Sports Legends, Gearing Up For Grand Prix

It’s hard to get much past the prying eyes in Bin 400, but Sports Legends managed to do it with a special set of hot wheels.  They must have rolled it in during the dead of night, because it’s hard to miss this kind of spectacle.

Proof that something good does occasionally come out of Indianapolis, the sports museum managed to score some exhibits from the Indy 500 museum that will be on display through the Labor Day weekend — including this vintage race car.

Sports Legends manages to be au courant in their exhibit themes.  They are also celebrating the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War, including the visit of Abraham Lincoln and the 1861 riot at Camden Station.

Sports Legends is the place to be during the Festival of Speed.  It is the gateway to the exclusive VIP pit row suites, a merchandising center, and a concession stand for all those attending the concert and other activities on Camden Street.  The museum will also be open.

Be sure to stop in the Gentleman’s Waiting Room (that’s where Abe lingered on his way to Gettysburg) and see this paean to Indy Racing’s past.  It will get you revved up (even more than the earthquake) for the festivities to come.

Olympians Among the Numbers

A magical event taking place at Camden Yards tonight.  Sports Legends is hosting a reception for more than 300 members of the United States Winter Olympic Team!

Team USA athletes, coaches and administrators are visiting Baltimore prior to their meeting in Washington, DC with President Barack Obama.  Naturally, there is no more appropriate place to gather for a celebration of sports than Legends.

Preparations have been very low key, which is we haven’t mentioned it earlier.  However, with the media advisory being released about an hour ago, we can show how the gala event is being staged in Edward Bennett Williams plaza.  You’ll note the Hall of Fame numbers and planters provide a nice accent to the table decorations. 

(Yes, I know this isn’t the society page so I won’t dwell on the splendid decor and appointments.  But it is a clever use of the space and a wonderful setting to recognize the contribution of our Olympic athletes.)

The guest list is very limited, so I plan to acquire some party pictures by cleverly disguising myself as working press. With a little luck (and an MSA badge) I’ll hopefully be able to sidle in for some candid shots to share with you (and the Annual Report.)

Look for us on the news tonight, and here tomorrow.  This is certain to be a star-studded event.

Babe’s Belated Birthday Bash

Having your birthday party postposed for two weeks is a tragedy when you’re five, but when the candles number 115, a fortnight is not too much longer to wait for the kind of bash Babe received last night.

Celebrating Babe’s birthday is a tradition for Sports Legends, our neighbor here at the Yards.  It’s always a fun occasion to revisit the popular museum devoted to Maryland sports, because you will invariably run into old friends and relive those magical moments in Maryland sports history through the exhibits and activities.

Terry is always deluged with questions when he makes a public appearance anywhere around Camden Yards. He gets buttonholed from Pickles to Pigtown. Everyone wants to know about the status of the Indy Race and another summer soccer match. Answer is the same — you’ll know around March 1st.

So nice to see our former board member, Howard Stevens.  (Howard has to be the only person we know who couldn’t lose watching the Super Bowl, having played for both the Colts and the Saints in his NFL career.)

If you haven’t been to Sports Legends, or the Babe Ruth birthplace museum,  you should take the time.  It’s not only a slice of Maryland history, but a dynamic place to experience the ongoing Maryland sports scene.

Birthday with Babe

Like most of the East Coast I’m sheltered in place. But with plenty to eat and drink and lots of light in my Mt. Vernon aerie, I’m enjoying the solitude with a good book.

Big Bam is a rollicking look at the life and times of baseball’s (and Maryland’s) larger than life character. Spending the day with incorrigable George  (he’s still an aspiring shirtmaker at. St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys at this point) seems an appropriate way to spend his 115th birthday.  It’s also an escape to Baltimore in the early days of the 20th century.   Camden Yards is still a railroad terminal and our beloved Warehouse has just been completed as the largest freight facility on the East Coast.  George Herman Ruth, Sr., runs a bar in our neighborhood. 

(He’s even closer to my bin than Pickles.  They found remnants of his saloon when excavating centerfield.  I keep one of the bricks on my windowsill.)

So let the snow fall. I’m enjoying my quality time with Babe in long-ago Baltimore.

NOTE:  Because of the blizzard, Babe’s official birthday party, sponsored by Sports Legends Museum, has been postponed until next Friday, February 12th, from 5:00-8:00.  (Such a deal!  You can celebrate for Babe and Abe at the same time!)

Check the website for more details.