Could the O's leave town?

[JackO]

Does anyone get the feeling that the O's are about to leave town?

Look at it this way:

• The owner locked up a revenue stream for himself.
  
• He doesn't have a baseball stadium to sell, thanks to the fact that you and I own it through our tax dollars.
  
• He is not investing in the on-field product.
  
• He recently said that the Nat's success is his success.
  
• There has been little to no outreach to the fanbase.
  
• The O's resale value is absolutely shot because it has lost half of its fan base, that in the DC metro area, to the club in DC, it is losing the fanbase in the middle ground between DC and Baltimore and the on the field product is not enough to bring those in the Baltimore metro area to the ballpark that he does not own.
  
• When he lost the DC fan base, he also lost the wealthier part of his fan base that could spend more money on tickets and more on concessions.
  

Now, one could make the case that the O's have nowhere to go and that attendance is down everywhere. But has anyone considered that MLB might also be ripe for contraction? And that when contracting, the O's who are truly the dead weight in the American League East, could be ripe for contraction?

Just out of curiosity. Does anyone remember how fan apathy for the O's now compared to fan apathy before the Colts left town?

[NewMarketSean]

I don't think any of this is remotely true. Angelos is a Baltimore guy and I think he'd rather sell the team than move it to another city. I also don't know what other American City could support a MLB team. DC was probably the last city that could have supported the MLB. And I seriously doubt any of the big 4 want a team in Vegas.

However, looking past Angelos as owner, I don't think it's a guarantee that the Orioles will always remain in Baltimore if they continue losing, especially if an out-of-town guy buys the team.

[JackO]

I don't think any of this is remotely true. Angelos is a Baltimore guy and I think he'd rather sell the team than move it to another city.

However, looking past Angelos as owner, I don't think it's a guarantee that the Orioles will always remain in Baltimore if they continue losing, especially if an out-of-town guy buys the team.

I don't know how true that holds. I think Angelos was acutely aware of his public image in baltimore when he was considering running for mayor way back when. At 80 something he is not looking for a career change.

And what resale value does this team have?

[cnmilton]

I think it's a real stretch that Angelos is looking to move the team somewhere else at this time. The O's are locked into a long term lease, which would cost Peter a great deal of time and resources to break. Also, what city is prepared to have MLB come into town? It's not like the 70's where there are a ton of multi-use stadiums all around the country. What city has a ballpark that is up to MLB standards?

It could be that Peter Angelos is preparing to SELL the team. I see that as the more likely scenario.

[JackO]

I think it's a real stretch that Angelos is looking to move the team somewhere else at this time. The O's are locked into a long term lease, which would cost Peter a great deal of time and resources to break. Also, what city is prepared to have MLB come into town? It's not like the 70's where there are a ton of multi-use stadiums all around the country. What city has a ballpark that is up to MLB standards?

It could be that Peter Angelos is preparing to SELL the team. I see that as the more likely scenario.

Actually, the O's signed a 30 year lease back in 1992. So that long-term lease is up fairly soon.

[Arthur_Bryant]

I don't know how true that holds. I think Angelos was acutely aware of his public image in baltimore when he was considering running for mayor way back when. At 80 something he is not looking for a career change.

And what resale value does this team have?

In the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Were you thinking much less than that?

[Miller192]

If were got a Cleveland Browns scenario, I'd be fine with the Orioles leaving.

[panick]

30 years from 1992 is 2022.

That's not "fairly soon".

[Dipper9]

Actually, the O's signed a 30 year lease back in 1992. So that long-term lease is up fairly soon.

If by "fairly soon" you mean 12 years from now, then yeah, its up soon!

[Spirit of '83]

I don't know how true that holds. I think Angelos was acutely aware of his public image in baltimore when he was considering running for mayor way back when. At 80 something he is not looking for a career change.

And what resale value does this team have?

If I recall correctly, Angelos was guaranteed a sale price of $350 million if he ever decided to sell as one of the conditions of the Expos relocation to DC. Can't dig up a source at the moment though.

[NewMarketSean]

If were got a Cleveland Browns scenario, I'd be fine with the Orioles leaving.

You mean if the Orioles left town, won the World Series in 5 years, and we got stuck with a new organization that sucks much like the Orioles we have now?

I understood what you meant, but I would hate to see that happen if the O's did move and we were guaranteed a new team rather quickly. And you know it would.

[ChipTait]

In the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Were you thinking much less than that?

$400 million, according to Forbes, last April.

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/33/baseball-values-09_Baltimore-Orioles_336064.html

[Nigel Tufnel]

If I recall correctly' date=' Angelos was guaranteed a sale price of $350 million if he ever decided to sell as one of the conditions of the Expos relocation to DC. Can't dig up a source at the moment though.[/quote']

I think that was talked about, but didn't make it into the final agreement. I don't have a source either, though, so I could be remembering wrong.

[Miller192]

You mean if the Orioles left town, won the World Series in 5 years, and we got stuck with a new organization that sucks much like the Orioles we have now?

I understood what you meant, but I would hate to see that happen if the O's did move and we were guaranteed a new team rather quickly. And you know it would.

Yeah, I'm just ready for a regime change. As much faith as I have/had in MacPhail, I've always held the opinion that winning under Angelos might not be possible.

I think new ownership gives us our best chance for winning.

[TonySoprano]

You'll have a hard time convincing me that MLB will ever let Camden Yards go without a team.