In his first press conference since naming Mike Elias GM in November 2018, Orioles chairman and CEO John Angelos — the eldest son of longtime O’s owner and Baltimore stalwart Peter Angelos — addressed several topics of note, including the ongoing lockout, the club’s confidence in Elias and manager Brandon Hyde, and the future of Oriole Park at Camden Yards (per Dan Connolly of The Athletic). The younger Angelos didn’t announce anything concrete at the conference (aside from plans to host Paul McCartney at Camden Yards in June, while the Orioles are on the road), but he did discuss ongoing negotiations with the Maryland Stadium Authority regarding a long-term lease on the stadium that would see it used more frequently as a concert venue. The club’s current lease on Camden Yards — long considered the jewel of the ’90s and ’00s “retro” ballpark era, as well as one of the most affordable for fans — runs through 2023.
Angelos, a known advocate for increased revenue sharing and a robust competitive balance tax, officially took over day-to-day operation of the club in 2019 (alongside his brother Louis) and assumed his current titles in 2020. He didn’t break any news with regard to CBA negotiations but did express optimism that the season would start on time; the Orioles are slated to host the Blue Jays on March 31st. He also gave a fairly direct vote of confidence to both Elias and Hyde, saying that “all news is good” as the team — which has one of the best farm systems in the game but one of the weakest big-league rosters — begins to emerge from a half-decade rebuild.
Other news from around the AL East:
- Speaking after Angelos at the same press conference, Orioles GM Mike Elias expressed excitement to get the season started but declined to discuss roster plans, saying only that “we’ll get into talking about roster composition when the time is right” (via Roch Kubatko of MASN). He did acknowledge, however, that the club’s infield plans remain very much in flux, with only first base (where Trey Mancini and Ryan Mountcastle will likely share time, presuming Mancini isn’t traded) and perhaps second (the O’s signed Rougned Odor to a one-year deal just ahead of the lockout) settled at this point. Elias and manager Brandon Hyde will bring a slew of minor-league left-side infield options to camp (third baseman Gunnar Henderson headlines the bunch in a system that’s stacked at just about every position), though only Terrin Vavra and Jahmai Jones are likely to compete for an Opening Day roster spot; Joseph Ortiz and Cadyn Grenier could also see time in the bigs at some point in 2022. As things stand, Kelvin Gutierrez (acquired in a July trade with the Royals last year) is likely in pole position to open the season at the hot corner, with Jones and Ramon Urias (a 2020 waiver claim from the Cardinals) set to duke it out at short.
- Highly regarded fifteen-year big-league veteran Cameron Maybin, the tenth overall pick by the Tigers in the 2005 draft, will join the YES Network in 2022, reports Jack Curry of YES. The well-traveled outfield stalwart is expected to join the Yankees booth for about 40 games, where he’ll serve as as an analyst for his 2019 club. Maybin, who headlined the deal that sent Miguel Cabrera to Detroit in December 2007, appeared in nine games for the Mets last year, logging an .036/.182/.036 line in 33 trips to the plate. For his career, he slashed a much more palatable .254/.323/.374 while providing steady glovework in the outfield, primarily in center. Maybin announced his retirement via tweet in January.
i would have to imagine Maybin would be a great coach some day
Agreed, Maybin is an intelligent guy.
As for Oriole Park, I don’t see it drawing huge crowds on a regular basis for any events especially at night. It’s an awesome venue, and the inner harbor is fantastic, but you are literally risking your life on the other side of the park. There’s just not enough parking and traffic lanes for everybody to park on the inner harbor side.
Maybin slugged .036 last season? I’m guessing he only got 1 hit and it was a single. It sounds like walked about 4 times as much as he hit.
Interesting commentary on OPACY. Fan safety is an issue that the City Council has ignored. A potentially volatile situation to say the least.
Does the mass transit train from the airport have a stop at Oriole Park? Also, as for fan safety, isn’t Baltimore a war zone?
Jim – Baltimore has been averaging 340 homicides each of the past three years.
This year they already have 49, an average of one a day.
Even the Little Italy section is no longer safe. Recently a longtime manager of a popular restaurant was a homicide victim, and a priest was mugged and pistol whipped. Both well known figures in Little Italy.
With the worst non-Florida attendance in MLB, there hasn’t been too many stories about violence against fans.
They need to do something, the city is being run into the ground.
The area near the stadium and inner harbor has always been safe. Go to a game and you’ll see none of the fans are concerned for their safety. I went to a game last summer and it felt like going a game any other time in the past 30 years — didn’t even have to a wear a mask that much. I don’t live in the Baltimore area anymore but it sounds like there are several areas that used to always be considered safe that are more dicey since the latest police scandals and since the pandemic. Sounds like St Louis is by far the most dangerous city in America these days but even there I’m sure you’re fine in most areas – just do a little asking where you should avoid when you get in town.
It is untrue to claim murder is a legitimate risk when walking on the west side of the park. It sounds like you are not very familiar with Baltimore, especially considering there is more than ample paid pay parking on the Inner harbor side for every game except maybe mid-week day games, Where do you live, buddy?
Ra – Apparently you’re not familiar with Baltimore, because I wrote before the north side of the park … not the west side as you claim..
I’ve gone to over 80 games at Oriole Park since the late 90’s. I was there when they had a packed house for most games against my team. Plenty of fans had to park north of Camden Yards. such as the University of Maryland garage on Paca, or even farther north at Lexington Market.
If you ever do visit Baltimore, walk around the Lexington Market area at night … see how safe you feel.
It’s really a shame because it used to be one of my favorite destinations, staying with friends in Edgewood. Everything from the Poe cemetery to Fell’s Point to Little Italy to the old ESPN Zone. Fans would go to Pickles before the games and mingle with players at Cheesecake Factory after the games.
I was there for (off the top of my head) Cal’s last game, the Nomo no-hitter, Manny’s 500th, Pedro’s 15-K game, Manny high-fiving a fan after a great catch. I could go on and on, but not gonna make this about me.
You exposed your ignorance, visitor: The `other side of the park` from the Inner harbor is the west side, not, as you falsely claim, the north side.
You do not live here so your comment are steeped in fear. But they do not reflect the experience of people who actually know the area..
PS: you never wrote the `north side of the park. More dishonesty…
Ra – Rather than resort to childish insults and empty baseless accusations as you already did, I will commend you for actually admitting that you live in the area of Baltimore I’ve been talking about. I’m sure the fact that you live there has absolutely nothing to do with the reason why you’re trying to defend it by covering up the high amount of violent crime in that area … right?
Sure, you’ve got no ulterior motives for denying the documented crime there … right? And humor me, try to come up with a reason why I’d “make up” the sky-high violent crime in areas surrounding Oriole Park, even though it’s common knowledge?
Just so everyone can revel in your incredible knowledge of Oriole Park, answer this one question: Is there a main entrance/exit on the west side of Oriole Park?
Better yet, what sides are the only two main entrances on?
C’mon kid, show us what you got. Answer the questions.
As for your last accusation, I’ll give you the same opportunity I’ve given others of your ilk. Post right here and now that if I prove I have written on this site that the north side is far more dangerous, you will not post under your “Ra” username for the remainder of the year.
C’mon, take the bet. I dare ya. I’m sure you’re man enough to keep your word when I provide the proof that I did, right?
You do not live here and are basing your opinion not on knowledge but on your feelings. It`s like you are watching the weather channel and telling somebody they are going to be swept away by a flood when it is dry outside.
Violent crime is not anywhere near `sky-high … in areas surrounding Oriole Park.` It is very low, in fact. What you call `common knowledge,` statistics would call a `lie.`
The north side is very safe. We launch Bike Party from there every month and bicycle around the city. Tons or restaurants, clubs and hotels along with a world-class museum and numerous art galleries.
You were the one who made a fool of himself by ignorantly claiming the opposite side of OPACY is the North side when the harbor is due East. So I will be posting proudly as Ra. Maybe you should take your own advice for your `self-own` that remains in print and slink away in embarrassment.
Though it is not pertinent to your false claim that the North side is opposite the harbor (I am still roflmao at you) there is an entrance on the West side, where Will-Call is.
Admit that you don`t know what you are talking about. Because you are proving your ignorance with each post.
Hi Ra
Lived around Baltimore nearly 40 years until 2014. Family and friends still in the area. Father was a major in BCPD so I know EXACTLY what I am talking about, including first-hand experience riding along with him through all parts of the city while he was duty officer. Before you talk down at people let’s take a look at some facts.
Baltimore still has not recovered overall from the Freddie Gray riots. It dropped a couple notches downhill after that because some of the “that never happens” started to happen. There are STILL piles of rubble from the riots, in 2022, by the way.
Bike Party – I am 100% certain you are launching this during the day. The entire area – even the Inner Harbor – is safe at night. Would you tell me you would meander freely through East Baltimore around Patterson Park or wander, say, 6 blocks west of Howard Street, after dark without a care in the world?
Fever Pitch Guy pointed out the Little Italy incidents. Those were shocking to me. My father said that there was a “donut hole” on the crime map for Little Italy for decades. People did not mess with the Italians. While they’re hanging out playing bocche ball in an evening without any worry a few blocks away on the other side of Fayette someone’s getting shot. Same with the Inner Harbor. Mayor/Governor Schaffer would release holy hell if someone got mugged or shot at Harbor Place. Not anymore. Ask the people who get shaken down there by gangs. Ask the restaurant owners closing up on Pratt.
You used to be able to go to Fells, Canton, Federal Hill, get out late, and even if you parked very close to there not really worry much. Now you do. Maybe your car is there when you get back, maybe it isn’t.
Johns Hopkins used to be perfectly safe at all hours on the hospital campus. I can tell you this firsthand, I worked there for 9 years. Not safe anymore. Violent crime has crept back onto campus after being absent for 25 years.
As for the person who parks on Russell Street – you have a window before and after games where there are a number of people on the street. But if you went to the bar afterward and go back to your car at 1:30 AM when the streets have emptied? I would keep my eyes open.
Sure, there are still some safe places around. This kind of stuff never has happened and still doesn’t happen in Roland Park. But the movement away from active policing, or whatever you want to call it, has definitely emboldened the criminals.
Although I will say the stats were manipulated during the O’Malley era, basically hugely underreported by policy so that he could cite that crime was dropping, so it isn’t as drastic as it looks on paper.
Bike Party starts at night. So you are wrong; not `100% certain,` as you falsely claim.. People all along the routes come out into the streets and cheer on the bikers. It is a beautiful scene. Ends @ 11:oo with an big outside party with bands and food trucks and beer trucks that go until 1:00 am
There are no piles of rubbish still around from Freddie grey, That is just a stupidly false claim. From 7 years ago!? Just like another cop lie.
There are a some areas I would suggest not visiting of the city, just as there are in NY, DC and my god Philly! If you are too scared to go to downtown Baltimore, you would s#it your pants in fear in Camden, NJ.
What a ridiculous crock-o-s#it, claiming `maybe your car is there, maybe it isn`t` in Fed hill, Fells or Canton. Unless you are complaining about getting your car towed, you are exposing your out-of-towner ignorance.
Your second-hand knowledge from a cop (no less) is the opposite of knowing `EXACTLY` anything and is steeped in hatred of Black people. But if your fear keeps one violent loud-mouthed Yanker fan out of Baltimore, I say Bravo!
And if you want to complain about `talking down` to someone, tell that to the out-of-town visitor who has spent his time in Baltimore at The Cheesecake Factory trying to talk down to people who actually know the city. Dude knows as much about Baltimore as I know about India.
My family has been parking west of Russell St on the west side of the stadium for years — for free! Even last summer, no problems.
Awesome! Great that Maybin can stay in baseball doing what he loves
I SUPPORT PETER ANGELOS!
@VOR
And why is that??
Great person and huge donations to charity and treated Eric Davis great after the piece of garbage marge schott was terrible to him, etc.
Davis played with the Dodgers as a big money flop, was traded to the Tigers, and even went back with Marge (she mustn’t have been that bad to him) and the Reds before going to Baltimore.
he is a troll.
Angelos is a troll. Always was, always will be.
I agree, ask all the Owens-Corning people about The settlements they got in asbestos cases…. That team has been in total disarray for some time now… and who ever is responsible for there drafting needs to be fired… it’s just plain bad!
WHOEVER is responsible for THEIR drafting…
More to the point, whoever was responsible for teaching you English needs to be fired!
In your comment english isn’t a proper noun numbnut.
Zinnnnggg
@fair-critic:
Lesson 1: English is a proper noun because it is the language of England.
Lesson 2: It’s better to keep your piehole shut and let the rest of us think that maybe you’re a dumba$$, or better yet, not even know you exist, than to open it, spew something that you’re completely wrong about, and remove any possible doubt!
You aren’t paying attention, badco—they *already* fired those people. The current front office is new, and has been overseeing the rebuild. They’re about to start graduating draft picks to MLB this year, with more in coming seasons.
SD Baseball – Ehhhh…I dunno about Angelos being a troll, but he is extremely short. Like South Pole Elf short. And perhaps…kinda mean.
Angelos is everything that is wrong with baseball currently.
Angelos hasn’t been involved with operations for three years.
Good for Maybin!! He will be needed. Best Yankee telecast duo, in my opinion, was David Cone and Ken Singleton. Conie will have a reduced role this year and Kenny retired. Michael Kay like the name suggests is OK. All the others are fair at best.
Maybin seems like he’d be good behind the mic. Personable and knowledgable when interviewed, but that doesn’t always translate to broadcasting. The loss of Singleton and reduction in games by Cone at YES will be a loss. Both are two of the better broadcasters in the game.
Maybe someday he could return to Detroit in that capacity. I’d hope he’d replace Jack Morris or Craig Monroe. I’d love to have a rotation of analysts of Kirk Gibson, Dan Petry and Maybin (if he turns out to be any good). Also the Tigers desperately need a new PBP guy. Matt Shepard is the worst I’ve heard in my nearly 50 years of watching Detroit on TV….and frankly it’s not even close!
I think Carlos Beltran can help that void. I like John Flaherty but he’s too dry and boring to listen to.
Another great article James- thanks.
How does a leader of a business as big as the Os not have a press conference for 4+ years
I was thinking the same thing when I read that, tstats.
He leaves the bulk of the press conferences to those in front office, as many owners do. This isn’t unusual.
Bulk? He hadn’t had a press conference in 3 1/2 years!
If you’ve seen the Orioles record over that span then you know there hasn’t been much to talk about…
I actually love the Yankees but something always struck me as fishy about their 2019 season. Take a look at the team’s hitting stats as a whole. Guys like Maybin, Tauchman, Frazier were constantly on fire and many of the regulars miraculously all had their best seasons especially in the power department. Gio Urshela, LeMahieu, Torres, etc. guys all went off and then went back to meh the following year/s. It’s probably nothing, but always seemed a bit strange. MLB claims the ball was the exact same that year and the changes to the “juiced ball” were in 2020. Was it all launch angle? Maybe. Anyway, happy for Maybin, he seems like a good dude.
Or was it juiced in 2019? I don’t remember exactly. Anyway, Maybin should be great.
Yeah, that whole season was very, very fishy. Maybin never had that sort of power his whole career. Once he left, it went away again. Same thing for a bunch of guys. Then all the sign stealing stuff breaks after the 2019 world series, and they all regress.
Why would you single out the Yankees when its comes to “their’ 2019 season…if there was something fishy with the ball, then every team probably put up better stats then they would have if the ball wasn’t a bit “juiced”!
if you think the Yankees 2019 seasons was fishy, then what do you think of the Twins 2019 season?
The 2019 juiced ball. It benefited a lot of medium-range power guys across the game that year.
Gets me to wondering what MLB has planned for the baseball this year. One year it’s hot, one year it’s dead. Be nice if they picked a ball and stuck with it.
The most critical element to the game of baseball is the baseball, yet we have no trust in it!
Beltran was the video room coach that year.
Yankees will continue to have a weak broadcasting team on YES in 2022. At least Ken Singleton is gone. They should do the same with John Flaherty and Michael Kay.
Well, its a good thing then that you don’t have to watch them if you feel that way, isn’t it
You need to check out the Orioles broadcast team then. The absolute worst in all of baseball. Kids doing the radio broadcast team have no business doing it, and then an aging Scott Garceau on TV who wouldn’t get a gig in any other city. Orioles have by far the worst broadcast team in all of baseball
Jorge Mateo and shed long should be in the infield mix too. Really excited to see what Mateo can do once he’s back healthy.
No laugh emoji on this website unfortunately. Hello from Brooklyn Park.
The O’s won’t be relevant until an ownership change. The tanking model worked for the Cubs (NL Central) and Astros (AL West). It simply is a non-starter in the AL East. Yes, the system is good, but it’s not like the Jays/Sox/Rays/Yanks’ systems are terrible; a couple of them are actually very good.
They’re in a better situation than the Rays, since they pay almost nothing for OPACY and have a self-generated TV bonanza, but their obsession seems to be on profiteering instead of franchise brand building. A shame for a team with its history.
False.
Bingo!
I love all the “the owners are savvy businessmen” talk by the trickled down.
Just off the top of my head, the O’s, Yankees, Tigers and Pirates are all controlled by the sons of people who made money, not people who made money.
And I’m sure many other owners fit that description.
I don’t know the specifics of each team, I’d be interested in seeing a breakdown of who made money vs. who inherited it.
“I don’t know the specifics of each team, I’d be interested in seeing a breakdown of who made money vs. who inherited it.”
Griffith family in Minnesota, was several more hand me down teams from years ago, but all can remember off hand.
You do realize handing over reigns from father to son was how things were done just half a century ago to several centuries back in the world of buisness don’t you? it’s how things were done and same in world of so called ‘royalty” where a son/daughter would inherit a title and riches which they themselves had no/little part in earning themselves. nothing new there. Silver spoon is as old as time itself.
John silver- that’s all well and good but they still don’t deserve the title of savvy businessman
Wasn’t saying it was right, just hand me down has been going on for thousands of years and still does. if anything? It leaves to rot within a society and will continue to, ditto a company, politics.. Anything where unearned wealth, reputation.. anything is given, inherited. It’s all over this country in every facet of life today.
Why I’m actually shocked to read that the son of a billionaire, who is being gifted ownership by his dad, is also a fan of increased revenue sharing so he can be gifted more money from larger markets while he contributes little.
Baltimore had their market halved to prevent Congress from looking at Baseballs anti-trust exemption. If any team deserves a payment from the other teams, its them. The sacrifice they were forced to make prevents them from being competitive in the division they’re in.
Do you mean because Washington, DC was given a team? Didn’t the same thing happen to DC in 1954 when the Orioles moved from St.Louis?
After DC blocked Baltimore`s return to AL or NL for 53 years. All the owners wanted a franchise in what was a Top-5 population city except for the Senators. – just as long as Veeck was out of baseball, that is.
Whether it was his intent or not, the OP is highlighting the main problem with revenue sharing in MLB as compared to the NFL. It’s actually been shown as a main contributor to tanking, and it’s why the MLBPA wants to decrease the percentage of revenue sharing. MLB will never agree to a decrease, but the MLBPA probably will settle for holding the line where it currently is.
I am dubious of the claim that, `revenue sharing in MLB (has) been shown as a main contributor to tanking..` I also believe NFL profit sharing is not comparable to MLB`s limited version of it.
Ra – Look at how much teams like the Orioles and Pirates are getting in revenue sharing, then look at how much they are spending on player payroll. That will prove they are tanking.
Force them to spend a minimum amount on payroll, then they won’t be able to pocket the revenue sharing.
So two of their best hitters are sharing a position, and Rougned Odor is guaranteed to start? This is bleak.
Have you heard about the DH?
I have. The situation is bleak in Bird Land.
As long as Johnny Angelos is in charge, you are correct. The spoiled rich kid who started life on third base and believe he hit a triple
So you are saying that you understand `two of their best hitters are sharing TWO position`s when you consider Dh.
John Angelos is a weird guy. My dad was in the same class as him growing up. If you ever run into Johnny, ask him about how he did naked pumpkin carving with strippers
Angelos wants more welfare payments from MLB. There is no such thing as a small market. Every city has a huge population with an hour of their stadium. If you can’t draw 30,000 plus, you management sucks, you teams suck, or your fans suck. Can’t afford to put great product on the field? Sell. Enough of these crap teams and owners getting rich doing nothing