John Angelos has been the owner and CEO of the Baltimore Orioles since 2018. It appears that another member of the Angelos family has had enough of that, and is taking John to court.
On Thursday, Louis Angelos, John’s brother, filed a lawsuit alleging his brother John was trying to seize control of the team and would relocate the franchise to Tennessee, where the CEO lives with his wife.
In a strongly worded statement early Monday morning, John vehemently rejected the accusation.
“For them, as for me, the Orioles will forever play at Oriole Park, and at no time ever have we contemplated anything different.” John Angelos said as part of his his statement.
Angelos did also point out that Baltimore’s General Assembly passed a bill allocating $1.2 billion into reinvesting and reimagining the Camden Yards Sports Complex.
“There is nothing uncertain about the future of the Baltimore Orioles,” Angelos added.
The lawsuit from Louis accused his brother of beginning a “series of steps to arrogate to himself complete control over Mr. Angelos’ assets. He accomplished this by manipulating his mother, Mrs. Georgia Angelos, who is now eighty years old, thereby bending her to his will.”
John took over the day-to-day operations of the team when his father Peter, became too old to do the job himself in 2018. Peter bought the Orioles as part of a ownership group for a then-record $173 million.
Since the Angelos family became owners, the Orioles have been to the playoffs five times and have not won a pennant.
Louis also goes on to add that his father passing down ownership of the team to the brothers was meant to be a “collaborative” approach saying “Mr. Angelos never intended that one son should wield control over his estate to the exclusion of his other son.”
The latest infighting between the brothers though appear to be based on if it is within the best interest to sell the Angelos stake in the Orioles franchise.
John on the other hand has looked to prevent any sale of the baseball team.
Orioles and the history of teams leaving Baltimore
John Angelos denial of the Baltimore Orioles looking for a new home is one of the strongest statements made from an owner about staying in their current city, but is also not the first time rumors have swirled about a sports franchise leaving Baltimore.
In a highly controversial move back in 1984, the Baltimore Colts left in the middle of the night to Indianapolis without a public statement from then-owner, Robert Irsay. The move was made reportedly because Maryland state legislature passed a law allowing the city of Baltimore to seize the Colts from Irsay due to a very bitter stadium dispute.
Rather than give up his team, Irsay quickly took a deal offered by the city of Indianapolis and moved the Colts in the middle of the night.
The difference with Angelos is that the Baltimore General Assembly has already given money for an improved complex in Orioles park.
The family suit is one of many going on throughout sports. On Friday, Los Angeles Chargers owner Dean Spanos had a suit filed against him by his sister for “misogynistic” behavior.
Angelos’ lawsuit is just the latest in a long line of legal battles that have taken over sports ownership groups over the last few years. But according to the eldest brother John, it doesn’t look like the Orioles are leaving any time soon even with the latest suit against him.
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