Via the Canadian Press:

The gates swing open, and thousands immediately rush inside. They dart across the landscape like a swarm of blue and white locusts, brashly making themselves at home in a place they don’t belong.

They are fans of the New York Yankees, converting Camden Yards into their own version of Yankee Stadium.

Through Wednesday, nearly half the crowd at the home of the Baltimore Orioles will be wearing Yankees hats and jerseys while cheering the visitors.

For many, the approximate 3 1/2-hour drive down I-95 from New York to Camden Yards is a sound economic decision – even if it means staying at a hotel, eating at restaurants and paying ticket-scalper prices to get in the ballpark.

John Trush came from New Jersey with his wife, daughter and her boyfriend to see Monday’s afternoon game. Trush paid US$150 each for tickets marked at $48 and considered it a bargain.

“It’s worth it. I’m in the 10th row behind the Yankees dugout,” Trush crowed. “Same ticket at Yankee Stadium is $600, and next year it’s going to be $850. So trust me, I’m not complaining about the price here.”

The Yankees’ official website lists the top ticket price this year at $400, but those seats are rarely available on game days. Next year, when the team moves into a new $1.3-billion ballpark, the Yankees will charge $500 to $2,500 for seats near home plate in the first five to eight rows.

Camden Yards used to be filled to capacity with Orioles’ supporters, but the fan base has wilted in the wake of 10 straight losing seasons.

Yankees fans are more than willing to fill those empty seats.

Wearing Yankees hats and shirts, Mike and Judy Wood made the trip from Lewisbury, Pa., on Monday to see their first game at Camden Yards. They bought their tickets at an Orioles Store in York, Pa., for $57 each.

“Not bad at all,” Mike reasoned. “Last game I saw at Yankee Stadium, I paid $200 each.”

I have to say…I’m thinking about this in the future. It’s a two-hour train ride (via Amtrak) from where I am in New Jersey to Baltimore. (Although the round-trip fare could run you about $160.) With traffic, it takes me at least 90 minutes to drive to the Stadium…most times closer to an hour and 45 minutes, each way. So, it terms of time traveling…it’s close to a push.

It’s just a matter of the cost of a ticket at Camden, plus the train, versus the cost of a ticket at the Stadium, plus gas and parking…

…but, because of the prices at Yankee Stadium, it’s at least worth noodling over someday.