It's getting crowded in here

The Orioles' announced crowd of 26,513 last night brought the 76-date season total to 1,981,154. The average attendance at Camden Yards this season is 26,068. By my math, which is as sketchy as the guy who sold me the Rolex in Times Square this summer, the Orioles need 18,846 to reach the two-million mark. I'm told that Saturday's game against the Red Sox is sold out. The Orioles occasionally get seats returned by the visiting team or season plan holders, so fans should always check back, but the place will be packed for Brooks Robinson's ceremony. There's still good availability for the Friday and Sunday games in the final homestand of the regular season. And yes, it's a real kick to qualify it by saying "regular season," because, you know, there could be more home dates in October. The Orioles have sold a fair amount of tickets in recent days, but they aren't close to selling out those games. They're hoping for near-record walk-up crowds, and fans are advised to buy in advance and print out their tickets at home to avoid long lines. The Orioles drew 1,755,461 in 80 home dates last season, for an average of 21,943. They haven't reached the two-million mark since attracting 2,164,822 in 80 dates in 2007. That's also the last year that the Orioles averaged more than 25,000. The last time they drew 3 million? You have to go back to 2001. Manager Buck Showalter already has mentioned how much he's looking forward to Saturday's statue unveiling and the speeches. Having No. 5 in the house is always special, and never more so than now. It's so fortunate that Robinson's health has improved enough to allow him to attend. Will you be there?