Baltimore Orioles Renew Lease at Camden Yards, Will Stay Put For at Least 30 Years
The Baltimore Orioles aren't going anywhere.
Midway through their game against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night, the Orioles put a message up on the jumbotron at Camden Yards. After a year of uncertainty, the Orioles finally confirmed they would be remaining in Baltimore and at their current stadium for the foreseeable future.
The announcement read as follows:
Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please
Earlier today, the Orioles, Governor Wes Moore and the state of Maryland and the Maryland Stadium Authority
Agreed to a deal that will keep the Orioles in Baltimore and at Camden Yards for at least
The next 30 years
According to a report from The Baltimore Banner's Andy Kostka, the lease agreement includes two five-year extension options on top of the guaranteed 30 years. The club will have $600 million available in public bonds to renovate Camden Yards and the surrounding area.
“The Baltimore Orioles are an institution and an irreplaceable member of the collective family that makes up Charm City,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said in a statement, per the Associated Press. “I am extremely pleased that under this agreement, they will continue to call Oriole Park at Camden Yards — the ballpark that forever changed baseball — home for another generation.”
Orioles chairman John Angelos, who has not been a particularly popular figure among the fanbase in recent years, was in his box with Governor Moore to announce the deal. Angelos was not made available to speak with the media on Thursday, however.
Despite the months of feet-dragging and hand-wringing finally coming to a head, the lease announcement may not have been the biggest news to come out of Camden Yards on Thursday.
The Orioles wound up beating the Red Sox 2-0, clinching their first AL East crown since 2014 in the process. Just two years after being a 100-loss team, the club broke through with 100 wins, a playoff spot and a division title.
Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media
Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by LIKING us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.
You can also subscribe to "The Payoff Pitch" podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
