'We Will Never Leave': Orioles To Stay In Baltimore, CEO Says

BALTIMORE, MD — An explosive lawsuit involving members of the Angelos family suggests the Orioles could leave Baltimore. However, the matriarch of the family and the team's CEO, said the team is going nowhere and will remain in Charm City.

"Any suggestion that Peter, John, or I would explore moving the club is false and intentionally divisive," Georgia Kousouris Angelos said in a statement recently.

"I want to assure our Orioles players and coaches, our dedicated front office Senior Leadership Team and staff, and our devoted fans, trusted partners, elected, civic, and non-profit leaders, and our entire community, that the Orioles will never leave," CEO John Angelos said in a statement.

This month, Lou Angelos sued his mother, Georgia, and his brother, Baltimore Orioles CEO John Angelos. Lou Angelos accused the pair of seizing control of the team in defiance of the wishes of their husband and father, Peter.

According to the Associated Press, Peter Angelos became the Orioles' owner in 1993, but his public role has diminished in recent years and he turns 93 next month.

John Angelos is the club's chairman and CEO, with Peter and Lou listed on the team's website as part of its limited partnership group.

In the lawsuit filed in Baltimore County Circuit Court, Lou Angelos said John has tried to take control of their father's estate while excluding Lou.

“In 2018, (Peter) Angelos became disabled,” the suit said. “Shortly thereafter, John embarked on 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.”

Lou Angelos is the plaintiff in the lawsuit. John and Georgia Angelos are defendants.

According to the lawsuit, Peter Angelos had surgery after his aortic valve failed in 2017. Around then, he executed a revocable trust and durable power of attorney.

“A principle purpose of these documents was to ensure that Mr. Angelos' sons worked together in support of their mother, shared decision-making and enjoyed equal rights of inheritance," the lawsuit said. “Mr. Angelos never intended that one son should wield control over his estate to the exclusion of his other son.”

The suit accuses John Angelos of working to undermine Georgia Angelos' confidence in Lou, and to exclude him from the Orioles' business matters.

“The corrupting effect of John's actions has been to thoroughly frustrate Mr. Angelos' intentions,” the suit said. “John intends to maintain absolute control over the Orioles — to manage, to sell or, if he chooses, to move to Tennessee (where he has a home and where his wife's career is headquartered) — without having to answer to anyone.”

The lawsuit didn't elaborate on whether there's any significant likelihood of the team moving. It did claim Mrs. Angelos felt it was in the trust's best interest to sell the team — but that John Angelos has attempted to prevent that.

After the lawsuit became public, CEO John Angelos reaffirmed his mother's earlier comments that the team would remain in Baltimore.

Statement from Orioles chairman and CEO John Angelos:

As I have said before, as long as Fort McHenry is standing watch over the Inner Harbor, the Orioles will remain in Baltimore.

My mother was born and raised in northeast Baltimore, attended city public schools at Eastern High School, and has worked with my father their entire lives to help the city, including by restoring the club to local ownership and preventing its relocation. For them, as for me, the Orioles will forever play at Oriole Park, and at no time ever have we contemplated anything different.

Since I was appointed Chairman and CEO according to my parents’ expressed wishes, and voted as the control person for the team by the 30 Major League Clubs, I have taken significant steps to ensure that our beloved franchise’s future remains in Charm City. Just two months ago we celebrated the Maryland General Assembly passing a bill promising to put $1.2 billion into reinvesting and reimagining the Camden Yards Sports Complex, which includes Oriole Park, ensuring the team will continue to play right here in downtown Baltimore for generations to come.

Maryland is committed to keeping our team in this great state, and I am equally committed to keeping the Orioles at the heart of our state. As stewards of “The Ballpark That Forever Changed Baseball,” we will continue to strengthen our community, generate another $10 billion in economic impact for the City of Baltimore and State of Maryland, and welcome another 70 million people to downtown Baltimore over the next 30 years and beyond. There is nothing uncertain about the future of the Baltimore Orioles.

I want to assure our Orioles players and coaches, our dedicated front office Senior Leadership Team and staff, and our devoted fans, trusted partners, elected, civic, and non-profit leaders, and our entire community, that the Orioles will never leave. From 33rd Street to Camden Yards, the Birds of Baltimore, the iconic team of Brooks, Earl, Jim, Frank, Cal, and Eddie, will forever remain in the only city that our family and our partnership group has called, or will ever call, home – the finest city and birthplace of our national anthem of which we are enduringly proud and to which we are forever committed.

Statement from Georgia Kousouris Angelos

In light of the false and painful claims that have been alleged in the lawsuit that my son Louis has brought against me and my older son John, I want to set the record straight.
My husband of fifty-six years, Peter, has appointed me his sole Attorney in Fact and the sole controlling trustee of his revocable trust. I, alone, have the authority to manage the family’s assets and make decisions, and I take this responsibility very seriously.

Since I appointed John Angelos as Chairman and CEO of the Orioles in 2020, he has led the organization thoughtfully and effectively, including through unprecedentedly challenging times. John has my full faith as well as the trust and confidence of Major League Baseball, Commissioner Rob Manfred, MLB’s executive leadership group, and the “control persons” of the 29 other MLB Clubs who voted to approve John as the Orioles’ control person.

At my direction, John worked exhaustively and successfully for two years with Governor Larry Hogan, MSA Chairman Tom Kelso, Mayor Brandon Scott and the Legislative leadership of Maryland to pass the law to modernize Camden Yards and ensure that the Orioles remain in Baltimore in perpetuity.

I was born and raised in Northeast Baltimore, within walking distance of Memorial Stadium, attending City public schools at PS 50, PS 49, and Eastern High School. I attended the first Orioles Opening Day in 1954. Four decades later, our partnership group restored the team to local ownership, thereby avoiding the constant threat of relocation that had taken the Colts away from Baltimore. Any suggestion that Peter, John, or I would explore moving the Club is false and intentionally divisive.

As the sole Attorney in Fact and controlling trustee, I have relied upon a sophisticated team of senior business advisors, consultants, attorneys and nationally recognized legal, financial, tax, and estate planning firms, with whom John and I on behalf of the Orioles and my family have worked on all matters. Within that group, I have the highest regard for the professionalism and integrity of Chris Jones and his partners at the law firm of Moore & Van Allen, who have provided invaluable counsel in our family estate planning, and in the Orioles’ near- and long-term strategic planning. I consider Chris a friend, and Chris and his family as well as my son John and his family are owed an apology for this baseless, unfounded, and defamatory Complaint.

I have always believed that family disputes and concerns should remain among family members, and I deeply regret any distraction that this may have caused to our dedicated Orioles Senior Leadership Team and staff, our many community partners, and most importantly, devoted Orioles’ fans.

I look forward to putting this matter behind us all.

Go Orioles!

The Associated Press contributed to this article.