Of course, the real reason I went to Baltimore was to take in a few baseball games. I deliberately picked a week where the Orioles would be in town, and bought tickets to two games – conveniently with different visiting teams.

Now I have to admit that Oriole Park at Camden Yards (to use the full, official name) is a lovely place to watch a ball game. Clean sight lines, a nice backdrop, and easy to get to. Worth noting is that it doesn’t have any deliberate quirks that one finds in many of the newer stadia. No giant wall with a home run train on it, no corner of a building serving as a foul pole, no weird walls or angles “just because”…. OK, the left field wall drops back really quickly from 333 feet at the pole to 371 feet, and there is that building behind Eutaw Street in right field. But those things aren’t forced; they feel perfectly natural.

But there is one thing that really irks me; and it’s an absence rather than a presence.

People who know their baseball history know that the Baltimore Orioles were not an expansion team; they were not “born” in Baltimore. They are the “relocated” version of the St. Louis Browns, who moved to the city in 1954. NOWHERE in the place did I see anything that mentioned that. Nothing on the team “Wall of Fame”, no banners featuring highlights of the Browns….

While it’s true that the Browns were awful for most of their time at Sportsman’s Park, they can still boast two Hall of Famers (George Sisler and Bobby Wallace), and one American League pennant (1944). One would think that the O’s would be happy and honored to have those mentioned in the team’s history. Heck, the Washington Nationals just down the road manage to honor their “parent” Montreal Expos…..

Still kind of annoying is the security theater at the gates. My little drawstring backpack that I used to hold my hat, phone, and tablet*? Nope. Can’t take that inside. Even if I show them what’s in it. You have to have one of the approved items. Like a fanny pack or a clear plastic tote bag. Stuff whatever you want (and can) into one of those, and you’re good. I wound up shoving stuff into my pockets or holding it in my hands. Interesting how you can get an approved clear plastic tote bag with the Orioles logo on it in all of the team stores on the main concourse…..

* I was anticipating having problems accessing my ticket on my phone (as I did in Chicago and Detroit), so I brought my mini-tablet – which has Wi-Fi, of course – as a backup. Turns out I needed it. My phone, for whatever reason, could not connect to the Orioles’ free wi-fi. No problem with the tablet……

Anyway, I had to try the food at Boog’s BBQ. Everyone says you should. Owned and operated by Orioles’ legend John “Boog” Powell, it’s right on the Eutaw Street concourse. Licking my lips, I eagerly awaited the culinary delights of a “Big Boog’s”…. Turned out to be barbecued / slow roasted / whatever sliced beef on a “brioche” bun – with nothing else, and a far too large mass of thick cut ridged potato chips liberally seasoned with what I guess was “crab spice” (it tasted like Old Bay, but if it really were that, there would have been signs indicating its use). A real disappointment. The only saving grace was that you could put horseradish on it.

Happily, the main concourse is big and wide enough for the team to allow local establishments to bring in the equivalent of food trucks, which I gather a lot of stadia are doing these days. It gives them a much greater variety of food offerings while highlighting local eateries.

One place I passed on was Ekiben, a Taiwanese place. I’m just not that into Asian food. A short bit away from it was the Factor Maria Pupuseria, offering “pupusas” with your choice of filling. I was intrigued, since I’ve never heard of pupusas before. Turns out they are the national food item of El Salvador, and most closely resemble a quesadilla in size, shape, and how you eat one. Turns out I ate mine the wrong way – I hope the proprietors didn’t see me. I’m sure that, given proper preparation (i.e. not at a stadium “pop up”) they can be quite appetizing. I’ll have to give them another chance if I ever come across a pupuseria.

4 out of 5 – Recommended!

And let’s NOT tell Taco Bell, OK?

More museums and stuff next time……