Ballpark: Camden Yards and the Building of an American Dream

Almost as soon as he became principal owner of the Baltimore Orioles in 1979, Edward Bennett Williams began lobbying for a better ballpark. Aided by William Schaefer, mayor of Baltimore and subsequently governor of Maryland, Williams put together a deal whereby state residents would finance the stadium via a new lottery. GQ senior editor Richmond chronicles the story of this endeavor, which resulted in the 1992 opening of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, applauded by Baltimoreans for the way its design echoed the idiosyncratic intimacy of old-time ball fields and gracefully incorporated the adjacent B & O Railroad warehouse, a beloved city landmark. The author writes particularly effectively about Williams himself, his protege Larry Lucchino and super-aggressive designer Janet Smith, who, he maintains, managed to get credit for more than she contributed. Richmond's superb prose, however, is wasted on subjects like contract wrangling and fights over structural details. ( June )