung moment such as this: Why now, exactly, and to what end?

While many Baltimoreans associate Shuckers of Fells Point with its outdoor patio and picturesque views of the harbor, it has long been a good, if underrated, place to watch a game. Like Looney's Pub in Canton, Shuckers separates itself from surrounding bars with its abundance of TVs. On Sunday, 40 flat-screen TVs will be on at a time, with most tuned (appropriately) to the Ravens' Battle of the Beltways against the Redskins. So even if you can't grab the comfortable leather couch in the back, there will still be plenty of seats and screens available.

For nine years, Bobby Nyk didn't miss a single Ravens game, home or away. That home streak is impressive enough, but it was all those away games that earned him the nickname "The Ravens Road Warrior. " It's a moniker worn proudly by the 62-year-old Baltimore native, who spent most of those nine years working for the team as a DJ outside the stadium on game days. "I don't think anyone's been to more away games than me, except for maybe Nestor Aparicio," the retired Howard County teacher says, referring to the Baltimore radio sports personality and rabid Ravens fan. "Him, and of course the players.

The Orioles made four roster moves before tonight's game against the Blue Jays, giving them an eye-opening 36 total roster moves involving 20 different players this month. The club optioned struggling RHP Tommy Hunter and slumping rookie OF Xavier Avery to Triple-A Norfolk, while activating outfielder Endy Chavez off the disabled list and purchasing the contract of right-handed reliever Miguel Gonzalez from Norfolk. Hunter's demotion comes a day after he lasted just three innings, the shortest start by any Orioles starter this season.

Ravens fans attending Sunday's game will need to layer their purple. Despite partly sunny skies, downtown temperatures will climb to only about 38 degrees by late afternoon. At kickoff time, 1 p.m., expect 33 degrees and a light but chilly NW breeze. Gloves, thick socks and a few layers will be helpful. Ear muffs could serve double duty ... keeping ears warm as well as blocking the noise from the Ravens fanatics.

If you're going to go to a bar on New Year's Day, it might as well be a special place. To watch the Ravens this Sunday, consider Red House Tavern in Canton. A mainstay on the corner of Essex and Leakin streets for years, Red House didn't make its mark until April, when new owner Ron Singer, who also runs Leon's in Mount Vernon, reopened it as a mature alternative for the neighborhood. Under the new management, everything from the decor to the menu was overhauled. Red House is now handsome and classy, with lots of new beers and a terrific menu that includes french fries that taste like they came from Thrasher's in Ocean City . In many ways, it is the ideal neighborhood bar: friendly and familiar without being boring.