Commuting to The Big Show – on a bike

The national pastime just notched another level of respect in my book, at least with regard to the Baltimore Orioles.  The stadium, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, already had good credentials among folks like me for really good stadium food, great sightlines from all over, and especially for being a major piece of revitalization of the city’s waterfront district.  It has become one of baseball’s iconic destinations.  Everybody loves going to Camden Yards, like Nationals Park a downtown stadium.

Alas, if only they still had the glory days of Eddie Murray, Cal in his prime, Jim Palmer, Mike Flanagan, and my significant other’s distant cousin Rick Dempsey.  But I digress.

What’s really cool is that a number of the team’s players commute to the park by bicycle.  I’ll let Roch Kubatko’s story for the Baltimore Sun take it from here:

"Jeremy Guthrie has played on two major league teams. Nobody except him rode a bicycle to the ballpark when he pitched for the Cleveland Indians. It seems as if half the Orioles team gets around on two wheels and a handlebar. 

"Guthrie definitely has come to the right place. 

"Fans are accustomed to the players' lot being filled with expensive rides - sports cars, HUVs, private jets. But you should check out the clubhouse sometime, or the weight room. There are enough bikes parked there to hold the Tour de France. I keep waiting for players to change into yellow jerseys, though that honor probably should be delayed until they're in first place. 

"At last count, the cyclists include Guthrie, Luke Scott, Aubrey Huff, Brian Burres, Garrett Olson and Lance Cormier. Nick Markakis dropped out after buying a house in Monkton . . . 

"Guthrie rides to Camden Yards six days a week during long homestands. The exception is Sundays, when his wife drops him off after they attend church in the morning. He has maintained that routine at every level of professional baseball, including his days at Triple-A Buffalo, when the trip covered 10 miles. But it was a one-way journey. His wife would pick up Guthrie and the bike for the ride home. 

"‘I rode when it was sub-40 degrees," he said. 'It's actually better. You don't sweat as much.'" 

"On occasion, a fan will recognize Guthrie as he pedals to Camden Yards. ‘Maybe once every three or four days, someone will say, 'Hey, Jeremy, good game,' and I'll give them a wave,’ he said . . .” 

For the whole story, go here.

A fun story for August.  But tomorrow I’ve got a really important one.  Watch for it.