I would think teams can put in requests to the league scheduler for home dates on certain weekends. I don't know why the Orioles wouldn't request home games on Preakness weekend. Anything MLB can do to boost attendance they would certainly want to do.

Yes and no to be honest. If you really care about the answer to this specific situation I can actually get it quite easily.

I've never been to Pimlico but from what I've heard, the neighborhood "ambiance" is along the lines of Hawthorne.......hard to imagine too many ladies going out for the Haw Gold Cup.

My first venture to a track was to see Funny Cide at the MA Cap when I was in college in Boston....silly me. :eek:

Camden Yards is really nice, the surrounding area is the pits. Couldnt get out of there and back to Georgetown fast enough! The food prices there dwarf any professional baseball stadium I have ever been to and I've been to most of them. The food is terrible to boot.

Never been to Pimlico, heard mixed things. Certainly not in my top 100 of places I want to visit though. Sounds like Aqueduct in nice weather with tons of drunk college kids, I think I'll pass.

It is to my knowledge that major sporting events try not to step on each other toes. But it is more of a gentlemans agreement than anything else.

2nd straight year, they always used to have series that weekend.

I love baltimore, even if it's got some, ahem... rough edges.

they would always schedule a series fri night/sat night/sunday day over preakness weekend. not sure why they did away with it.

Camden Yards is really nice. And I agree with you on the food. I tell people to go to a day game.

How is Pikesville? Decent? Dumpy?

The Orioles did request it, which Major League teams can, and the league tries to accomodate and in this case they couldn't.

In general, the league promulgates a schedule, teams can comment and make requests for changes, then the leauge makes changes or doesn't and promulgates a final schedule.

I'm thinking about going for the Pimlico Special this year. Would've seen Invasor last year. The last one I did go to had Summer Squall, Unbridled, Farma Way, and at least one other top horse that I can't remember.

--Dunbar

Found it on Google (which was almost as fast as asking oracle or btwind!). It was Jolie's Halo. I'd also forgotten that Farma Way set the track record that day.

--Dunbar

They can totally do that. Out here Major League Baseball always makes sure they scheduled the Red Sox at home the same day as the Boston Marathon and it's always an 11:15 start.
I would have to say Pimlico , the Orioles and and the city's Board of Tourism would have to get together and make that happen. MLB would cooperate.

Once again, the Orioles tried to get home games that weekend, and MLB was not able to accomodate them.

I was there that day. Hung out in Bud Tent at the Top of the Stretch. I have to tell you, Suffolk Downs may not have charm, but it is clean, seriously all jokes aside, it is clean the food is not bad and the prices are great. Not a bad way to knock a few back, bet on some nags.

My point is if The Orioles, Pim and City of Baltimore requested that it would like it to become a "tradition" to hold a home stance during the Preakness weekend every year from here on out. I guarantee MLB would accomadate them. They do here in Boston.

They can totally do that. Out here Major League Baseball always makes sure they scheduled the Red Sox at home the same day as the Boston Marathon and it's always an 11:15 start.

I doubt very much the weekend of the Preakness will ever carry as much pull as one of the most respected marathons in the world. The Boston Marathon and the 11am Fenway game is a tried tradition that is a gurantee every year.
Also the Red Sox probably carry a little more weight than the Orioles as far as MLB scheduling goes. Just keeping it real ;)

Eh, you never know It is the second Jewel of the Triple Crown a great way to get people from visting city's to come out and enjoy a day at ball park plus MLB loves Camden Yards and has always used it as it prototype when ever Bud Selig has tried to help convice other cities to build new ballparks to replace the old aging ones. They have a good tie in together.

YOU can't guarantee anything of the kind.

Once again, the Orioles did what they could to have home games that weekend, and MLB was not able to accomodate them.