A special ticket package for the Orioles' Pride Night included a pregame party and a customized ball capORIOLES
The Orioles last night held their inaugural LGBT Pride Night, becoming the 24th MLB team "to create an official event celebrating the LGBT community," according to Peter Schmuck of the BALTIMORE SUN. The team created a "ticket package that included a VIP pregame party and a special ball cap featuring a rainbow Oriole Bird logo." If such an outreach "would have been controversial not so long ago in a sport long known for its conservative tilt, the event was applauded from the clubhouse to the Center Field Roof Deck." Orioles VP/Communications & Marketing Greg Bader said, "We're excited that we're able to provide a forum to demonstrate that Oriole Park is open to everybody and we're a welcoming environment. We want to make sure fans throughout our diverse fan base feel welcome at the ballpark." MLB Ambassador for Inclusion Billy Bean said that LGBT Pride Night is "not an initiative that comes out of the Commissioner's Office." Bean: "It's a club choice." Former MLB umpire Dale Scott, who came out in '14 "while he was still an active umpire," threw out the first pitch of the game. He said, "I would have never dreamed that I would be doing this or be at a Pride parade on an MLB float. We've made a lot of steps" (BALTIMORE SUN, 6/28).
