30 replies to this topic

[BSLChrisStoner]

PressBox: Advice For Incoming Orioles Owner David Rubenstein

https://pressboxonli...vid-rubenstein/

[dude]

Good topic.  I was going to wait until the sale is final, but we're doing it here, so...cool.

 

Review of the comments in the article which which will co-mingle with my own

 

Stan "The Fan" Charles

I urge David Rubenstein to allow the Orioles Hall of Fame to be created by who it was meant for — the Oriole Advocates and the local media covering the team. To do it the way it’s been done for many years is a disservice to the history of the franchise.

 

OK.  This is smaller, but it's a sub-element of what will likely be many things that fall into a broader thought which we see in other elements of this article (and much more).

 

I refer to this as "Leadership 101".  I'm good having a conversation about the entire context of this, but if I can break it into it's two core elements it's 1) Have a vision and 2) Enable your people.  Specifically for (2) it's about maintaining accountability and deferring responsibility.  The Angelos Clan gets an F for that.  They've been the exact opposite.  They want to defer accountability and maintain responsibility.  Know where you want to go as an Organization, hire good people, let them do their job (trust them) and if they don't, -regardless of the relationship - be willing to change.  There's an art to all of that.  What Stan is saying here (and a couple below) is manifestation of an approach that needs to change.

 

Leadership 101 

[BobPhelan]

My advice? Dont listen to anything Dude says.

[dude]

Glenn Clark

 

MASN

 

Yes.  MASN was never forced to develop on it's own.  To fight for it's space.  It was a product (and credit to PGA for this genius) of the move to DC but it's been shackled by incompetence throughout it's history because of failed Leadership.

 

We have any number of comments around here on the App and other related things, but the bottom line is improve the content and use the platform as an opportunity to engage with the community.  Orioles (and Nationals) Baseball is the hub of that experience, so keep that at it's core, but lean into all of the related aspects, fan engagement, public engagement, promotion of the city, etc.  Tons of opportunity. 

 

Expand MASN

 

There's a second (and separate) thing here but MASN winds up being the connective tissue to it.  The Orioles and Nationals are the only 2 Teams in MLB that are literally tied together for financial success. Leverage of the Region, resources, everything, has the clubs handcuffed together.  The absolute best result for Orioles Baseball would be to play the nationals in the World Series.  Exploding the interest in Baseball throughout one of the largest media regions in the Nation with 6 of the top 50 markets creates opportunity everywhere.

 

The Orioles currently seem to have a public ambivalence and a private disdain for the Nationals.  That's bat-shit crazy and would appear to be rooted in the selfish arrogance and insecurity of the Angelos family.  Crazy.  Build a quality, private relationship with the Nationals and if you need to do something help each other above others where possible.  Publicly, throw stones at each other.  Energy in a fight is good energy for marketing.  Getting MASN ignorance out of the public sphere is step one and rebuild that relationship (there's more here).  Build a public rivalry, but private support for each other.  It's a two-way street, use fuzzy handcuffs.

 

Flip the relationship with the Nationals 

[Pedro Cerrano]

My advice? Dont listen to anything Dude says.

Snarfed.

[Pedro Cerrano]

My advice? Spend. Win. Fire the current version of the MASN app into the sun and hire some competent people to completely rebuild it. Offer a streaming service like every other team does.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Os fans have wanted new ownership for a long time. The expectations for this team and franchise is at a 30 yr high as well. Opportunity for ownership to take over and hit the ground running and if they do it there should be a lot of good times for the forseeable future.

[dude]

Glenn Clark

 

Don’t stop with Cal Ripken Jr.

 

Yes.  I don't know I'd make this so much about Mike Mussina.  He certainly bears some accountability in whatever transpired publicly and privately, but sure, he's a big part of Orioles history, so fix any relationship that the last regime broke.  There's probably a few of them.  Where's Nick Markakis? 

 

Again, this sort of applies to to a broader category that's bigger than just the Players, but in every respect of each of area. I think they've done some of this, but do more.

 

Lean into Orioles history

[Pedro Cerrano]

Thursday doesn’t mark a new chapter in franchise history. It marks the start of an entire new novel. I cannot wait. I think there will be some energy in the building.

I’ll be at the Quigleys block party. You can buy me a beer. If you can’t make it you can Venmo me

[SonicAttack]

Please don't say "small market team". 

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Thursday doesn’t mark a new chapter in franchise history. It marks the start of an entire new novel. I cannot wait. I think there will be some energy in the building.

I’ll be at the Quigleys block party. You can buy me a beer. If you can’t make it you can Venmo me

Its huge. Everyone feels it. Ive been saying there is a complete culture change already as far as the FO down to players on the field. I think the same is going to happen with ownership and if it does we truly in all ways become a model franchise in MLB.

[dude]

Glenn Clark

 

Concerts shouldn’t stop. In fact, there should be more.

 

Yes.  Maybe the why isn't so important but more symptomatic of other challenges, but the expanded concert use we've seen in OPaCY has been for the self-promotion of John Angelos' wife's Entertainment Company and specifically one of her clients.  We found out last year she was the daughter of one of their Lawyers.

 

It should be more than just concerts.  A tremendous facility you can leverage in many ways and make OPaCY a destination.  We see a migration of NY and BOS fans for a weekend so do something that people will show up for because they've show they're willing, even beyond locally.

 

Including another discussion is the local development.  I'd again suggest that entire project was focused on the self-promotion of John Angelos to intertwine him into the City and Stadium in a way that forces the Ownership transition (good job MLB)...but there's certainly an element of development in the area that supports the All of the Above.  OPaCY could certainly be a hub for the work that can be done to benefit Baltimore.

 

Expand impact of OPaCY

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Speaking of novels. Dude on another bender

[Pedro Cerrano]

The Tolstoy of BSL

[Pedro Cerrano]

In Charles Dickens’ day authors wrote mini chapters periodically which eventually became full fledged novels. They were paid by the chapter which is why some of his novels are exceedingly long.

[dude]

Jim Henneman

 

• You’re here at the right time.

• Don’t be tempted by the lure of mega superstars in search of 10-year contracts. 

• Staying the course, of course, is not the blueprint of most of the last 40 years — but the one from your preteen and teen years, when the Orioles built the “Best Damn Team In Baseball” with an infusion of young, homegrown talent that provided the cornerstone for the team that had the best record in the game for a quarter of a century.

• Somewhere along the line, with the advent of free agency, your team got off the course, lured by the possibility of the quick fix. It didn’t work,....

• Most of all, make your homegrown talent a priority. Extend when feasible AND possible — and be prepared to move on to the next chapter when necessary.

 

All of this is good.  My comments center on application.  It's not about the specifics of the Rules.  The professional baseball landscape is different now than it was 40 years ago.  This is what I talk about all of the time.  It's the Performance Formula.  We have recent examples of Orioles success ('12-'16) and no-one wants to explain how the Orioles added 50 wins in 2 years without a single product of 'rebuilding'.  It's not about how much you spend.  It's not about contracts or draft position or any of the other traps that the community tries to convince everyone of.  It's about understanding the roster you want to have to win and it's more than just Talent.  That doesn't diminish the role of Talent. You lean into the culture of a Team that wants to win together.  Everyone gets paid.  You pay the guys that want to be here.  If they don't want to be here, cool, use them until they're gone and build the next layer.  Have a plan for WIN NOW, WIN LATER.  

 

Know how you want to win

 

I'll include this separately but as a subset of the above.  Ignoring last years Cardinals Team, they are basically the model of what you want to emulate of the last couple+ decades.  There's things I would like to do better than they are doing, but the approach of pulling any lever to create the opportunities you want is the answer.  Know how you sell players on the opportunity in Baltimore.  Baltimore has the resources to do whatever they want.  It's not about young players (awesome) or older players (great), or contracts or anything else.  You have a Baseball ecosphere in Baltimore that is an easy sell to achieve success in the future. Understand how you lean into that.

 

Be the Cardinals of the American League

[Pedro Cerrano]

Baseball Ecosphere is a decent indie band name

[BaltBird 24]

Baseball Ecosphere is a decent indie band name

Concert venue smells like body odor and one night stand regret.

[Slidemaster]

I never got that excited in the 2011-2016 years because it felt unsustainable, built like a house of cards.

This feels like actual change from the foundation of the franchise. I have never been this excited not only for a season, but for the franchise. All Rubenstein has to do is support the players and FO and let them do their jobs.

[BaltBird 24]

That feels like the one thing John Angelos did right for the most part, he sat back and let Elias and company do what he paid them to do. Granted, you might not appreciate the shoestring budget and lack of FA additions.