Baltimore Orioles Owner Peter Angelos Dies At 94

Peter Angelos, who bought the Baltimore Orioles in 1993, has passed away.

Peter Angelos, who bought the Baltimore Orioles and whose family recently sold the team to David Rubenstein, passed away on Saturday at 94 years old.

The Angelos family provided a statement to media.

“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. 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.”

Angelos was a Baltimore native who rose to prominence as an attorney.

Angelos bought the team in 1993 and became the team’s majority owner and decision-maker until late 2020 when he installed his son, John, as the team’s principal owner.

Early in his tenure he took the side of the players during the 1994-95 MLB players’ strike and owners’ lockout, refusing to field a replacement team. The Orioles were one of baseball’s best teams in the 1990s with him as principal owner.

Earlier this year the Angelos family agreed to sell the team to a group led by Rubenstein. The sale, for $1.725 billion, is going through Major League Baseball’s approval process. It is at the last stage, which is a full ownership vote.

The new ownership group will include Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. and will give Rubenstein control of 40 percent of the team.

Until the sale is approved, John Angelos remains the team’s principal owner. Once it is approved, that will transfer to Rubenstein. It’s unclear if the elder Angelos’ passing will delay a vote.

His passing does trigger a clause in the sale contract. When the deal was agreed to John Angelos would remain as a senior consultant. But, the contract stipulated that if Peter Angelos died, Rubenstein’s group would have the option to purchase the Angelos family’s share of the team.