Orioles announce 2018 giveaways, including new Christmas in June promotion By Mark Brown

Just in time for single-game ticket sales to get underway, the Orioles released the list of 2018 promotions and giveaways on Wednesday morning. Among the giveaways this season are many of the usual staples and even a few new ones that may be interesting, which is something you can’t count on every year from the O’s.

Headlining the “new and different” is a Buck “Snow”alter snow globe giveaway scheduled for June 25. This date will mark a new “Halfway to Christmas” celebration at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, with the Orioles promising that “parts” of the stadium will be transformed into a winter wonderland to coincide with the giveaway. The first 25,000 fans will receive the snow globe.

The Christmas giveaway is one of the few all season that will happen on a weeknight, continuing a trend from recent years of consolidating the giveaways on weekend games, where tickets cost more.

The only weekday giveaways that are neither Opening Day, a holiday, or a t-shirt giveaway is on Wednesday, May 30, against the Nationals, when the first 20,000 fans will receive an Orioles cooler backpack, and Tuesday, June 12, against the Red Sox, when the first 25,000 fans receive a Dylan Bundy bobblehead.

The Bundy bobblehead is one of two to be given away this year. A Trey Mancinibobblehead giveaway is scheduled for Saturday, July 28, against the Rays. This is also a first 25,000 fans who are 15 and over. Let’s hope the “player gets demoted to the minors before his giveaway day” trend does not revive with Mancini.

One popular giveaway from a few years ago is making a comeback. There will be another Orioles Hawaiian shirt giveaway this season. It seems that the Orioles even learned from the last time, as they are making the giveaway available to the first 35,000 fans for the June 30 game against the Angels. The new design is similar to, but distinct from, the original.

The Orioles are at home on both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day this year and will have giveaways for each. For the May 13 game against the Rays, the first 20,000 fans 18 and over will receive a Mother’s Day Pashmina Scarf. The June 17 game against the Rays will feature a Father’s Day necktie for the first 20,000 fans 18 and over.

Some other familiar standbys will get another edition this season. A Memorial Day t-shirt (May 28 vs. Nationals, all fans), a floppy hat (June 15 vs. Red Sox, first 20,000 fans 21 and over), and a Maryland flag script jersey, black this time (July 14 vs. Rangers, first 35,000 fans 15 and over).

Later on in the season, there will also be another garden gnome (July 29 vs. Rays, first 25,000 fans 15 and over), a hoodie (September 15 vs. White Sox, first 35,000 fans 15 and over), and a cap (September 16 vs. White Sox, first 20,000 fans 15 and over).

Designs for nearly all of these giveaways are not released yet. That includes the assortment of t-shirts, which will hopefully be less boring than the ones given away last season. The dates for the to-be-announced shirts, all going to all fans, are: Wednesday, May 9 vs. Royals, Thursday, July 26 vs. Rays, Wednesday, August 15 vs. Mets, and Thursday, September 13 vs. Athletics.

Among the giveaways that sound new and different that may, in time, prove to be interesting: An Orioles car emblem (May 12 vs. Rays, first 25,000 fans 15 and over), a coaster set (September 28 vs. Astros, first 20,000 fans 15 and over), and an Orioles puffy vest (September 29 vs. Astros, first 35,000 fans 15 and over).