MLB Lockout Leads to 5th Consecutive Year of No Professional Baseball in Baltimore

BALTIMORE, MD – With the recent announcement that Opening Day has been delayed due to the MLB lockout, the city of Baltimore has entered their fifth consecutive season without having a professional baseball team.

“This news is definitely disappointing,” said lifelong Orioles fan Chip Sullivan. “Don’t get me wrong, I still love coming to Camden Yards to have beers with my buddies, but it would be nice to also watch something other than the visiting team taking batting practice for three hours.”

In December, all 30 MLB owners unanimously voted to implement a lockout after negotiations with the players union stalled. The lockout bars players from participating in club activities, including competing in professional baseball games, something the Orioles haven’t done since 2017.

“Despite the inability to play baseball, our organization has had to come up with creative ways to keep fans coming to Camden Yards,” said owner Peter Angelos. “We’ve given out free Natty Boh, let people sit wherever they want, and even announced Authentic Full Uniform Day, where the first 9 fans to enter the stadium get to suit up and bat in the lineup.”

It remains unclear when professional baseball will return to Baltimore, but other franchises in the league have encouraged the Orioles to get their act together. “It’s really not that hard,” said a joint statement from the Red Sox, Yankees and Astros. “Get some pine tar, a few corked bats, a diagnostic lab that’s good at masking human growth hormone, and a sophisticated video-based sign stealing system, and you, too, can win at baseball.”