Peter Angelos, who owned the Baltimore Orioles for more than 30 years, died Saturday at the age of 94 as a new season and new era for the team were beginning.
No cause of death was released. Angelos had been in poor health for a few years, according to the Baltimore Banner.
Angelos’s public role with the team faded in recent years. He had surgery after his aortic valve failed in 2017, according to ESPN.
Angelos’s death comes days before opening day at Camden Yards and amid the process of finalizing the sale of the team.
Longtime Orioles owner Peter Angelos has passed away at the age of 94. pic.twitter.com/V9Zas2XpZL
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 23, 2024
“Today, Peter G. Angelos passed away quietly at the age of 94. Mr. Angelos had been ill for several years, and the family thanks the doctors, nurses, and caregivers who brought comfort to him in his final years,” a statement from the family that was released by the team said, according to WBAL-TV.
“It was Mr. Angelos’ wish to have a private burial, and the family asks for understanding as they honor that request. Donations may be sent to charity in lieu of flowers,” the statement said,
Angelos led the group that bought the Orioles for a then-record $173 million in 1993.
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He was a hands-on owner who served as chairman of the board and chief executive officer in his time with the club.
ESPN noted that in 1995, Angelos refused to use replacement players as a new season was beginning after the 1994 strike.
Peter Angelos’ legacy is complicated, to say the least, but I will never forget this. #RIP pic.twitter.com/9y5ECRoYRx
— Justin McGuire (@JMcGuireMLB) March 23, 2024
“We’re duty bound to provide major league baseball to our fans, and that can’t be done with replacement players,” he said then.
In its obituary, The Baltimore Sun framed Angelos this way:” Tough-minded and ego-driven, Angelos rose from a blue-collar background to amass a fortune as a lawyer. Casting himself as a defender of steelworkers against corporate irresponsibility, Angelos won more than $1 billion in damages from asbestos companies during the 1990s and built his personal wealth on the commissions.”
In an age of price gouging, Peter Angelos made a concerted effort to keep Orioles games as affordable as possible for families and for that he should be commended.
— Josh (@jjlinnjj) March 23, 2024
The Orioles are in the process of being sold to a group led by Carlyle Group Inc. co-founder David Rubenstein, ESPN has reported.
The deal is estimated to be worth $1.725 billion.
