Not to put too fine a point on it, but boy, does Baltimore need the good feelings that come with an Orioles Opening Day right about now.
From Tuesday’s traumatic bridge collapse to the more everyday challenges of concentrated poverty, drug addiction, crime and urban blight, today’s home opener against the Angels — assuming weather permits — looms large. And not just as a distraction from unhappy circumstances. Orioles baseball is a religion in this city and Oriole Park at Camden Yards is its cathedral. How appropriate that we gather as a community, not just to bind wounds but to share our excitement about the future. To suggest that Orioles fans are pumped about their prospects in 2024 is a serious understatement. Last year, the Birds won 101 games to capture the American League East, the best record in the American League. A too-swift departure from the playoffs was unfortunate, but the team didn’t sit on its hands in the off-season as General Manager Mike “MLB Executive of the Year” Elias beefed up the starting pitching with Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes.
Yet sharing the spotlight with Burnes and Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman and the like is a less heralded newcomer to Camden Yards named David Mark Rubenstein. We don’t know much about whether he can hit a curve ball, but the financial and political skills of the co-founder of The Carlyle Group are pretty well documented. The 74-year-old billionaire who grew up in Baltimore has taken title to the $1.725 billion franchise. Not alone, of course. His ownership group includes such well-known Charm City-tied individuals as ex-Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken Jr., Johns Hopkins University mega-booster Michael Bloomberg and former Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke.
Who is this rookie, and what are his intentions? He has recently made clear that he wants to resolve the MASN feud with the Washington Nationals over broadcast rights and likes the current management team. We will no doubt be hearing more from the clearly-not-shy host of The David Rubenstein Show on Bloomberg Television as the season progresses. But this is late March, the time for journalists who have never worn a pair of cleats — let alone donated $18.5 million to help restore the Lincoln Memorial — to give advice to the baseball establishment and rich guys. So here’s the most obvious: As an owner in an entirely different sport once said, “Just win, baby.” The O’s haven’t captured a World Series trophy since 1983. Should Rubenstein’s team accomplish that feat, they’ll probably be a run on babies named “David” in local maternity wards. Seriously. Nothing succeeds like success. But that’s just half the job.
Here’s where Rubenstein has a less obvious chance to make a big first impression. Winning on the field may be Job 1, but winning outside the ballpark should be Job 1.5. Downtown Baltimore faces challenges. Job losses aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about those longstanding urban ills along with vacant office space, fear of police, distrust of government, all have been identified as serious issues. Yet there are also opportunities from reviving Harborplace, a matter that goes to the city’s voters this fall, to upgrading public transportation and encouraging further investment in the heart of what needs to be a more livable city. Rubenstein has the skills to help lead that revival — and in the process demonstrate that while he may call Bethesda home — his heart is still in Baltimore.
Camden Yards is a gateway to downtown. Outgoing Orioles CEO John Angelos was keen on creating an entertainment district in the parking lot, a “live-work-play” area that would bolster club revenue. Why not think bigger? Why not better connect the ballpark to the waterfront and other nearby existing attractions? What if Rubenstein could blast some of that on-the-field success a block or three away from the warehouse? Now, that would be an economic home run.
It’s an encouraging sign that the new owner wants to honor the victims of the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster with a moment of silence at Camden Yards today. That he wanted Ripken to throw out the first pitch similarly demonstrates a deep understanding of his fan base. Is it too much of a pipe dream to envision him advocating for a broadened prosperity? Nobody expected the O’s to succeed after 2021 when the team finished with 52 wins and 110 losses. Did we mention Rubenstein named his ownership group “Inner Harbor Sports LLC?”
Let’s go O’s.
Baltimore Sun editorial writers offer opinions and analysis on news and issues relevant to readers. They operate separately from the newsroom.
