3 reasons Orioles’ new ownership group will create a Baltimore dynasty

The first shot across the bow from David Rubenstein, the ‘control person’ in the new Baltimore Orioles ownership group, was to declare: “Our collective goal will be to bring a World Series Trophy back to the City of Baltimore. To the fans I say: we do it for you and can’t do it without you. Thank you for your support.”

For fans in far too many of MLB’s 30 cities, clarity on the goals of their ownership like this is elusive. A native of Baltimore, who grew up playing little league in the city, Rubenstein is a lifelong Orioles fan, and his new leadership of a previously stingy franchise is exciting for both fans and players alike.

Not only do he and his partners have the financial firepower to invest in the organization, but his baseball consciousness was likely formed in the glory days of his youth, when the O’s won the 1966 and 1970 World Series with stars like Hall of Famers Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Luis Aparicio and Jim Palmer. Rubenstein would have been 17 and 21 years old, respectively.

In other words, that goal of bringing back a World Series championship to Baltimore isn’t just some empty promise. It’s a commitment from the 74-year-old to give back to a community that was formational in him achieving so much success in life, from founding private equity leader The Carlyle Group that helped him build a personal fortune estimated at $3.9 billion, to publishing multiple books and hosting two shows on Bloomberg Television:The David Rubenstein Show: Peer to Peer Conversations and Bloomberg Wealth with David Rubenstein.

As Buster Olney of ESPN wrote after news of the deal to acquire the Orioles broke, “The bar of leadership has been so low that all the new owners have to do to distinguish themselves is to sign just one of the organization's core youngsters to a long-term deal. If they manage to lock up Rutschman, Holliday and [Henderson] into the future, the good folks of Charm City might rename roads for the new owners, with Calvert Street giving way to Rubenstein Way.“

So let’s consider three reasons why these new owners led by Rubenstein will create a dynasty in Baltimore.