What to expect at the Orioles home opener Friday
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The 31st Home Opener at Oriole Park at Camden Yards is Friday, and the Baltimore Orioles are celebrating in style. If you plan on attending or are watching from home, here's what to expect.
The Orioles play the New York Yankees on Friday at 3:05 p.m., but festivities begin at 2:30 p.m. with a pre-game ceremony emceed by Orioles broadcaster Kevin Brown.
The original opener was slated for Thursday, but was postponed due to the forecast of severe inclement weather.
The gates to Oriole Park at Camden Yards will open three hours before first pitch, at noon. Fans attending Opening Day are encouraged to be in their seats by 2:20 p.m. to enjoy the Opening Day pregame festivities.
Before the Game
The game kicks off with a rendition of the national anthem by Severna Park native and "The Voice" contestant Parijita Bastola. Then, colors will be presented by members of the Baltimore City Police Honor Guard and the Baltimore City Fire Department Honor Guard.
The ceremonial first pitches will be thrown out by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and his children, Mia and James. The kids will also yell the ceremonial "Play Ball" prior to the game.
The team will also recognize Mo Gaba's Fan of the Year. This year it's Merrill Heim. Known as "the fired up guy," the team said Heim began attending Orioles games with his parents at Memorial Stadium.
Heim often yells "I'm Fired Up. You Fired Up?" from his seats along the first base line, the team said, and last year, he helped start the home run chain celebration.
Geoff Meehle, a health and physical education coordinator for Baltimore City Public Schools and the volunteer President of the Society for Health and Physical Educators Maryland, will be recognized as the Birdland Community Hero
As part of his recognition, the Orioles Charitable Foundation will make a $5,000 donation to SHAPE Maryland.
The giveaway for the home opener is a magnet with the season calendar on it.
What's New?
There's plenty of new features at Oriole Park to look forward to, including the shopping and food.
The Orioles said it made significant investments in its retail experience, including renovating the Orioles Team Store location in the ground floor of the Warehouse on Eutaw Street.
The store now features more point-of-sales options and a Nike concept shop, the ability to customize jerseys on-site, and a Mitchell & Ness concept shop featuring authentic vintage jerseys and apparel, the team said.
There are also plenty of new food offerings after the team switched vendors this year.
The new food under Levy includes "The 410 Menu" with ballpark classic, Boog's BBQ house-smoked meats on game days and new signature items "For The Birds," which includes the Buffalo Bird Dog, B'More Chicken Box, Yard Dog, The Havana, Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza, O's Hand-Rolled Pretzel, and the Crab Pretzel Boule.
Finally, Camden Yards is introducing SuperBook Bar & Restaurant, its first-ever sports lounge as part of the long-term partnership between the Orioles and SuperBook Sports.
The betting lounge will include food and drinks, and seating for fans to watch the games they've wagered on.
For more information on the new updates and accommodations at Oriole Park, visit Orioles.com/AtoZ.
