Baltimore Orioles: MLB is hurting the people of Baltimore

As has been established, Baltimore Orioles’ owner Peter Angelos is a fairly polarizing figure both region and league-wide. While the final announcement has not yet been made, it appears that commissioner Bud Selig and incoming commissioner Rob Manfred are poised to award the 2016 all-star game to San Diego. Previously, it appeared that the league was poised to award the game to Baltimore.

While Selig said that there was no connection between the game and the MASN dispute, let’s not be naive. As I said yesterday, my personal opinion is that MASN/Angelos is 100% in the right by going after their money in a deal from which MLB is trying to reneg. Furthermore, un-awarding an all-star game to The Ballpark that Forever Changed Baseball is more reflective on Selig, Manfred, and MLB as opposed to Peter Angelos.

Mandatory Credit: David Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

But the real losers here are the fans of Baltimore. They now won’t have the opportunity to experience an all-star game for the first time since 1993. And make no mistake about the fact that the league wants the citizens of Baltimore to blame Peter Angelos for this. But in fact they’re making this decision of their own free will – for whatever their reason is.

Furthermore, the city itself is losing out. Events such as all-star games syphon lots of revenue into municipalities and surrounding cities and towns. There’s a vast plethora of hotels in and around Baltimore, many of which are frequented by Orioles fans attending games at various times. Those local merchants will lose out on all but gauranteed sold out nights surrounding an all-star game. Local restaurants such will lose out on big paydays serving patrons in town for the festivities. I could go on and on.

So make no mistake about the fact that the city of Baltimore, it’s people, and the Baltimore community are the real losers here. While an all-star game is a financial boom to the host franchise, the O’s will make up that revenue in due course. It’s just sad that the league was willing to spit in the face of the citizens of Baltimore and the surrounding areas just to make a point – especially in a sitution in which they themselves are in the wrong.