Five Random Thoughts About The Orioles Sale

 

On a quiet Tuesday evening, a bombshell announcement quickly spread out amongst news source. The Angelos family after 30 plus years have agreed to sell the Oriole's. For now the way the deal stands is they are only selling 40%, but once family patriarch Peter Angelos who is 94 and reportedly very ill passes on. The new ownership group will take full control of the team, with the Angelos maintaining a small percentage of the team.

There's a lot of questions surrounding this deal, and a lot of happy dancing going on. As fans have grown dissatisfied with the ownership, despite our recent successfully season winning the AL East and being in the playoffs for the first time in 7 years. While we wait for the MLB to approve the deal and more clarity is provided. Here are a few random thoughts I have about this transaction.

What Kind Of Changes Will The New Owners Make?

It's customary in any business deal that new owners survey the scene and start making changes. Often a good portion of those changes involve personnel decisions. It is my biggest hope that Mike Elias and his team are left alone, he is a very methodical individual from what I can tell. So far his long-term goal of putting the Oriole's in a situation to be contenders for years to come, looks to be finally coming together. 

We had a surprise successful season in 2022 that shocked a lot of people. Then last season we ran away with the AL East, winning 101 games and the division. Hopefully the new owners leave things as they are from that perspective and keep the momentum rolling.

Will The New Owners Open The Checkbook?

Even with the top farm system in baseball and a ton of prospects who have the ability to be superstars one day. The Orioles still need some veteran help who has been to championships and knows what it takes to get there. Within the AL East you can do all the drafting and developing and rule 5 hidden gems you want, but to battle the big boys of the East consistently the checkbook has to open.

That's not to say just spend on anyone that is a "name". However, in order to make it to the World Series, you need solid hitting and defense and some good damn near great pitching. John Means is a good talent, but he is not a true "ace", for the Oriole's to get one. Some hefty figures will need to get involved.

Will MASN Improve?

Reportedly Ownership of Masn will be included in the deal, I wonder if there are any implications with the Nat's though. So what will become of Masn? during the off-season it is a pitiful channel honestly. During the season when it should be a showcase of the Oriole's legacy and what the Nat's have been able to do since moving to D.C. in 2005. Instead everything is very run of the mill, produce a few documentaries on the teams, show some classic games. I don't know how many times a older game has played on Masn during a rain delay, and it's the same rotation of games. Show younger generations the Oriole's Magic and create lifetime fans with archives. And I hope the commentators are allowed to speak a little bit more freely, and some thought and money are put into the content. 

Hopefully discussions are had about accessing Masn if you dont have a cable subscription and improving the apps.

What Was The Hold up Over The Stadium Deal?

The Orioles and the state of Maryland had fans sweating bullets over a new stadium deal. A deal was finally made in mid-December right before Christmas. While the two sides had been negotiating on a new deal for a couple years including with the previous Governor Larry Hogan, there were alot of twists and turns involved in the discussions. Including a false announcement the night the O's clinched the division, that a deal had been made when in reality it hadn't.

The biggest holdup in the deal was that Angelos wanted to develop the land around Camden Yards. With a vision of having Camden Yards similar to The Battery in Atlanta. Even though there was some logistical issues that needed to be sorted out with an idea like that, it wasn't necessarily a bad one. Now with Angelos agreeing to sell the team, what was the point of holding up negotiations to have that provision in? If selling the team was always in the back of his mind? Unless getting something close to that in the agreement with the state, helped bolster his asking price for the team.

What Will Become Of The Angelo's Legacy?

When Peter Angelos led a ownership group to buy the Oriole's in 1993, he was hailed a hero. Returning ownership of the team to local businessmen with ties to the areas. In the 30 years since, Angelos has grown to be a very complicated figure amongst Oriole's fans, never really loved but hated a good portion of the time. He'd make good decisions like hiring Pat Gillick who architected the Toronto Blue Jays teams that won back to back World Series Championships in '92 and '93. Along with hiring Davey Johnson as team manager and the two led the Orioles to back to back playoff appearances in '96 and '97. But then he wouldnt let them run the team, leading to Johnson leaving in '97 after being voted A.L. Manager of The Year. Gillick left the following season once his contract was up, and the Orioles wouldn't make the playoffs again until 2012.

He tried to compete with George Steinbrenner but wouldn't open his checkbook nearly as much. When he did there were cases of bad luck like Albert Belle, Chris Davis, and Mark Trumbo or talents signed who already seen better days like Vladimir Guerrero. Things like that aren't necessarily his fault, but occurred on his watch and at times his insistence. He refused to really invest in the farm systems leading to the Oriole's being way behind other clubs in that aspect.

When his son's took over, they made the shrewd decision to bring in Mike Elias who was in the front office when the Astros built their farm system, which led to them being playoff contenders every year. Winning the World Series in 2017, a year before Elias would be hired by the Orioles. To their credit they largely let Elias build the team how he see's fit.

Now things took a turn when Louis Angelos filed a lawsuit against John with a claim he wanted to move the team to Nashville, which sent shockwaves of fears up O's fans back's. Since that lawsuit it just seems John is never transparent with fans and the media, or outright caught in a lie. From the blunder of how stadium lease negotiations were held. To his continued promises and then resistances to "open the books", his lashing out at a reporter about asking a question on MLK day. He soon drew the ire of O's fans, who were rather tired of him always choosing the worst time to undermine the Oriole's when things were rolling in the right direction.

Once the Angelo's family no longer has complete control of the team, I think people will give them a little bit of a break. However, the family will never be considered ideal owners in the eye's of O's fans. Under their Ownership the Oriole's only made the playoffs six times in their 30 years of ownership, never appearing in the World Series. They aren't in the conversation as one of the worst ownership groups in sports history, but they never will be considered one of the best.

                                    

Honestly I don't care about rich people with rich people problems. As long as we see more fruitful years of the Orioles in the playoffs, and a World Series championship before I hit 40 (I just turned 38). I will be a happy man.