2010 Baltimore Orioles, Losing on the Field & the Stands
It's clear there's a lot wrong with the once storied Baltimore Orioles franchise. While the young Tampa Bay Rays have become constant competitors, the Orioles have resided near, or at the bottom of the AL East standings. Like the Orioles, the Rays can't compete with the Yankees and Red Sox for high priced free agents, but the Rays secret to success has been their strong farm system. Conversely, the Orioles can't seem to compete on either level.
Baltimore is not only losing on the field, they're losing in the stands. For the 2010 season, the Orioles average attendance per game is, 21,689, slightly higher then the Washington Nationals. In a stunning visual that sums up the current state of the Orioles, there were only 9,000+ fans in Camden Yards to see the Orioles lose to the Rays, on April 12th, 2010. It's been almost ten years since Cal Ripken Jr. played his final season in Baltimore, during that season, 2001, the average attendance for an Orioles game, was 38,685.
With the 2010 season already taking on a familiar feel, empty sets in Camden Yards will continue to be a frequent occurrence. The Orioles will most likely finish in last place again this season, and enter the off season with several question marks surrounding the players on the field, as well as management. Unfortunately, the answers aren't going to be easy. Playing in the AL East is a daunting task, and competing against Boston, New York, and Tampa Bay would be difficult for most teams.
Rebuilding takes time, but the Orioles haven't had a winning record since, 1997. Cal Ripken Jr. is long gone, and Baltimore is still searching for a team identity, and a face of the franchise. Camden Yards is a top notch ball park, still waiting to house a top notch team. With a possible number one draft pick next season, maybe help is on the horizon.
Sources:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/attendance/_/year/2001
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/gameflash/2010/04/12/30869_recap.html
http://espn.go.com/mlb/attendance
Published by Vonda Menard
MFA in Professional Writing. My script, Return ot Darfur was performed in New York. Working hard to get this film made. Mother of two wonderful boys. Ultimate sports fan. Favorite sports football and ba... View profile
- Troy Aikman, Cal Ripken Jr., Joe Buck Join Lung Cancer Awareness CampaignThree of the most recognized names in professional sports are teaming up in the fight against the nation's number-one cancer killer -- lung cancer.
IronBirds to Retire Ripken Family NumbersCal Ripken Jr, Billy Ripken and Cal Ripken Sr to be honored in Aberdeen, Maryland.- The Final Game of Cal Ripken Jr's CareerCal's final game ended up being at home in baltimore in front of the fans that loved him. Cal Ripken finished playing baseball on October 6th, 2001. The Orioles played the Boston Redsox.
Baseball's Cal Ripken ReflectionsCal Ripken's mother reflects on his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame
Breaking News: Ripken and Gwynn Elected to Hall of Fametoday, two great baseball players Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn were elected to the Hall of Fame
- Once Proud Baltimore Orioles Have Hit Rock Bottom
- A Biography of Cal Ripken, Jr
- Boston Red Sox 2008 Starting Rotation Preview
- World Series 2007: Boston Red Sox Will Win
- Cheat Sheet to Boston Red Sox Blogs
- The Boston Red Sox Infield - Few Errors and No Power
- Cal Ripken, Jr.: An Ironman's Life
- The 2010 Baltimore Orioles are struggling to stay competitive.
- Unable to compete for high priced free agents, Baltimore struggles for wins, and fans in stands.
- The last time the Orioles had a winning record was in 1997.