[外電] Oriole Park welcomes 50 millionth fan
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Oriole Park welcomes 50 millionth fan
Gracie, 24, from Ellicott City wins $50,000 and season tickets
By Amanda Comak / MLB.com
BALTIMORE -- Kevin Gracie came to Camden Yards on Tuesday afternoon wearing
an orange Orioles jersey, a white Orioles hat and a big backpack -- to
collect as many free Luke Scott T-shirts as he could.
Gracie didn't end up getting his free T-shirt, though, but the 24-year-old
had to settle for $50,000 and five years worth of season tickets as the
Ellicott City, Md., native was tabbed the 50 millionth fan in Oriole Park
history.
"Fifty thousand is great, five years of season tickets is amazing," Gracie
said, then acknowledging that most of that money would go to paying off
student loans for the second-year law student at the University of Baltimore.
"Complete shock," Gracie said of his initial reaction. "They actually asked
me to see my ticket again and my buddy bought my ticket, so I was like I
don't know what's wrong with this ticket -- but it's an amazing feeling."
A lifelong Orioles fan, Gracie and his four friends bought tickets to the
Orioles-Red Sox game on Tuesday afternoon. They arrived at the ballpark
around 4:15 p.m. ET and, after a brief stop at Sliders Bar & Grill to wait
out the entrance line at the park, headed over to Eutaw Street Gate H.
"We were joking around about [winning]," Gracie said. "One guy was talking
about how much you'd get after taxes. My other buddy, Ben, I was about to
switch spots with him in line, so I was completely kidding around until they
put that big fat check right here.
"I called my mom, talked to her for a few minutes, she was pretty excited --
didn't believe me. I had to tell her about seven times."
Gracie has been coming to Orioles games since he was a toddler with his aunt,
Patty Glelfrich, who was also in attendance at Tuesday night's game. Gracie
said he'd been to at least 15 games a year since he was four, most of them
with Glelfrich. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to get in touch with his
aunt prior to heading down to the field for the pregame check presentation.
But despite all those appearances at Oriole Park, Gracie had never been on
the field -- something that sweetened the prize. Gracie, who seemed most
excited about the five years of season tickets, also received a No. 50
Orioles jersey and a seat upgrade.
"I've always dreamed of having season tickets -- they'd be great to have --
but obviously, [I'm] not in the financial spot to have it up until today
apparently, so that's great," he said. "I'll come to as many games as I can."
Oriole Park, which reached the 50 million mark in 17 seasons, became the
fastest park in the history of baseball to reach such a milestone. Since
opening in 1992, Oriole Park has hosted the third-most fans in baseball
behind just Dodger Stadium and Yankee Stadium.
"That's a big number," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said before Tuesday's
game. "Obviously, baseball has been a very big part of this city and this
community for a long time. It's withstood the test of time. That in itself is
an accomplishment that speaks for itself."
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