Transformation Of Left-Field Wall Underway At Oriole Park
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Dramatic changes are underway at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Orioles are pushing back and raising the left-field wall to create a ballpark "that is fair for both pitchers and hitters."
It's the first major change to the park in 20 years. Standing at seven feet tall, the left-field wall is currently 333 feet down the left-field line and 364 feet away in left center. The wall will be pushed back as much as 30 feet at points and grow five feet taller by the start of the 2022 season, the email said.
Take a look at the early construction in the slideshow below:
Several rows of seats appear to be impacted by the construction. While Birdland members will lose those spots, the team assured members they'll maintain their proximity to the field in another area.
Moving the wall back and making it higher could change a park known for its propensity for home runs. The decision was made after "extensive research" by the team's Baseball Operations and Analytics departments to even the playing field and make Oriole Park less of an outlier.
"While Oriole Park will remain a hitter's ballpark, it will no longer be an outlier among the parks," the team said.
The change comes as Oriole Park celebrates its 30th anniversary. The park opened in 1992 and ushered in a new era of downtown stadiums with retro-design features.
