WP: Nats MASN deal renegotations will have a huge impact

[JCA-CrystalCity]

There is no next level, this is it. The can try the US Supreme Court, but they don’t take long to deny petitions

yes.  NY's highest level is the Court of Appeals, where the case is.  The Supreme Courts in NY are the trial courts, I believe, and the first level of appeals is the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.  Maryland's highest court is also its Court of Appeals, but I think there's legislation to rename it.

For more trivia, the top court in Massachusetts is the Supreme Judicial Court, while the legislature is called the General Court of Massachusetts.

[machpost]

One could argue that Baltimore is no longer a city worthy of an MLB franchise. Even the touristy areas are a mess these days. The difference even a decade ago is night and day.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

One could argue that Baltimore is no longer a city worthy of an MLB franchise. Even the touristy areas are a mess these days. The difference even a decade ago is night and day.

with a decent team, they averaged less than 17,500. Put that in perspective: double it, and it's still only 6th in MLB. Nats officially were over 25,000, but we will see the punishment this year.

[PowerBoater69]

One could argue that Baltimore is no longer a city worthy of an MLB franchise. Even the touristy areas are a mess these days. The difference even a decade ago is night and day.

The brief filed by the city of Baltimore is kind of a depressing read, basically that the only thing holding the city together is the Orioles. Probably more hyperbole than fact but it really argues against their point that the city needs the team when the reality is that the city no longer merits a team.

One comment on Reddit that made a lot of sense is that John Angelos has already made up his mind to move the team to Nashville and he's planning on using the eventual loss in the MASN case as justification for the move. Sux for Baltimore to have OPACY go dark, maybe they can make a deal with the Nats to play a small percentage of games up there each season like the Bullets used to do.

[PowerBoater69]

There is no next level, this is it. The can try the US Supreme Court, but they don’t take long to deny petitions

That's good. I thought I read somewhere yesterday that there was another level up but I can't find it now. Seems like both the Nats and Os are positioning themselves for an end game late this season with the franchises looking to transition to either new ownership or a new city.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

You could probably play some Red Sox and Yankee games at OPACY, too, and draw pretty well.

What they could do is award John Angelos a team in Nashville and sell Baltimore to a new group as an expansion site.  I think it's more the ownership and the quality of the team that's killed the Os more than the area.  Inner Harbor is still that sliver of B-more that's not the pits.

[PowerBoater69]

You could probably play some Red Sox and Yankee games at OPACY, too, and draw pretty well.

What they could do is award John Angelos a team in Nashville and sell Baltimore to a new group as an expansion site.  I think it's more the ownership and the quality of the team that's killed the Os more than the area.  Inner Harbor is still that sliver of B-more that's not the pits.

No chance Baltimore gets another team, too small and too much crime. The brief they filed mentioned how much money the team makes from Yankees fans coming to town. Too bad for them it's only a third of the games now.

Nashville is growing fast. I have a friend who just moved there, sounds real nice, I've long wanted to visit. Heck, once my youngest graduates I might look into moving down there and becoming an Orioles fan.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

No chance Baltimore gets another team, too small and too much crime. The brief they filed mentioned how much money the team makes from Yankees fans coming to town. Too bad for them it's only a third of the games now.

Nashville is growing fast. I have a friend who just moved there, sounds real nice, I've long wanted to visit. Heck, once my youngest graduates I might look into moving down there and becoming an Orioles fan.

what I'm suggesting is something like the Browns move or the Senators move the Minnesota.  More or less no gap in the presence of a team in B-more, with Angelos getting the more lucrative market.  I have a hard time seeing them leave OPACY empty.  There's so much city and state money in that park, including scheduled upgrades, that were baseball to leave it empty, it would impact the ability to get other places to build stadiums.

[Mattionals]

what I'm suggesting is something like the Browns move or the Senators move the Minnesota.  More or less no gap in the presence of a team in B-more, with Angelos getting the more lucrative market.  I have a hard time seeing them leave OPACY empty.  There's so much city and state money in that park, including scheduled upgrades, that were baseball to leave it empty, it would impact the ability to get other places to build stadiums.

Move the Nats AAA to B-More.

[Senatorswin]

This article says the Orioles intend to sign a new lease.

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/orioles-owner-intends-to-sign-new-lease-to-keep-the-team-in-baltimore-per-report/

From the article:

"The family of ailing owner Peter Angelos is currently entangled in a messy legal battle. Louis Angelos, Peter's youngest son, is suing his brother, John, and his mother, Georgia, claiming him they pushed him out and took control of the Orioles after Peter became incapacitated. The family recently hired an investment bank to assess a potential sale.

There have been rumblings John and Georgia Angelos could move the Orioles to Nashville, where John's wife, Margaret Valentine, works in the music industry and where a group including Dave Stewart, Bob Kendrick and Justin Timberlake have been pushing for a team. The local Baltimore legislature recently committed $1.2 billion to facility upgrades to keep the Orioles and the NFL's Ravens in town."

The 5 year extension is supposed to be signed by tomorrow.

[Five Banners]

This article says the Orioles intend to sign a new lease.

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/orioles-owner-intends-to-sign-new-lease-to-keep-the-team-in-baltimore-per-report/

From the article:

"The family of ailing owner Peter Angelos is currently entangled in a messy legal battle. Louis Angelos, Peter's youngest son, is suing his brother, John, and his mother, Georgia, claiming him they pushed him out and took control of the Orioles after Peter became incapacitated. The family recently hired an investment bank to assess a potential sale.

There have been rumblings John and Georgia Angelos could move the Orioles to Nashville, where John's wife, Margaret Valentine, works in the music industry and where a group including Dave Stewart, Bob Kendrick and Justin Timberlake have been pushing for a team. The local Baltimore legislature recently committed $1.2 billion to facility upgrades to keep the Orioles and the NFL's Ravens in town."

The 5 year extension is supposed to be signed by tomorrow.

5 years is hardly a commitment.

[Senatorswin]

5 years is hardly a commitment.

Yep. I would bet they don't sign it by tomorrow because if they don't they can always negotiate a deal anytime they want.

Also, the fact they said they want to sign a long term deal doesn't mean anything until they sign it. I remember before the Expos moved when I read the Montreal paper every day to see how their stadium negotiations were going. There were times when the columnist I read would think a deal was done to build a stadium in Montreal only for it to fall apart.

[HalfSmokes]

5 years is hardly a commitment.

Yep. If they decided to leave today, they would still use most of that lease

[imref]

Yep. If they decided to leave today, they would still use most of that lease

if they left here tomorrow, would they still be remembered?

[nfotiu]

if they left here tomorrow, would they still be remembered?

Not sure if intentional, but appropriate reference for a team called the Orioles!

[GburgNatsFan]

I hate the Orioles with the passion of a Nats fan, but I hope they don't leave. Baltimore has so little left. 50 years ago it was a manufacturing powerhouse. It's sad to see a city die. And their leaving probably wouldn't change that the owners would want to retain the Nats broadcast rights.

[welch]

Baltimore fans were a bush league bunch when the arrogant Hoffbergers bought the Browns, moving them about 40 miles from Griffith Stadium. Let the Orioles move.

[imref]

Orioles will have a $65 million payroll this year.

[nobleisthyname]

Basically what we owe Strasburg and Corbin alone.

[Senatorswin]

Louis Angelos says John Angelos and the mother drained $65 million from a bank account that belonged to Peter Angelos:

https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/louis-angelos-alleges-brother-mother-drained-65-million-from-peter-angelos-account-the-baltimore-banner-reports/

That's about the size of their player payroll.

[Five Banners]

Louis Angelos says John Angelos and the mother drained $65 million from a bank account that belonged to Peter Angelos:

https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/louis-angelos-alleges-brother-mother-drained-65-million-from-peter-angelos-account-the-baltimore-banner-reports/

That's about the size of their player payroll.

Maybe they can make it back by selling all the memorabilia associated with the 2014 AL East title and ALDS win.

[Natsinpwc]

I feel bad for Baltimore fans. They had a good franchise and Angelos destroyed it in many ways. Of course they lost fans to the Nats but they almost seemed to have intentionally driven it into the ground to prove his point. Rather than looking for new fans in PA or WV. Since he has been out of the day to day operations things seem to have improved. MLB really needs to force the Angelos family to the table to settle the MASN deal. There is no benefit to MLB to have this drag on. 

[Natsinpwc]

Louis Angelos says John Angelos and the mother drained $65 million from a bank account that belonged to Peter Angelos:

https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/louis-angelos-alleges-brother-mother-drained-65-million-from-peter-angelos-account-the-baltimore-banner-reports/

That's about the size of their player payroll.

Hard to trust anyone in that family. 

[IanRubbish]

I'd like to see the Orioles go to Nashville.   Baltimore is mostly a Ravens town now and too small a market to support much more.  Not to mention the Inner Harbor is not what it used to be.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Since he has been out of the day to day operations things seem to have improved. MLB really needs to force the Angelos family to the table to settle the MASN deal. There is no benefit to MLB to have this drag on. 

They have a pretty freaking awesome front office now. Elias is just so consistently hitting on his moves.  The way they manage to turn any scrap heap pitcher into something relevant is a tribute to the analytic staff and coaches that translate it. John Means is a good example (hurt now, but an ATL 46th round pick). They get payoffs from not just high picks like Rutschman, but guys like Gunnar who had 41 guys taken ahead of him.  I'll even give them credit for guys no longer with the team like Mancini and Severino, who they maxed the value.  Nice baseball operation.