The Opening Weekend celebrations began a little early for the Baltimore Orioles. Wednesday, March 27th, was a day many Orioles fans have been waiting for since the tragic news of Peter Angelos’ passing. The Major League Baseball owners unanimously voted to approve the sale of the Baltimore Orioles to Baltimore native and lifelong Orioles fan David Rubenstein and his ownership group. With this vote, Rubenstein becomes the controlling owner of the franchise.
The Orioles Opening Day festivities started with a press conference at Orioles Park at Camden Yard with Rubenstein and the rest of the ownership group. The press conference began with a heartfelt statement about the Francis Scott Key Bridge tragedy by Rob Long of the Orioles broadcast team, followed by a brief moment of silence for those lost in the tragedy. Maryland Governor Wes Moore took the stage to make a statement about the tragedy and the strength of the City of Baltimore and her people before introducing David Rubenstein as the controlling owner of the Baltimore Orioles for the first time.
David Rubenstein began his speech with a bit of background of his childhood in Baltimore before going into his grand plans for the franchise. He outlines his belief in the fantastic young squad that the Orioles have fielded this year and his plans to make the team as great as it once was. Rubenstein goes on to introduce his partner, Michael Arougheti, who echoes Rubenstein’s aspirations of bringing the World Series Commissioner Trophy back to the City of Baltimore.
Opening Day festivities didn’t end there for the Baltimore Orioles. The reigning American League East Champions took the field against the Los Angeles Angels for the first game of the franchise’s 124th season and 70th as the Baltimore Orioles. The O’s issued the Angels a thorough trouncing with a score of 11 to 3. Eleven Orioles took the field in the Opening Day game, and almost all who had plate appearances recorded hits. Newcomer Corbin Burnes recorded six innings with one hit, one earned run (the home run by Mike Trout), and a record 11 strikeouts, the most in team debut in franchise history.
The Opening Weekend Festivities continue today as the Orioles face the Angels in game two of their three-game series. The teams take the field at 7:05 p.m. ET at Camden Yard in downtown Baltimore. As the season continues, we will watch this young team defy the odds and achieve things they could only imagine just a few seasons ago. The Orioles, the new ownership group, the City of Baltimore, and the State of Maryland will remain #MarylandTough and #BaltimoreStrong.
