Orioles, OriolesREACH to sponsor city's New Year's Eve Spectacular

Don't be surprised if Baltimore's New Year's Eve Spectacular at the Inner Harbor has a distinct orange-and-black tinge come Dec. 31. When thousands flock to the Inner Harbor to ring in 2013, they'll enjoy a celebration sponsored by their favorite baseball team. This morning in a press conference at Camden Yards, it was announced that the Orioles and OriolesREACH, the club's community-minded charitable wing, will be the presenting sponsors of the annual New Year's Eve celebration. So you'll likely see some orange-and-black hues in the colorful fireworks display that light the Baltimore skies as the clock strikes midnight. This year, in a new twist, there will be lighted countdown clocks stationed in the harbor's waters to assist revelers in making sure they know when 2012 ends and 2013 begins. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake made the announcement, but stopped short of stepping outside her executive demeanor to join the Oriole Bird in spelling out her favorite team's name, Wild Bill Hagy-style. "I'm thankful for the playoffs and for a winning season," she said. "But I'm also thankful for the sponsorship of New Year's Eve." When Rawlings-Blake and the Bird unveiled a poster thanking the Orioles for sponsoring the event, festive orange-and-black confetti exploded in the fourth-floor room where the press conference was held. The mayor also announced that popular top-40 band Outbreak will entertain at the Harborplace amphitheater beginning at 9 p.m. on New Year's Eve and that WJZ-TV, Channel 13 would again broadcast the festivities live. For more information on Baltimore's New Years' Eve Spectacular, call 1-877-BALTIMORE or click here.