Orioles Owner Peter Angelos Dead At 94

BALTIMORE, MD — Peter Angelos, lawyer and longtime owner of the Baltimore Orioles, has died, his family confirmed in a statement shared by the team. He was 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," the statement said. "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 in lieu of flowers."

David Rubenstein, the Carlyle Group Inc. co-founder and a Baltimore native who reached an agreement to buy the Orioles for $1.725 billion earlier this year, shared his condolences in a statement.

"Peter made an indelible mark first in business and then in baseball," Rubenstein said. "The city of Baltimore owes him a debt of gratitude for his stewardship of the Orioles across three decades and for positioning the team for great success."

Related: Baltimore Orioles To Be Sold For $1.7 Billion To David Rubenstein

The Angelos family has controlled the Orioles since 1993, when Peter Angelos purchased the team for $173 million. Angelos' son John is the team's current chairman.

Peter Angelos was one of the first attorneys in the United States to accept and litigate asbestos cases, and represented and recovered damages for thousands of Maryland workers and their families, according to his law biography. He also represented the Maryland Building and Construction Trades Councils, the Steelworkers' Unions, and other labor organizations.

When Angelos first took control of the Orioles, they had recently started playing at Camden Yards, the downtown venue that revolutionized the way baseball parks were built. The Orioles spent aggressively, at least for a little while, and won the division in 1997 with future Hall of Famers Cal Ripken, Roberto Alomar, Mike Mussina and Harold Baines.

The Orioles recently reached a deal on a 30-year lease extension at Camden Yards, with an option to end it after 15 if the team does not receive approval from state officials for development plans next to the ballpark.

Court documents show that Angelos intended for the team to be passed on to his wife, Georgia, and for her to sell it upon his death so she "could enjoy the great wealth they had amassed together" but that "he left the decision up to Georgia," The Baltimore Banner reported earlier this year.

A sale must be approved in a vote of at least 75% by the 30 major league teams. The sales approval process typically lasts several months.