Every year, fans hope for the best with the Baltimore Orioles. For the last fourteen years, they have finished below .500 and well out of playoff contention.
More than likely, the Orioles will have a fifteenth consecutive losing season. With that being said, a lot of fans are frustrated by the poor record of Baltimore’s baseball team and frankly want a new owner.
Yesterday, 106.7 the Fan, a radio station in Washington, reported that the Orioles are ‘quietly discussing a sale’, according to the Baltimore Sun.
The Baltimore Sports Report has more on the rumor (a tip of the cap to them), as I read it first on their site yesterday.
However, later on that day, the Orioles refuted news of a potential sale.
From the Baltimore Sun: An Orioles official said today there is “absolutely no truth” to fresh rumors that owner Peter Angelos is shopping the club.
Eric Bickel, a radio host on 106.7 The Fan in Washington, said Tuesday that he had heard Angelos was quietly discussing a sale of the Orioles. Bickel said Angelos was looking to sell the team but not his majority share in the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, which broadcasts Orioles and Washington Nationals games.
MASN is probably worth more than the team, and the Orioles would be a significantly less appealing purchase if the network was not included, according to investment bankers familiar with the baseball industry.
It is pretty obvious that Angelos, his family, along with the other investors with the Orioles are not going to sell.
One would think that despite the sorry record of the Orioles and declining attendance at Camden Yards throughout Angelos’ tenure, the team is probably profitable thanks to revenue sharing, and MASN.
Of course, no major league baseball team opens up their financial books anyway, so who knows.
I would think anyone who would want to purchase the Orioles, would want MASN and everything related to it.
Perhaps this latest rumor may have validity to it; however, it is more than likely untrue.
