I have been a Baltimore Orioles fan since they arrived in Baltimore in 1954 when I was six years old. My dad was an original season ticket holder for all games for well over 20 years until his business was sold. If, as The Baltimore Sun Editorial Board recently offered (“If Orioles fans could be granted one wish,” July 19), I could have one wish come true it would be to travel back in time 20 years and convince Major League Baseball to drop the Montreal Expos someplace other than in Washington, D.C.
Washington was a crummy baseball town that had already lost two teams that became the Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers. Once that ultra-attractive Orioles market was bisected, the dark days began.
Why not place the Expos in Charlotte or some other area far removed from other MLB franchises? That would have made sense in 2005. The O’s could’ve kept selling out Camden Yards and their TV, radio, cable and now streaming networks would be serving a market of at least 6 million including Northern Virginia. Since MASN, the O’s cable network, lost their coverage rights of the Nationals, that income flow dried up. Now, the Orioles are really being forced to pinch pennies.
This present rebuild under Mike Elias has already started to evaporate and all of these exceptional young players currently under club control will go where the money is because it surely won’t be here. I wouldn’t even be surprised if the O’s left Baltimore when their 30-year lease expires or they choose not to renew it. Charlotte might be as good a place as any for the next stop. I’m sure MLB would unanimously ratify that move.
That’s my pipe dream. Are there any unemployed wish-granting genies looking for a job? I’m hiring!
— George Hammerbacher, Baltimore
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