Matthew Taylor: Reunited, and it feels so good

I reunited with two longtime friends last weekend. We grew up in Baltimore and share a common love for the Orioles. Life has taken us in different directions, but baseball brings us back together.

Our summertime reunions have occurred in ballparks across the country. We had one in Cooperstown when Cal Ripken Jr. entered the Hall of Fame. This year, with one of my friends preparing for a cross-country move, we returned home. The trip provided me the opportunity to spend time with another old friend, Camden Yards.

I found myself immune to Camden Yards' charms when we first met during an April 3, 1992 exhibition game. The structure's beauty was immediately evident; however, our lack of a shared history made that initial meeting feel impersonal. I searched for connection, but my heart longed for a past love that lived down on 33rd street.

More than 20 years later, Camden Yards is thick with memories for me. Each glance around the ballpark invites recollections of previous visits and reminds me of ages and stages that have long since passed. Perched above home plate in our upper deck seats on Saturday, I absorbed an experience that felt as familiar and comfortable as an old baseball cap.

My thoughts throughout the afternoon had tinges of nostalgia to them; however, those sentiments existed at the periphery of my mind. More central to my mental narrative was the simple recognition that I missed being at the ballpark and experiencing the game in person.

I could have turned on my television and watched J.J. Hardy make "another terrific throw," as it was described on one broadcast; no camera angle would have filled me with the anticipation I felt watching the play develop from above and seeing Hardy pirouette to execute a perfect throw home. The moment lifted me from my seat by instinct rather than by choice.

I could have listened to the radio broadcast and waited for Joe Angel's "Wave that baby bye-bye" confirmation of Chris Davis'11^th home run of the season. Sitting in the ballpark, the only question off the bat was where Davis' 424-foot shot would land. Had I needed confirmation, Toronto's outfielders provided it when they quickly give up chase.

I could have read about Bud Norris "walking off the mound in the seventh to a standing ovation" in The Baltimore Sun; it wouldn't have been as satisfying as joining the ovation myself.

Technology affords us the opportunity to sustain connections to people and to places from afar. The more advanced the technology, the stronger those connections may feel. None replaces the experience of being together in person.

Do me a favor and go to the ballpark, simply because you can.

Have you had any ballpark reunions? Do you take baseball trips with your friends? Share your experiences in the comment section below.

Matthew Taylor blogs about the Orioles at Roar from 34. Follow him on Twitter: @RoarFrom34. His ruminations about the Birds appear as part of MASNsports.com's season-long initiative of welcoming guest bloggers to our site. All opinions expressed are those of the guest bloggers, who are not employed by MASNsports.com but are just as passionate about their baseball as our roster of writers.