Several hours before the game started, Will Rice and Sebastian Tirado made their way down behind home plate to watch the players’ training — thoroughly immersed in the March baseball atmosphere. As a prior season ticket holder for 12 years with 18 opening days under his belt, Rice has been a frequent visitor to Oriole Park at Camden Yards since its inception in 1992.

48-year-old Rice pointed towards the standing-room area above the right field wall, reminiscing over his experiences from the stadium’s first opening day three decades back. He was sharing these memories with Tirado just the other day — drawing parallels between the top players of then and now, and the electricity in the air during the first game with a crowd of 44,568 spectators. The unique thrill of a fresh start for his favorite team was something he could still feel, much like the current Thursday.

“There’s a great sense of anticipation here,” Tirado added. He revealed that his friends, who usually preferred to stay at home and watch game highlights, are now keenly messaging their group chat wanting to know who all will be present at the ballpark. According to Tirado, the Orioles of 2024 have sparked a belief that they “might cause significant impact — not just over a single season.”

Photos of Baltimore Orioles’ opening day 2024

Thursday’s opening day follows a hectic offseason. A new ownership group is in place, headed by Baltimore billionaire David Rubenstein. It promises a new lease ensuring a minimum of 15 and potentially 30 more years of Oriole baseball at Camden Yards, a new top-of-rotation ace in Corbin Burnes, and elevated playoff expectations.

The excitement was palpable well before the start of the game. The Orioles triumphed 11-3 over the Los Angeles Angels in front of a sold-out crowd of 45,029 fans.

While Rice and Tirado observed the Orioles’ rising stars during batting practice, numerous fans started their day by partaking in the celebrations at Pickles Pub across the street, densely packed into the dimly lit bar.

Those who arrived at the Washington Boulevard bar at just the right moment were greeted with a complimentary Coors Light, courtesy of the new Orioles ownership. Tom, a customer at the bar with a beer in hand, proudly displayed a selfie he captured with Michael Arougheti, a member of Rubenstein’s ownership group.

New @Orioles ownership just bought everyone beer at Pickles Pub pic.twitter.com/0tcvkCIT59

— Khiree Stewart (@khireewbal) March 28, 2024

Chants of “Let’s go O’s” rang out through the packed establishment as bartenders handed out beer that was charged to the Orioles’ tab. “The Angelos family would never do that,” Tom said. “It was an Orioles Magic kind of moment.”

Back across the street in right field, the same spot Rice watched from 32 years ago, came another magical moment: A literal tying of the knot between two transplant Orioles fans.

Timm Gillette, aged 48, encountered Tassie Zahner, his current spouse aged 45, back in 2018 while he was employed as an axe-throwing coach at Urban Axes. Zahner was in Baltimore on a family visit from Ypsilanti, Michigan, the birthplace of Gillette. They were raised merely 25 miles apart. The couple’s first date happened to be the Orioles Hawaiian shirt giveaway game in 2018.

Roughly three weeks before, the couple solidified their marriage arrangements: getting hitched at Camden Yards on the opening day—a game for which they had secured tickets as soon as they were available in January. The pair have attended every Hawaiian shirt giveaway day since their first in 2018, and they chose to wear the original shirts for their outfield service on Thursday, marking a bond that has strengthened their support for O’s.

I happened to gatecrash a pre-game wedding in right field. This is where Tassie and Timm, who had their first date back in 2018 at the Hawaiian shirt giveaway game, decided to get married just before the opening match of the day.

“I hereby declare you officially married, let’s commence the game!” pic.twitter.com/sfXJk5WLsG

— Sam Cohn (@samdcohn) March 28, 2024

“Knowing the history of Camden Yards and what it did for Major League Baseball,” Gillette said, “It was really easy to become so built into the Orioles fan base.”

Both their parents are home in Michigan, paying to watch the game on TV. Gillette and Zahner won’t make it on the stream for family to see but their new stage of life will forever coincide with what Rubenstein and the Orioles are aptly dubbing the organization’s “Next Chapter.”

It’s that mantra and each of the coinciding changes that have fans eager to get this season underway.

Steve Hoeck and Dale Rothe, lifelong fans from Maryland, now in their early 40s, expressed that it feels more authentic this year than the last in Pickles.

“Without any negative comments, all I can express is my excitement over our new ownership,” Hoeck stated. Rothe was a bit more direct in his evaluation of the past management, Peter followed by John Angelos. “Appreciative of him acquiring the team a century ago, but he didn’t make any significant contributions to our progress.”

Contradicting his friend, Hoeck conveyed that John Angelos factored more on the business side while Rubenstein seems more of a devotee. This is their preferred setup.

Gordan Lander, a 25-year-old who previously gained fame for making a rug for Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in November, also commissioned a similar carpet for Gunnar Henderson. He is optimistic about Rubenstein’s projected readiness to extend the present young core and invest in recruiting outside talent.

“I am eagerly awaiting the day I receive a notification that reads: ‘Adley Rutschman, 10 years, $130 million,’” expressed Gordan. The frequent uncertainty, caused by the constant questioning of whether great players would stay or be traded, always affected him negatively.

However, he believes the new ownership signals a permanent resolution, validating his statement, “It feels like we are here to stay.”

John Hargett, attended his second opening day alone in the bleachers. This time though, his 12- and 14-year-old sons accompanied him, who were by the field for batting practice. Even though Hargett originates from North Carolina and was raised in Pennsylvania, he embraced the fandom passed down from his Baltimore-rooted father. His children are also nurturing their O’s fandom in Greensboro, North Carolina. They undertook a collective journey up north on Wednesday night.

Previously, the family has watched a lethargic Orioles’ performance together which led Hargett to question, “Why have I subjected you guys to this?” However, he now believes the team has turned a corner.

Orioles fans cling on to the hope that young superstars like Rustchman and Henderson, the current American League Rookie of the Year, pledge their loyalties to the orange and black for the foreseeable future. The fans express immense gratitude as the Orioles confirm a long-term lease this offseason, ensuring their stay in Baltimore for many more years to come.

During the media interview on Thursday morning, Rubenstein stated, “A World Series cannot be won without a fan base that is passionately invested in the team’s success.”

On Opening Day, fans displayed their dedication and love for the team. Waving their orange towels and enthusiastically singing along to every lyric of ‘Thank God, I’m a Country Boy,’ the seventh-inning stretch song by John Denver, they manifested their affection and care for this team, perhaps more than ever before.