Following yesterday’s 7-2 victory over New York, the Baltimore Orioles hit the road. A short road trip on paper, but an even shorter one in the context of the fact that the two final games of the road trip next week will be in Washington DC for the Battle of the Beltways. Technically a road trip. But…you catch my drift.
Cincinnati and Baltimore have a unique connection. Everyone knows about Baltimore’s iconic B & O Warehouse. Heck, it’s a part of Camden Yards. But did you know that Cincinnati has one also?
The Warehouse is the eastern terminus of the B & O Railroad – Camden Station, that is. However the western terminus is in Cincinnati, and it’s marked by a train warehouse similar in appearance. The two aren’t identical copies, but they’re very similar to the naked eye. Cincinnati’s is called Longworth Hall.
In the present day, Longworth Hall is used as office space. It’s a unique location for a company to house itself, and obviously one steeped in history. So like Baltimore, Cincinnati has used its old train warehouse as a part of its modern city structure.
Obviously Baltimore’s B & O Warehouse is more well-known, mainly because of Major League Baseball. President Lincoln also passed through and spoke at Camden Station on his way to Washington for his inaugural. However even Longsworth Hall in Cincinnati has a slight tie-in to baseball. It’s located on Pete Rose Way!
After Cincinnati, the Birds return to the mid-Atlantic region for the aforementioned series in Washington. Again, technically a road series. But one within the Birds’ home region. And one that’s easily accessible to Orioles’ fans.
The cool thing about the Battle of the Beltways truly is that people show up with fans of the other side. Work colleagues, friend groups, and yes even families split down the middle. Just about everyone in this region has ties to the other side. I can tell you that personally I have lots of cousins and friends who pull for the “Curly W’s.”
And I always throw this piece of it in…my grandfather was a “semi-pro” catcher in the Washington Senators’ system. He actually had a try-out for the big league club, but he opted to be a dentist instead. It worked out. But needless to say, he had to have been a decent ballplayer for that to have been the case.
The line between home white and road grey does get blurred a bit in these games. However one thing I DON’T get is the select few who show up wearing a Nats cap and Orioles shirt – or something along those lines. It‘s fine to support both local teams. But when they play one another you have to pick one!
The series in Cincinnati opens this evening at the Great American Ballpark. Cole Irvin gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene. Game time is set for just after 6:00 PM.
Birdland Crush 