When the decision was made to build a new stadium, there was a great hue and cry from the traditionalists, who didn't want to move away from Memorial Stadium. It was a scene that would be replayed in many towns, including Durham. And in most cases, the solution has been a stadium like Camden Yards.When it opened in 1992, Oriole Park at Camden Yards won local hearts and national acclaim. Camden Yards became the model for the modern baseball stadium, a design that retains the look of the past with all the modern amenities that fans now expect.

Five years after it opened, the stadium has become a tourist attraction in itself. Behind-the-scenes tours are conducted twice daily, seven days a week, except on game days.

What's the difference between going to a Bats game and going to an Orioles game?

First, it's just so darned big. It looks as if all of War Memorial Stadium - including the parking lot - could fit on the infield at Camden Yards.

Inside the stadium, the seats have cup-holders and the concession stands sell crab cakes. On the club level, the concourse is enclosed so you can cool off or warm up, depending on the weather.

Because the stadium is in the heart of downtown, just a few blocks from the Inner Harbor, many people walk to the game from hotels and office buildings. Walking east on Conway, Pratt or Camden streets in the hour before a game is like trying to swim up a waterfall.

Hawkers are stationed on street corners starting three blocks out, selling T-shirts, hats, peanuts and giant pretzels. The closer that fans get to the stadium, the higher the hawkers' prices.

Once inside the stadium, many fans crowd around the clubhouse for autographs. The best strategy: Arrive early and be polite, says John F.K. Swett, a 32-year-old Baltimore native, diehard Orioles fan and self-proclaimed pro at autograph seeking.

``You have to get here early, when they're still loose,' Swett says. ``The closer it gets to game time, the less willing they are to take the time. But most are pretty nice about it.'

One month into the season, most of the names on the team are scrawled on Swett's baseball. He's been offered $50 for a ball autographed by Cal Ripken Jr., but he wouldn't think of selling it. These mementos will become family heirlooms.

``I have a 5-month-old son at home,' Swett says. ``He doesn't know anything about baseball - yet.'

Before game time, a huge video screen in the center of the scoreboard shows features about baseball, including a funny look at the team during spring training. Some of the fans chat on cellular phones as game time nears. Daylight gives way to city lights and a view beyond the stadium of the Baltimore skyline.

When the team takes the field, visitors see how proud the city is of its team. When the game begins, it's easy to see why.

As the game settles into its usual rhythm - peaceful lulls of pitches, balls and strikes punctuated with the occasional thonk to the outfield - one is left to ponder the essential questions of life, to wit: If men can swivel their hips like that when they're warming up for the swing, why can't they dance?

Ah, baseball.

If you're headed to Camden Yards, here are a few tips:

Buy your peanuts on Conway Street from the gracious members of the Otterbein United Methodist Church. The oldest church in Baltimore, it has been overshadowed by high-rises and inconvenienced by construction, first from Camden Yards and now from the new Convention Center. They've turned discomfort into opportunity by selling peanuts on game days as a fund-raiser. It's for a good cause and it's a bargain at $1 bag.

Take your glove. When anyone catches a foul ball, the announcer says, ``Give that man a contract!' and they do. The contract certifies that you caught a foul ball at Camden Yards - not a bad memento to go with the ball itself.

Take public transportation. The light rail system stops right at the gates of the ballpark, as do buses and taxis. Parking is brutal at game time, so don't even try. Better yet, stay at one of the many nearby hotels. Most of the hotels at the Inner Harbor are within easy walking distance.

Have a crab cake. They're not the best crab cakes in Baltimore, but what other ballpark even serves them?

Cheer for Cal Ripken Jr. whenever he comes to plate. And cheer no matter what he does. It's just the right thing to do.