After Pat (AKA The Boy Who Loved Joe Kelly) and Taylor (AKA The Girl Who Loved Adley Rutschman) put the two DC-Maryland-Virginia area Major League ballparks up against one another head-to-head, we asked Doug and Calyn, our other resident Beltway couple, to weigh in with their thoughts.
Were The Boy and The Girl correct in awarding Camden Yards with a dominant victory? Was Nats Park misrepresented and jobbed out unfairly?
We’ll find out this week during Round Two of the Battle of the Beltway.
The Team
Doug: This is my second stint living in the DMV. The first time was in 2019 – when the Nats won the World Series. We went to a bunch of Nats games there that year, but for me going to see the Orioles play – even though they were bad, was a lot more fun. Now that the Nats have nothing and the Orioles are pregaming in the parking lot before the party – LETS GO O’s!
Calyn: Sometimes when you watch a team, you can feel the heart they have for the game. Watching the Orioles play, no matter their record, you know the love every single one of those players has for the game of baseball and that is a beautiful thing to witness.
Orioles: 2 Nationals: 0
Uniforms
Doug: The way the O’s logo looks on hats and the uniforms is fire, but the red, white and blue of the Nationals is hard to beat. There is nothing better than seeing the RW&B drown out Nats park!
Calyn: I mean, you can’t go wrong with America.
Orioles: 2 Nationals: 2
Ballpark
Doug: Camden Yards is beautiful. The brick building on Eutaw Street and the green green grass on the field are just absolutely stunning. I also believe that getting in and out of Camden Yards by car is so much easier than Nationals Park. Parking is a million times easier to find (AND CHEAPER – ONLY $10!!!)
Calyn: There is nothing negative I could ever say about the ballpark that is Orioles Park at Camden Yards. I am a sucker for a ballpark with a rich history and 30 years of Camden Yards is just that. From the homerun markers on Eutaw Street to the genuine atmosphere, Camden Yards will always hold a special place in my heart.
Nationals Park is fresh, clean, and has that very new feeling to it. The blue seats really pull you in to the team colors and embraces where the Nationals play and what they represent. Also, I have to note, their room they have set up for moms with infants and toddlers is next level. If you are a mama who needs some privacy during the game with your kiddo, Nationals Park has got you covered! From the comfortable chairs for feeding, to the mini fridge and sink, to the changing station with donated diapers and wipes, they really make it easy for a mom to have a truly enjoyable ballpark experience with their littles.
Overall, I have to go with Camden Yards for my ballpark pick. When you watch a game at Camden Yards, you are watching 30 years of history along with it and that is a rich experience.
Orioles: 4 Nationals: 2
Food
Doug: My go-to ballpark food is Chicken Tendies and fries – and then peanuts after. Both of them I can find at each stadium. What sets Camden Yards apart here is the beer. I can get tall boy Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy’s all summer long in Baltimore. 1 point for the O’s.
Calyn: I have been to 16 out of 30 ballparks and my #1 food hands down is the crab stuffed pretzel at Camden Yards. My second choice is the Chesapeake fries which is also at Camden Yards. Sorry, Nationals Park – Your cheesesteaks are amazing, but not as great as Philly!
Orioles: 6 Nationals: 2
Fan Experience/Mid-Game Race
Doug: I personally think that the netting around the first and third base line at baseball stadiums is dumb. It takes away from the fan experience of when the players first come out to get autographs. Cell phones are to blame for this. It’s like how coffee cups need to say “Caution, hot contents”. Really? Survival of the fittest.
At Nats Stadium, getting close to the field is impossible with how the nettings are constructed. At Camden, even though there are only two small breaks in the netting, at least you can get to field level. As for the races, the Running of the Presidents is so fun to watch live, but watching Ketchup win during the Hot Dog Race is awesome! Another point for the O’s.
Calyn: The Orioles organization really puts a lot of effort into keeping the fans engaged during the game. Whether it is watching the Hot Dog Race (GO KETCHUP!!), trying to get your kid on the Simba Cam for the millionth time, or singing John Denver’s Thank God I’m a Country Boy during the seventh inning stretch, you can’t go wrong. I will say, the Running of the Presidents at Nationals Park (GO TEDDY!!) does give me life!
Orioles: 8 Nationals: 2
Giveaways/Events
Doug: Since Zimmerman and Soto retired and got traded, they are going to have nobody worthwhile to put on bobbleheads for a long time. The Star Wars and Marvel bobbleheads are awesome. The Orioles have good ones like the Boog and Ceddy 30/30 bobbleheads. Dang this one is tough.
Through the end of this year, I have to go with the Nats, but this time next year, with all the talent coming up through the Orioles system it will swing back to the Orioles. I can’t wait for that Adley bobble. 1 point for Nats.
Calyn: While the Orioles have killer promotions, the Nationals bobblehead game is strong! Bobbleheads are hands down my favorite giveaways and Nationals hit it out of the park every time!
Orioles: 8 Nationals: 4
National Anthem
Doug: The National Anthem is something that means a lot to me. I get goosebumps every single time I hear it. I stand up in my house if its on TV. I know that the “OH” at Camden is a tradition, but it takes something away from it when I hear it, especially because it’s my favorite line in the whole song. The RW&B at Nats Park and it being the Nation’s capital, I wish I could give them two points for this category.
Calyn: I tear up more consistently during the National Anthem at Camden Yards.
Orioles: 9 Nationals: 5
PA Announcers
Doug: Who listens to the announcers? Beer. 1 point awarded to beer.
Calyn: As someone who has lived with a name that has been pronounced wrong her whole life, nothing grinds my gears more than when names are announced wrong. While I think both ballparks have great announcing, I have heard more player names pronounced wrong at Camden Yards so I have to give this one to Nationals Park.
FINAL SCORE Orioles: 9 Nationals: 6 Beer: 1