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BALTIMORE (Map, News)- Huddling under a bright orange Baltimore Orioles umbrella near the Eutaw Street entrance to Camden Yards, Tina Bednarski stuffed heavy jackets and other foul weather gear into her daughter’s bulging backpack.
“I kind of feel like I should be rooting for a touchdown rather than a home run,” laughed Bednarski, an elementary school food service worker from Glen Burnie. “But it’s not as bad as last year. We brought blankets last year.”
The chilly temperatures, gray skies and persistent drizzle that greeted fans for the Orioles’ first game of 2008 on Monday didn’t dampen everyone’s enthusiasm.
Eleven-year-old Kristen Bednarski had been eagerly anticipating opening day since the end of the 2007 season, and her tickets in the right-field upper deck arrived with an Orioles jacket on Christmas. Her favorite player, second baseman Brian Roberts, was in his customary spot atop the Baltimore lineup, efforts to trade him having failed.
“I didn’t want him to go,” Kristen said. “So I’m real happy.”
Gary Yinger, an electrician from Gettysburg, Pa., and his son, Trevor, strolled outside Camden Yards more than three hours before Hank Peters, general manager of the 1983 world champion Orioles, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
“Today is about us spending time together,” said Gary, who watched the game from box seats behind the Baltimore dugout. “We have season tickets, but my wife and daughter don’t come to opening day. This is our father-son time.”
Trevor, a seventh-grader, smiled halfheartedly through his braces when asked how he thought the Orioles would do in 2008.
“I guess OK,” he said. “The pitching’s not too good.”
His sentiment was shared by Dan Wightman of Charles Village, who walked up to a ticket window at 11:15 a.m. and bought upper deck tickets for $20 for himself and friend Justin Lanham of Canton.

examiner.com