BALTIMORE — On Tuesday night, there was no game at Camden Yards, but there was baseball in Baltimore.
As five Orioles joined the American League dugout in Arlington, TX, for the 2024 MLB All-Star game, families enjoyed a little league ballgame in South Baltimore.
Orioles fans in attendance shared optimism about the half-season ahead, how the team is motivating their little leaguers, and what they believe the team's trade deadline direction should be.
"[My son's] favorite player is probably Adley," Tony Daquano, a Federal Hill parent, told WMAR.
His son, Charles, was not on the diamond Tuesday, but he and his family have a Birdland membership.
Today's Orioles, Daquano told WMAR, inspire tomorrow's.
"It gives them someone to look up to," Daquano added. "You hear [the little league players] repeating some of their walkup songs, getting excited, and just kind of mimicking them. They play hard, and they see the fundamentals, is the big thing. They mimic that, and they put it out on the field."
The Baltimore Orioles are the talk of the town; after the All-Star break, the halfway point of the big league season, the O's hold a slim first-place lead in their division.
"Every day they're in the basement pretending they're Gunnar and Adley," said Eric Leppo, a Little League parent.
"They're a lot of fun to watch, the young guys, between Gunnar and Jordan. Kids love going to the games, but I think they need some bullpen help," Leppo added.
No matter what Mike Elias, the club's general manager, decides at the trade deadline, there's no doubt his first-place ballclub is having an impact here in South Baltimore and everywhere in Charm City.
"I think people are coming back to downtown, coming to the stadium. I think there's more investment in the little leagues. I think it's good," said Leppo.
The O's are not perfect; they wrapped up their first half 3-7 in their last 10. But as South Baltimore's future Orioles are learning, that's baseball.
"They had a bit of a rough stretch recently, but they're resilient," Daquano said. "Which is another thing I love about them. It teaches these kids: you have a rough stretch; you pick it right back up and play the next game."
The Orioles begin the second half of their season on Friday in Arlington against the Texas Rangers. The trade deadline is July 30.
