Oriole Park at Camden Yards Milestones

Returning home to Memorial Stadium with a 1-23 record, the Orioles play before 50,402 fans on a Monday night billed as Fantastic Fans Night. In a dramatic pregame announcement, Governor William Donald Schaefer announces that Orioles owner Edward Bennett Williams and the Maryland Stadium Authority have agreed on a 15-year lease for a new ballpark to be constructed at Camden Yards for the 1992 season.

With Pete Harnisch pitching and bullpen coach Elrod Hendricks catching, first baseman Randy Milligan hits the first ball ever on the grounds of the new Camden Yards ballpark as construction begins after six months of demolition work at the site.

On the eve of the Final Weekend at Memorial Stadium, and after more than two years of debate, the Orioles' new ballpark is officially named. It will be called Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards ushers in a new era of ballparks, and the Orioles beat the Indians, 2-0, on Rick Sutcliffe's complete game. The ballpark, on the western edge of downtown, helps revitalize the neighborhood and immediately earns wide acclaim for its architectural design and fan-friendly features.

After selling out eight of their first 23 games in the new ballpark, the Orioles begin a string of 59 straight sellouts to finish the season.

The Orioles conclude their home schedule by beating Boston and shattering the club's season attendance record. The Orioles draw 3,567,819 fans, breaking the club record set the year before at Memorial Stadium by more than one million.

The Orioles' then-Major League record of 65 straight home sellouts comes to an end with a daytime makeup game vs. the Chicago White Sox that draws 22,564.

Oriole Park hosts the city's second All-Star Game and first since 1958. The event follows a week-long "All-Star FanFest," the first of its kind.

Cal Ripken Jr. hits his 278th career home run as a shortstop against the Twins' Scott Erickson at Camden Yards, breaking the record held by Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks. The feat goes unrecognized until after the season, and the Orioles install an orange seat in the left field stands prior to the 1994 season to mark the spot of the home run.
 

Jeffrey Hammonds hits the first walk-off home run in Oriole Park history as the Orioles, who trailed the Oakland A's 7-2 in the fifth inning, come back to win 8-7.

On the night Cal Ripken Jr. ties Lou Gehrig for the most consecutive games played (2,130), the Orioles get back-to-back-to-back home runs from Jeff Manto, Mark Smith and Brady Anderson. Chris Hoiles adds another in the same inning. The three straight homers and four in one frame both tie club records. 

The Iron Man tops the Iron Horse: Cal Ripken Jr. surpasses a record once thought unbeatable, playing in his 2,131st consecutive game to pass Lou Gehrig's all-time mark. Ripken's homer in the game helps beat the Angels, 4-2. Both President Clinton and Vice President Gore attend the game, the first time a sitting president and vice president attend a professional sports event together.

The Orioles draw 3,098,475 fans in the strike-shortened season to lead the American League in attendance for the first time in their history. They will go on to lead the league in attendance for four straight years.

After tossing two straight shutouts in Toronto, the Orioles return home for their final three games of the season and blank the Detroit Tigers 6-0, 12-0, 4-0 to end the season with 45 consecutive scoreless innings, matching the club and league records for consecutive shutouts.

As part of a visit to Baltimore, Pope John Paul II celebrates mass in front of more than 50,000 people at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the fifth of seven Major League parks ever to host a papal mass.  
 

 In a nationally televised game on FOX, Orioles second baseman Roberto Alomar becomes the first player to hit three home runs in a game at Camden Yards during a 14-5 thumping of Boston. 

With the Orioles trailing Seattle by three runs with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Chris Hoiles hits a grand slam, the 12th sudden-death grand slam with two outs in Major League history, to give the Orioles a 14-13 win.

Rain halts the Orioles' game vs. Texas with the score tied 1-1 in the sixth inning, causing the game to be replayed the next night. It marks the 10th tie game in club history and the first since 1982.

In a pregame ceremony, the Orioles celebrate Earl Weaver's induction into the Hall of Fame, unveiling a dugout plaque in his honor with a No. 4.  

Future Hall of Famer Eddie Murray, who returned to the club in a midseason trade with Cleveland, hits his 500th career home run into the right-field seats at Camden Yards. An orange seat is installed to mark the spot of the home run.

In the first postseason game ever at Oriole Park, the Orioles blast Cleveland, 10-4, in Game 1 of the AL Division Series. They go on to defeat the Indians in the ALDS before losing to New York in the AL Championship Series.

After a season-opening win two days earlier, the Orioles complete a two-game sweep of Kansas City to move into sole possession of first place in the AL East. They will never lose the lead, going wire-to-wire to win the division, becoming just the sixth team in MLB history to accomplish that feat.

A day after the sudden passing of Rex Barney, the Orioles beat the Oakland A's, 8-0, in a game played without a public address announcer. His pressbox seat will remain empty the remainder of the year, with fill-in PA announcers working from the video control room. A plaque in Barney's memory is installed behind his old seat with his name, his old Brooklyn Dodgers uniform number (26) and his famous "Thank youuu."

With subs Jeff Reboulet and Jerome Walton starting in place of All-Stars Roberto Alomar and Rafael Palmeiro, the Orioles beat Seattle's Randy Johnson, 3-1, to clinch their AL Division Series in front of 48,776 fans.

Eric Davis goes 2-for-5 with a grand slam and five RBIs in an 11-7 win over Boston at Camden Yards to start a club-record 30-game hitting streak. The streak ends on Aug. 16 at Cleveland.

Cal Ripken Jr. ends his consecutive game streak at 2,632, sitting out the Orioles' final home game of the season at Camden Yards vs. the New York Yankees. With Ryan Minor starting in his place at third base, Ripken acknowledges the crowd's standing ovation from the dugout after the first pitch of the game.

After traveling to Havana for a historic exhibition game during Spring Training, the Orioles host an exhibition game against Cuba at Camden Yards, marking the first time that Cuba ever has played a Major League team on U.S. soil.

Relief pitcher Jesse Orosco retires the only batter he faces vs. Minnesota in his 1,072nd career appearance, breaking the Major League record held by Dennis Eckersley. The Orioles erect a plaque marking the feat in the Orioles bullpen.

Eleven different Orioles (including Delino DeShields) either get a hit or score a run, and nine different players have RBIs, as the Orioles beat Toronto, 23-1, at Camden Yards to set a club record for most runs scored in a game.

Boston's Hideo Nomo tosses the first no-hitter in Camden Yards history, blanking the Orioles, 3-0. 

With the opener of a three-game series rained out, the Orioles draw 96,785 for the final two games of a series against Boston, the largest two-game series in Oriole Park history.

Having announced in May his plans to retire at season's end, Cal Ripken plays his last game as an Oriole before 48,807 fans at Camden Yards. Among the honors: the Orioles unveil a dugout plaque in memory of his father, Cal Ripken Sr., longtime scout, coach, manager and mentor to Orioles players and staff for 36 seasons.

Trailing Tampa Bay, 6-3, the Orioles erupt for club single-inning records with 12 runs and 11 hits in the sixth inning and go on to beat the Devil Rays, 15-6.

The Orioles and the Maryland Stadium Authority dedicate a Memorial Wall outside the south end of the Eutaw Street walkway. The lighted, 11-foot tall, black granite wall honoring veterans contains the original stainless steel lettering from Memorial Stadium reading, "Time Will Not Dim The Glory Of Their Deeds." An urn from Memorial Stadium containing soil from all foreign U.S. military cemeteries and a plaque explaining the wall's significance and its connection to the Orioles' former home are included in the memorial.

The concrete padded wall backstop at Oriole Park is replaced by brick, in keeping with the Camden Yards aesthetic, and two rows of seats are added at field level beyond the first and third base dugouts.

The Orioles open their 50th anniversary season by beating the Red Sox, 7-2, in a nationally televised Sunday night game. It is the first time the Orioles play a home opener at night.

The largest crowd in Camden Yards history -- 49,828 fans -- watches the Orioles beat Boston, 4-1, to take three of four games from the Red Sox. The series also draws an Oriole Park record for a four-date series, 195,722.

Nick Markakis becomes the first rookie in Orioles history to hit three homers in one game, smacking a trio of solo shots in the Orioles' 6-3 win over Minnesota at Camden Yards. Markakis goes deep in the first, third and fifth innings, then flies out deep to left in his final at-bat in the sixth. He is the 14th different player (and most recent) to hit three homers in a game for the Orioles.

Aubrey Huff singles in the seventh inning against the Angels to become the third Oriole to hit for the cycle but the first ever to do it in his home ballpark.

The Orioles' three-game series with Boston draws 146,786 fans, the largest three-date total in Oriole Park history. The Orioles take two of the three games when Kevin Millar hits a three-run, 10th-inning homer to beat his former team in the series finale.  

The Orioles welcome their 50 millionth fan to Oriole Park, which is the quickest ballpark ever to reach that milestone. The Orioles and the Maryland Lottery present 24-year-old Kevin Gracie of Ellicott City, Md., with $50,000 and season tickets for five years before the game against Boston.

Velma Green, of Harpers Ferry, W.Va., becomes the 100 millionth fan to see an Orioles home game in the 55-year history of the club when she passes through the turnstiles before the Orioles' game vs. the Yankees at Camden Yards. She is awarded $100,000 and season tickets for five years by the Orioles and the Maryland Lottery.

In their biggest comeback win ever, the Orioles trail Boston, 10-1, before erupting for five runs in the seventh inning and five runs in the eighth to stun the Red Sox, 11-10.

The club level and suites at Oriole Park undergo a second major renovation, with new furnishings and designs and updated displays in the lounges and hallways. A showcase is added at the club level lobby, displaying the Orioles' World Series and ALCS trophies, along with Gold Gloves, MVP and Cy Young Awards.

 A series of orange circles with the numbers of the Orioles' six retired uniform numbers are unveiled on the facing of the left field upper deck. The numbers recognize Frank Robinson (20), Brooks Robinson (5), Earl Weaver (4), Jim Palmer (22), Eddie Murray (33) and Cal Ripken Jr. (8) -- as well as a blue 42 for Jackie Robinson.

Mark Reynolds hits two solo home runs -- the second a seventh-inning blast into the club level in left field -- but it's all the Orioles could muster in a 7-2 loss to the Blue Jays. Reynolds' 450-foot blast to left center is only the second fair ball to reach the club level in Camden Yards history; the Angels' Rex Hudler hit one down the left field line on June 11, 1995.

In one of the wildest finishes to a regular season in Major League Baseball history, the Orioles come from behind with two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the Boston Red Sox, 4-3. Moments later, the Tampa Bay Rays complete a wild extra-inning comeback to beat the New York Yankees, ending Boston's season.

Construction timeline - Janet Marie Smith, the VP of planning and development of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, talks about the construction timeline of the ballpark.

Adam Jones scores from first base with one out in the bottom of the ninth on Matt Wieters' double to the right-field corner, giving the Orioles their second consecutive walk-off win over the Phillies. Jones' two-run, 12th-inning homer the night before gave the Orioles a 6-4 win.
 

Playing in his second big league game, Manny Machado hits two homers and drives in four runs as the Orioles beat the Royals, 7-1, at Camden Yards. Machado becomes the first player in history to record a triple and two homers in his first two games.

The Orioles beat the Yankees, 3-2, behind Wei-Yin Chen in Game 2 of the AL Division Series, evening the best-of-five set.

Jim Johnson becomes only the second pitcher in baseball history to record back-to-back 50-save seasons (first was Eric Gagne; 2002, '03) as the Orioles beat the Red Sox, 7-6, in the season finale at Camden Yards. Despite committing an error, the Orioles set MLB records with a .991 team fielding percentage and 119 errorless games on the year. Their 64 errors are the fewest by a team in a 162-game season.

Chris Davis slams a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth off reliever Ronald Belisario to beat the White Sox, 6-4. It is the Orioles' first walk-off, pinch-hit home run in 26 years.

Fifth-inning doubles by Ryan Flaherty, Nick Hundley and Steve Pearce give the Orioles a 2-1 lead, and Wei-Yin Chen and three relievers limit the Rangers to seven hits in a 5-2 win, as the Orioles move into first place in the AL East by percentage points over Toronto. They will remain in first place the rest of the season.

Nick Markakis' leadoff homer in the first inning is the only run in a 1-0 Orioles' win over the Mariners. Chris Tillman goes seven scoreless innings, and Zach Britton tosses a scoreless ninth for his 23rd save, setting a club record with 35 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings pitched at home and tying the record of 27 consecutive scoreless appearances at home.

The Orioles celebrate their 60th anniversary, pounding 15 hits including five homers -- two by J.J. Hardy and one each by Manny Machado, Adam Jones and Chris Davis -- in a 12-2 win over the Cardinals. Following the game, the crowd of 43,743 stays for a gala laser show featuring 22 Orioles Hall of Fame members, the most ever gathered in one place.

Steve Pearce's three-run homer in the first inning supplied all the runs the Orioles would need as they went on to beat the Blue Jays, 8-2, at Camden Yards to win the AL East title for the first time in 17 years. The victory also marked the first time the Orioles had clinched a title at home since 1979.
 

The Orioles score a club-postseason-record 12 runs -- including eight runs in the eighth inning -- to take a 1-0 lead in the AL Division Series over the Tigers with a 12-3 victory. J.J. Hardy and Nelson Cruz homer, and Alejandro de Aza adds a pair of doubles to pace the Orioles attack.
 

Playing in an empty stadium closed to the public because of civic unrest in the city, the Orioles score six runs in the first inning and go on to beat the White Sox, 8-2, in the first American League game played with no fans in attendance.

The Orioles smack a club record eight home runs to batter the Phillies, 19-3. Manny Machado and Chris Parmelee hit two homers each, and Chris Davis, David Lough, Jimmy Parades and Ryan Flaherty also go deep in the win. Davis' home run is his seventh to reach Eutaw Street, passing Luke Scott as the all-time leader.

In front of 45,675 fans in the opener of a day-night doubleheader, the Orioles shut out the Indians, 4-0, for their 1,000th regular-season win since the team moved to Baltimore in 1954. The Orioles win the night game, 8-0, the first time they've swept a doubleheader with shutouts since 1974.

Gerardo Parra, acquired the day before from Milwaukee, becomes the 1,000th player in Orioles history when he starts in left field against the Tigers. Parra doubles in his first at-bat, and the Orioles go on to a 6-2 victory.

The Orioles celebrate the 25th anniversary season of Oriole Park at Camden Yards by honoring their 1992 team, the first to play there.