Baltimore Orioles Peter Angelos

in 1993 angelos assembled group of investors purchase orioles new york venture capitalist eli jacobs. while angelos principal investor, contributing $40 million, fellow oriole group owners included novelist tom clancy, filmmaker barry levinson, , tennis player pam shriver. on october 4, 1993, jacobs sold orioles angelos group $173 million, highest price paid sports franchise @ time. angelos took on managing partner , principal owner of team. official titles club chairman of board , chief executive officer.

the transition of ownership not smooth , easy involved. angelos proved himself hands-on owner involved in major personnel decisions , willing pay high salaries talented free agents. under angelos direction, orioles signed 4 high-priced free agents in 1994: rafael palmeiro, sid fernandez, chris sabo, , lee smith. team performing legitimate pennant contender when baseball strike began in august 1994. 1 of newest members of elite group of baseball owners, angelos expected abide owners decisions quietly without offering alternatives or using experience labor law negotiate players union. angelos did not arrangement , did not particularly care if world found out.

angelos stance became known immediately. when other owners signed document cancelling rest of 1994 baseball season, including world series, angelos refused sign because blamed players impasse. when owners formed committee negotiate strike, did not include angelos, despite vast experience labor-management negotiator. when talks between players , owners stalled in december 1994, , owners voted impose salary cap, angelos 1 of 3 dissenters arrangement. brought him public eye, however, refusal field replacement players should strike last 1995 major league baseball season.

angelos announced decision replacement players in 1995 , hailed in blue-collar baltimore champion of worker. part, maverick owner saw choice nothing more sound business. fellow owners mulled action take against angelos—everything $250,000 fine each game missed forcing sale of orioles—the strike settled in time regular season play major leaguers. angelos had made statement stance, however, , nation of baseball fans responded. deluged mail on country , treated near-reverence orioles fans.

angelos arranged two-game exhibition series played between orioles , cuban national baseball team in 1999. orioles won first game, played in havana, while cuban team won second game, held @ oriole park @ camden yards.

in 2000, team s general manager, syd thrift, told washington times team had practice of not signing players had defected cuba, attributed angelos desire avoid doing interpreted being disrespectful cuban government. angelos denied existence of such policy. subsequent investigations major league baseball , united states department of justice did not find evidence absence of cuban players on orioles roster or in minor league system due discrimination.

in may 2009, sports illustrated article reviewing owners of major league baseball franchises rated angelos worst owner in major leagues. article notes methodology not scientific , weighing heavily in decision team s success or failure on field. 2 weeks later, brady anderson, member of baltimore orioles hall of fame, responded in op-ed baltimore sun, writing angelos deserves on list of best owners in baseball.

on april 16, 2010, fox sports article suggested angelos allegedly denied job cal ripken, jr., oriole legend, when ripken offered come work franchise in supporting role o s young talent develop. day later, espn, mlb.com , baltimore sun wrote fox sports story inaccurate. angelos denied 2 had spoken potential opportunities baltimore orioles, said welcomed future discussions on topic.

on april 19, 2010, cal ripken jr. issued statement denying fox sports story. in statement, ripken expressed interest in returning baseball , described relationship angelos good.