Gnome Sweet Gnome: Special Buck Showalter Giveaway Talk Of The Town
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- It's a great time to be an Orioles fan. After sweeping the Indians, the O's not lead the American League East and thousands of lucky folks now possess something that just about everybody wanted.
Ron Matz reports the Buck Showalter garden gnome is the talk of the town.
It was a night to remember at the Yard. Before the game, Orioles fans lined up by the thousands.
"I went to the Inner Harbor in between the games and came back about 5:45 p.m. and the lines were humongous. They were out to the street," said Steve Dietrich, Orioles fan from Allentown, Pa.
They wanted a Buck Showalter garden gnome.
WJZ Studio Crew Chief Steve George and his wife got theirs.
"It was unbelievable. The crowds standing in line--it was more crowded than when I went to Opening Day. Everybody was saying, 'I've got to get my gnome. I hope they don't run out of gnomes. I've got to get my gnome,'" said George.
Social media erupted--fans posting pictures of the lines, taking selfies.
"People in the stands were holding up their gnomes, taking selfies. You could see Adam Jones on the big screen with the gnome. It was just unbelievable," said George.
Actor Josh Charles had Buck enjoying the L.A. sunset.
Here's #SHOWtheGnome enjoying the LA sunset and the @Orioles being in first place. pic.twitter.com/qcoQKZiarb
— Josh Charles (@MrJoshCharles) June 29, 2015
You could only hope to take Buck home.
"As soon as we walked into the stadium, my wife told me she heard somebody say he had posted his on eBay from his cell phone at the stadium and he already had a bid for $100," said George.
The seven-inch figure got pied and even showed up at Buck's press conference.
When Buck saw the gnome at the press conference, "Really?" #SHOWtheGnome pic.twitter.com/9GDsdNn9Df — Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) June 29, 2015
A promotion like no other. And no matter what anyone says, you know you want one.
"I have my gnome. I don't think I would be happy with myself if I didn't get one," said Dietrich.
The first 25,000 fans at Sunday night's game got the gnome. Some are already selling on eBay for $100.
