Orioles Opening Day: Details, Traffic & Weather

The Orioles return to Oriole Park at Camden Yards for the first time since defeating the Yankees in Game 2 of the American League Division Series last fall.

It's been a long winter, but to many fans, it felt like the shortest one in 15 years.

A winning campaign last season means the first of 81 regular season games at Camden Yards comes with heightened anticipation. A 2-1 start against division rivals Tampa Bay doesn't hurt, either.

Like with the roster, there aren't any major changes to Camden Yards itself.

However, the warning track that rings the field just inside the fence has been replaced—the original synthetic surface was removed in favor of a blend of natural materials.

The right field flag court features a new flag pole—that of the Houston Astros, who moved from the National League to the American League West for the 2013 season. The flagpoles above the right field wall are flown in order of the division standings for the American League.

There's also new food to be tried beginning Friday—including new gluten-free options. Smoking is no longer allowed anywhere in the ballpark.

Friday's events will include the presentation of Gold Glove Awards to J.J. Hardy, Adam Jones and Matt Wieters. Orioles players will be introduced and will run down an orange carpet from the center field gate to the basepath between first and second bases.

Here's the timeline of events for the opener:

• 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Orioles batting practice
• Noon: Gates open
• 12:30-1:30 p.m.: Twins batting practice
• 1:10 p.m.: “The BUCKle Up Birds: An Underdog Story” airs on center field video board
• 2:30: Pre-game ceremonies begin
• 3:05: Play ball

While weather looked ominous during much of the week, it seems as if the skies will be kind to the Orioles and the crowd Friday.

Curious about traffic? We have you covered. Check out live traffic reports before leaving home.

The ballpark features a new bicycle parking area for those looking to avoid traffic in an environmentally-friendly manner. Some 100 spots will be designated for bikes outside Gate C on the south side of the ballpark.

There are now more interactive features in the ballpark, including the ability for fans to post tweets that will appear on video boards—simply use #Birdland when tweeting inside the ballpark.

Check out the Orioles' social media outlets at www.orioles.com/connect.

We will have a photo gallery posted on Friday for you to share your Opening Day photos. Use #PatchOrioles as a hashtag on Instagram to drop your photos into our gallery.