Is Angelos quietly shopping the Orioles?

[Dipper9]

Not that bar, she was at the other bar. I hear she is still there so if you hurry...

Damnit.....

[Can_of_corn]

That was a different era. The Colts didn't sell out either, at least toward the end, even when they were good.

If the Orioles are good year to year, I think the Yard will be near capacity for most nights, especially on the weekends.

Hopefully we will eventually find out which one of us is right.

[Dipper9]

Explain to me why The Dictator would want to sell when he can line his pockets every year with the team's profit. Anyone who says he wants to win clearly does not see that the proof is in the pudding.

You know, walks like a duck....

Well, he could sell the team for 350+ MILLION dollars, or he collect 20 million a year profit. At 82 years old, I think its wise to take the lump sum now.

[NewMarketSean]

Hopefully we will eventually find out which one of us is right.

Not to sound cocky but I believe I am right on this one. It's been so long since the Orioles were close to respectability it feels like the yard will never be a place where people want to be, night in and night out. But if you give fans games that mean something, they will be there. Baltimore loves the Ravens, this is true, and it's probably a football town now, but the Orioles were here first and there is a lot of people waiting to come back and embrace them again -- they just need a reason to do it.

Hell, I was at a bar in Federal Hill after a Ravens game in December and there was a guy decked out in O's jersey and baseball pants, O's bag, etc.... He looked like Dave Trembley. I was like, who is this guy? But he represented, to me, the undying love for the Orioles that is just dormant right now.

[Can_of_corn]

Well, he could sell the team for 350+ MILLION dollars, or he collect 20 million a year profit. At 82 years old, I think its wise to take the lump sum now.

He could also be tired of the bad press and assorted headaches. If he sells the O's now and continues his charitable ways he may be able to redeem his reputation before he dies. Right now his legacy is tied up in the O's failures.

[Tony-OH]

You take MASN out of that deal and you now turned the Baltimore Orioles into the Oakland Athletics instead of something along the lines of the Boston Red Sox in potential profitability.

Baltimore's market alone is too, too tiny. This would be a massive problem. They need to control the DC market's media as well. Plus the Charlotte-Harrisburg monthly dues.

You would need a truly benevolent owner for the Orioles to be able to compete sans MASN. One who wants to lose lots of money each year to compete.

Any serious business person would need MASN in that deal.

I don't know the particulars, but from everything I've read about how MASN supposedly supports the Orioles I agree. Without a major TV network, I have to imagine the Orioles' operating budget would be even smaller.

[NewMarketSean]

Man...I didn't think it could be possible but if this news is true, and Angelos is going to sell the O's independent of MASN, he could really screw this franchise and cloud up the future even more than it is now.

I definitely would take the future where Angelos sells the O's and keeps MASN over him keeping both, but it could really turn out to be a disaster.

[UMDTerrapins]

You take MASN out of that deal and you now turned the Baltimore Orioles into the Oakland Athletics instead of something along the lines of the Boston Red Sox in potential profitability.

Baltimore's market alone is too, too tiny. This would be a massive problem. They need to control the DC market's media as well. Plus the Charlotte-Harrisburg monthly dues.

You would need a truly benevolent owner for the Orioles to be able to compete sans MASN. One who wants to lose lots of money each year to compete.

Any serious business person would need MASN in that deal.

This is absolutely correct. If he wants to get the best ROI for himself (and his investors), MASN would absolutely be a part of the deal. Baseball finance is all about the TV deals these days, and the O's have a sweetheart deal that gives them profits for another team. When someone is intent on selling a business, their first priority is to get their finances under control. You want to have assets, but minimize liabilities. For the team payroll, you want young players under your control and a minimum of long term commitments. Chen is the longest contract we signed this winter; 3 years. He, Hardy and Markakis are the only players under contract for 2014, and that year is the last guaranteed year in all of their contracts. It can be argued that the kind of deals that have been made in the last two years support the notion that we are preparing for sale. It's also worth considering that the Nats' TV rights reset point will make enough of a dent in Angelos' bottom line that there is less reason to hold on to the club. And then there's his age.

Personally, I believe this rumor to be true. And I have to.......as an Oriole fan, it's the only hope I hold onto anymore.

[Can_of_corn]

Not to sound cocky but I believe I am right on this one. It's been so long since the Orioles were close to respectability it feels like the yard will never be a place where people want to be, night in and night out. But if you give fans games that mean something, they will be there. Baltimore loves the Ravens, this is true, and it's probably a football town now, but the Orioles were here first and there is a lot of people waiting to come back and embrace them again -- they just need a reason to do it.

Hell, I was at a bar in Federal Hill after a Ravens game in December and there was a guy decked out in O's jersey and baseball pants, O's bag, etc.... He looked like Dave Trembley. I was like, who is this guy? But he represented, to me, the undying love for the Orioles that is just dormant right now.

I think that losing the DC market caps O's attendance. I also think a lot of households can afford season tickets to the Ravens or the Orioles but not both.

I am not saying that attendance will be bad. I see 3.0 million as pretty much the absolute cap these days, which is great but not near the 3.6 Million + they did in 96-98.

[DrungoHazewood]

Explain to me why The Dictator would want to sell when he can line his pockets every year with the team's profit. Anyone who says he wants to win clearly does not see that the proof is in the pudding.

You know, walks like a duck....

I think he'd love to win, but just on his business model and his baseball model, which includes his cronies running things.

He'd be getting much richer with a good team. I never believed that stuff about how he's fielding a bad team on purpose. If the team was good he'd be making more money and he wouldn't be thought of as Mr. Potter.

The simplest explanation is that he's a very poor baseball executive.

[connja]

Why would anyone "quietly shop" the team. The only way to get the best price is to get as many bidders as possible involved. You don't do that quietly.

[Frobby]

If you take out MASN my guess is the team is worth less on the open market than the ~350 million Angelos is guaranteed from MLB.

I think it depends entirely on whatever agreement the Orioles have with MASN about rights fees. For example, we know the Nats have the right to re-set their rights fee agreement once every five years in light of changing market conditions. Do the Orioles have that same right? Do they have a right to receive at least as much as what the Nats receive (they have always received an equal amount to date), or are the two unrelated?

If the O's and Nats truly got market rates for their rights fees, MASN would be far less valuable, and the Orioles would be far more valuable than they are now as a stand-alone entity.

[NewMarketSean]

I think that losing the DC market caps O's attendance. I also think a lot of households can afford season tickets to the Ravens or the Orioles but not both.

I am not saying that attendance will be bad. I see 3.0 million as pretty much the absolute cap these days, which is great but not near the 3.6 Million + they did in 96-98.

Agreed. I see the stadium being sold out most nights in late July to the end of the season if we are ever in any kind of pennant chase.

[DrungoHazewood]

I think that losing the DC market caps O's attendance. I also think a lot of households can afford season tickets to the Ravens or the Orioles but not both.

I am not saying that attendance will be bad. I see 3.0 million as pretty much the absolute cap these days, which is great but not near the 3.6 Million + they did in 96-98.

I think what really hurts is all of the Abramoff lobbiest money from DC now goes to the Nats. Tons of political money migrated 45 minutes down I-95. I think that had the impact of thousands upon thousands of fans a game.

[Can_of_corn]

Why would anyone "quietly shop" the team. The only way to get the best price is to get as many bidders as possible involved. You don't do that quietly.

It makes sense if one of your goals is to maintain local ownership. I am sure that PA knows all the local players that could buy into the team.