Would The Orioles Ever Sell The Naming Rights To Camden Yards?
Jerry Coleman in for Scott and Jeremy had John Angelos, the Executive Vice President of the Baltimore Orioles, on the show and the two discussed the ownership approach he and his family take with the Baltimore Orioles.
The Baltimore Orioles have "thankfully" avoided adding a corporate name to the Yard over the years. The Orioles and the Chicago Cubs were the two last of the 30 clubs to even implement behind-home-plate signage in the past. The success of Oriole Park led it to be the fastest venue to 50 million fans.
Angelos commented that there are certainly pressures facing ballparks these days, but as far as the Orioles go, the ownership's stance on name changes to Camden Yards is that, "it's something the fans likely do not want to see and we've been protective of ensuring that that's something that doesn't happen at the ballpark."
It's true. Can you imagine going to say... the Bank of America Park at Camden Yards next to M & T Bank Stadium? No way!
Here's what Angelos had to say about the Orioles and the public trust: "It's about the value of the brand of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. We're very fortunate that not only do the Orioles as a brand have a tremendous amount of iconic value, but the venue itself and the Oriole Park at Camden Yard's name has a tremendous amount of value."
