ORIOLES AND SARASOTA SET FRANCHISE SPRING TRAINING

ATTENDANCE RECORD

           With today’s crowd of 7,642 for their Grapefruit League finale against the New York Mets at Ed Smith Stadium, the Orioles set a franchise record by drawing 120,455 fans for their 17 home games.  The figure also represents a new spring training season attendance record for Sarasota, a community which has held spring training since 1924.

The previous record for both the Orioles and Sarasota, set in 2011, was 115,506 in 16 home dates.

On March 14, the Orioles drew an Ed Smith Stadium record 8,797 fans for a game against the Tampa Bay Rays, one of nine sellouts this spring.

“The Baltimore Orioles are proud to shatter our spring training attendance record in 2013 at the beautifully remodeled Ed Smith Stadium,” said David Rovine, Vice President for Orioles-Sarasota. “We are grateful for the fans from the Sarasota region, the Mid-Atlantic states and beyond who came out to enjoy the ballpark and support the local charitable causes we spotlighted on game days. This new record not only demonstrates the powerful attraction of professional baseball in Sarasota, but also underscores the positive relationship that continues to grow between the Orioles and the Sarasota County community.”

Individual tickets for all 18 of the Orioles’ spring training games at Ed Smith Stadium will go on salethis Saturday, January 26 at 10:00 a.m. It is recommended that fans purchase tickets online or by phone.

Fans interested in season tickets, five game flex-plans or group tickets, or those wishing to receive additional spring training ticket information may call the Orioles spring training office at 941-893-6300.

Spring training tickets for Orioles home games at Ed Smith Stadium may be purchased in the following ways:

THROUGH THE INTERNET: Tickets can be purchased at the Orioles’ official website,www.orioles.com/spring.

BY PHONE: Individual game tickets can be purchased by phone by calling 877-222-2802. Season, group tickets, suites and other specialty areas are available by calling 941-893-6300.

BY FAX OR MAIL: Individual game ticket orders can be faxed or mailed to the Orioles Box Office in Sarasota.  The fax number is 941-893-6375. The mailing address is 2700 12th Street, Sarasota, 34237. To request a ticket order form, call the Orioles at 941-893-6300.

AT THE PARK: Individual game tickets can be purchased in person at Ed Smith Stadium in the Left Field Ticket Office, located at 12^th Street and Tuttle Avenue.  The box office will be open on January 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will then be open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., from January 28 until February 8. From February 11 – March 30, the box office will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parking is available in the East Lot, located on 12^th Street and Tuttle Avenue.

TRAVEL PACKAGE: The Orioles are offering the official Spring Training Travel Package that includes hotel accommodations, rental car, game tickets, optional airfare through Southwest Airlines and other amenities.  For more information or to order travel packages, fans should visit www.orioles.com/springtravel or call 1-800-892-7687.

The Orioles will play their first of 18 home spring training games in 2013 at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota on Saturday, February 23 at 1:05 p.m. against the Minnesota Twins. 2013 marks the fourth consecutive spring training for the Orioles in Sarasota, and the third in the renovated ballpark.