The Baltimore Orioles have made a lot of headlines in recent years for all the wrong reasons. While their division rivals like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are perennial World Series contenders, the Orioles have spent the last few seasons in the dumps. After a tepid 75-87 finish in 2017, Baltimore bottomed out in 2018 with a 47-115 record. It hasn’t gotten much better in 2019 as the O’s are 12-22 so far, and once again among the worst teams in the league. Just five years removed from an ALCS appearance, the franchise has left a lot of people wondering where they go from here.
Las Vegas, apparently, has been up for discussion. At least, if you listen to the rumors.
This past Saturday, Baltimore sports host Bruce Cunningham brought guest Benjamin Neil, a local lawyer, on Cunningham’s 105.7 The Fan show. 105.7 The Fan happens to be the Orioles’ flagship station. And that appearance turned into them discussing Neil’s comments that an anonymous buyer had put a $3 billion bid on the table for the Orioles and that this mystery person planned on moving the team to Las Vegas. There was an accompanying blog post (which has since been removed) as well. You can listen to the appearance here.
As you might imagine, this sent quite a few Baltimore fans into a panic. They know a thing or two about beloved franchises leaving, so the idea that their Orioles could head out of town was quite a shock.
I was just listening to @Bruce45Sports on 105.7 and his guest was a lawyer saying there is an anonymous offer for $3B to move the team to Vegas when the stadium lease is up in 2021. Lawyer seems to think it's pretty serious. I don't think I'll ever be the same if it happens.
— Paul Valle III (@PaulValleIII) May 4, 2019
I do not know what I'm going to do if the Orioles move to Vegas. It will absolutely crush and destroy me.
— Paul Valle III (@PaulValleIII) May 4, 2019
There was just one problem with all of this. The Orioles-to-Vegas news appears to be way more rumor than fact. Neil’s comments that “the league would like to see this franchise moved” might have sounded like they came from a factual place but, in fact, there doesn’t seem to be anything out there to corroborate any of it.
Presumably, the Orioles’ organization was none too pleased with their flagship radio station spouting rumors about their potential flight out of town. That’s likely why 105.7 The Fan Director of Sports Programming Chuck Sapienza took to Twitter on Sunday to strike down the rumors and apologize for spreading them.
Yesterday during @Bruce45Sports Saturday show, Bruce had attorney Benjamin Neil as a guest. Mr Neil mentioned a rumor involving the Orioles. It should be taken as just that, a rumor. There are no facts to back up his claim. (1 of 3)
— Chuck Sapienza (@chucksapienza) May 5, 2019
. @1057TheFan allows our guests a platform to speak on their areas of expertise. Guests that choose to use that platform to throw out non-credible rumors, “heard through the grapevine” fail to meet that level.
— Chuck Sapienza (@chucksapienza) May 5, 2019
I apologize to the #Orioles and their fans. We will do better.
— Chuck Sapienza (@chucksapienza) May 5, 2019
When we hear rumors, we try to source them. If we can’t source them we don’t report. A rumor is NOT a news story
— Chuck Sapienza (@chucksapienza) May 5, 2019
While it’s not out of the realm of possibility that a pro sports franchise could be sold and moved to another city (just ask Seattle, Cleveland, San Diego, St. Louis, Oakland, and many other cities), a radio station in The Fan’s position has to make it clear when you’re discussing rumor and when you’re discussing facts. Not only because of their financial interests with the team, but also because sports fans are already irrationally concerned about their favorite teams and the last thing you need to do is feed that dragon. Especially when there are already plenty of concerns among Orioles fans over the way the franchise’s media dispute with the Nationals has played out.
Could the Las Vegas Orioles be a thing one day? Maybe. But there’s nothing out there right now to say that the Angelos family has any desire to sell the team, especially to someone who’ll move them out of Baltimore.
Also, you know, maybe don’t take this guy’s word for it out of hand, whatever he’s saying.