Law Firm Spreads Orange At Oriole Park
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Many Baltimore Orioles fans have grumbled about the invasion of New York Yankee and Boston Red Sox fans when the teams visit Camden Yards. The fans at Peroutka & Peroutka are trying to do something about that.
The Pasadena firm bought out chunks of lower-deck sections in the outfield for both of the Orioles' games with the Yankees earlier this month. The O's fans that purchased tickets were given orange T-shirts bearing the name of this grassroots movement -- Take Back Our Yard.
"Take back one section at a time," said Phil Reeder. "That's our rallying cry."
Reeder, an account representative at the debt collection agency, hatched the idea with Steve Peroutka, a name partner at the firm, over dinner. Peroutka mentioned how his wife was tired of seeing hundreds, if not thousands, of Yankee fans at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
"You felt like unwanted guests in your own stadium," Peroutka said. "We wanted to get the chance to root among Orioles' fans." So Reeder used a contact in the Orioles' ticket office to purchase nearly 300 seats for the May 18 game and more than 200 for May 19. The tickets were resold to fans for $25, or half of their face value, and Reeder said the allotments for both games sold out.
"It was just a great, great night," said Peroutka, who went to both games.
Reeder spread the word through local radio appearances and a Facebook page. Take Back Our Yard had only one requirement for participants: an allegiance to the orange-and-black.
"These tickets were purchased for resale to Oriole fans only," states Rule No. 1 on the group's website. "Please do not buy unless you are an Oriole fan. Do not sell or give away your tickets to non-Orioles fans."
Reeder stayed in the left-centerfield section for all of the "heartbreaking" May 18 loss in 15 innings and the next night's rain-delayed, 13-2 shellacking. The Yankees fans nearby "behaved pretty well," he said.
"They didn't drown us out," he added.
Those participating were invited to a pregame party both nights at the nearby Sports Legend Museum. People were already asking him when Take Back Our Yard would happen again.
The tentative answer, Reeder said, is Aug. 26 when the Yankees are back in town. The plans are to buy 400 tickets.
Next year, the group behind the movement wants to attend more games.
"We'll certainly get on it earlier next year and buy a bigger section," he said.
Reeder and Peroutka hope the firm's effort will inspire other Baltimore-area businesses.
"Hopefully, other companies will join us and Yankee fans won't feel at home anymore," Reeder said.
Information from: The Daily Record of Baltimore, http://www.mddailyrecord.com
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
