Since football season is pretty much over for me I figured I would dive into some baseball rumors. Former ESPN sports commentator and journalist Roy Firestone (yes...the guy who made Rod Tidwell cry) is a die hard Baltimore Orioles fan and had this juicy rumor of Cal Ripken Jr. taking ownership in two years from Peter Angelos...
Im not identifying the person. But at an awards dinner I presented last night honoring Tom Seaver, Brooks Robinson, Joe Garagiola, Bob Uecker, and others, I had a lengthy conversation with a highly"plugged in" individual(NOT AN ORIOLE OR EX ORIOLE).This person(whom any baseball fan would know) told me that Peter Angelos intends to sell the Orioles in two years to a group headed by Cal Ripken Jr. I have NO CONFIRMATION nor do I have any personal insight. I don't even know if Cal would even dignify the comment with an answer. All I know is that this person(not a scribe either) is highly credible and had alot of details. I've heard this suggestion before, and many have talked about this. But this is the first time Ive heard a baseball figure tell me that this is going to happen. Just thought youd like to know.
Firestone posted this on OriolesHangout.com and for the love of God I hope it happens. Since Peter Angelos bought majority ownership of the Baltimore Orioles back in 1993 for $173 million the team has made only 2 playoff appearances. The once proud franchise who relied on great starting pitching, good defense, and the three-run homer have become the laughingstock of the AL East under the grips of Angelos. Sports Illustrated has rated him the worst owner in all of the Majors. As an Orioles fan I would completely agree. Camden Yards has become a ghost town under his ownership despite it being one of the best ballparks in the game. People don't go to the games anymore because they don't want to support the franchise mainly because of the way Angelos has run them into the ground. Angelos is public enemy #1 in Baltimore.
Ripken on the other hand is a state treasure. He's an icon. A legend. A local boy who won a World Series and kept the Orioles on the map despite Angelos. He would be the perfect owner for the only team he has ever known. He grew up playing "the Oriole Way" under his dad who was a long time coach for his hometown team. Ripken knows baseball and with him being an owner it would put his face back on the franchise and destroy the totalitarian drowning grip of Angelos' dead hands.
It almost sounds too good to be true. One can only pray the information Firestone got is in fact correct. It's something myself, Eddie, Cal, and the rest of the Orioles fanbase and franchise could drink to forever.
