Orioles, Red Sox players carry on at Camden Yards despite protests

Arthur Weinstein
and others
• 4 min read
Protest at Camden Yards

Orioles and Red Sox players knew thousands of protesters were facing off with police in riot gear and even brawling with fans outside Camden Yards before and during Saturday’s 5-4 Baltimore victory.

“We were very aware,” Orioles reliever Darren O’Day told reporters after the game. “It’s all over TV, and there are a lot of TVs in this clubhouse, and some of the TVs are always tuned into news. We had a pretty good idea. And it’s pretty hard to ignore the police choppers circling the field during batting practice.”

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Protesters marched in support of Freddie Gray, a Baltimore man who died April 19 under suspicious circumstances while in the custody of Baltimore police. As the protesters neared Camden Yards before the game, some brawled with baseball fans at a restaurant. Others blocked an intersection near the stadium and broke windows in police cars and storefronts. The Baltimore Sun reported a dozen people were arrested and two protesters were injured during the protest. At least five officers also were injured.

The situation became so tense that in the ninth inning, the Camden Yards scoreboard flashed a message warning fans not to leave the stadium. 

Although the gates quickly reopened, and fans safely exited the stadium, the situation left players and managers with mixed emotions: sympathy for the protesters’ cause, but also a sense of worry about safety.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter, who arrived at the stadium mid-game after attending his father-in-law’s memorial in Tennessee that afternoon, told reporters some members of the team would consider spending the night at the stadium.

“It's a challenging day to a lot of people — a lot more challenging than a baseball game,” Showalter said. “I mean, this is a game. And those are life issues. This kind of pales in comparison with what's going on in my life off the field and what's going on in our city. We have to continue to have confidence that we'll get through it, like we get through lots of things in this city.

“The [players] were kind of listening to what's going on in the clubhouse. I'm sure we'll have people talking about spending the night here tonight. I think they were aware of it. So many things that can take your attention from a baseball game, and let's face it, rightfully so. As important as we think this is, there are other things that are more important.”

The Orioles thrilled the home crowd with late-game heroics, as David Lough’s solo homer capped a two-run rally in the bottom of the 10th to secure Baltimore’s victory. But as Lough’s homer soared into the right-field bleachers, everyone’s attention once more turned to events outside the stadium.

Orioles center-fielder Adam Jones said he sympathized with protesters' cause, but that they should “be safe and smart about it.”

“I understand they are fighting for a good cause,” Jones said. "I just want people to be safe. I don't want people to be hurt. I understand, fight for your rights. It’s what you should do. But try to be safe and be smart about it.”

Author(s)
Arthur Weinstein