Orioles FanFest, held Saturday at the Baltimore Convention Center, typically serves as a launching point into spring training and, before long, baseball proper for the team and its fans.
Exactly what this year's event will be launching into, however, is something that hasn't exactly been made clear yet. The event will be the first chance for the public to personally interact with the new front office led by executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias and new manager Brandon Hyde.
That duo will be charged with communicating their message in a way that still serves the purposes of the event — drumming up interest for the coming season and selling tickets — while maintaining their message of patience that's come since each was hired.