Get Balls and Autographs at Oriole Park at Camden Yards

The flag court is a popular hangout spot during batting practice.
The flag court is a popular hangout spot during batting practice.

A visit to Camden Yards presents you with a variety of ways to snag a baseball, and the ballpark’s sizable contingent of ballhawking regulars is a testament to the popularity of snagging in Baltimore. As with many parks, your ability to snag a baseball during batting practice improves if you’re one of the first fans into the park. You may think that you’re gaining an advantage by hanging out on Eutaw Street before you can get inside Camden Yards, but this strategy doesn’t exactly work. Three hours before first pitch, staff will clear out Eutaw Street and close the gates. You’ll then want to wait immediately outside the gates for them to open an hour later. (This means that for 7 p.m. games, Eutaw Street is open until 4 p.m. but cleared out at this time. You can then enter again at 5 p.m.) When the gates open, you have a series of options to consider. Some fans will immediately head to the flag court in right field. It’s a popular spot for snagging BP balls, but you can expect lots of competition. The flag court is open to all fans during games, too, making it a good spot to stand if you hope to snag a game home run.

Other fans will stand back on Eutaw Street, hoping for a monster home run or a high carom off the flag court ground. And, even though this spot is a little farther away from the action, you can expect some balls to come your way. Alternatively, you may wish to run down to the seats — where you’ll quickly be joined by other fans with the same intentions as you — and hope a BP home run comes your way.

In addition to being useful for snagging a BP ball and satisfying your hunger at any of the concession stands, Eutaw Street is also handy for autograph hunters. Before Monday and Thursday games, look for the autograph booth set up on Eutaw Street — typically, you’ll just need to look for the long line of fans, as this spot is popular. The Orioles have a few former members sign on these days as part of the team’s Alumni Autograph Series, and you can expect to see players you enjoyed watching take the field years ago. As with other MLB parks, you can also get some autographs by grabbing a spot in the front row of the seats around either team’s dugout or down the lines in the outfield.

 

FAQ

Can you attend batting practice at Oriole Park at Camden Yards?

If you enter Oriole Park at Camden Yards as soon as the gates open, you’ll see the latter part of batting practice.

Do players sign autographs at Oriole Park at Camden Yards?

It’s easy to get autographs from Orioles players and their opponents around the bullpens before the game.

How do you get a baseball at Oriole Park at Camden Yards?

Attending batting practice and hanging out in the outfield seats is a good way to snag a baseball.