2024 marks PressBox’s eighth annual Best Of edition celebrating the top people, performances and moments of the year.
Best Hope For The Future
David Rubenstein has had a wildly successful career as the co-founder and co-chairman of The Carlyle Group. Whether that success can translate as a baseball owner remains to be seen. But the potential for change that his leadership represents brought an immediate boost to Orioles fans.
The City College alum officially purchased the Orioles from the Angelos family in March at the bargain price of $1.725 billion. His group includes other successful businesspeople like Michael Arougheti, Mitchell Goldstein and Michael Smith as well as big names like former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke, hoops legend Grant Hill and Orioles icon Cal Ripken Jr.
And while Rubenstein’s net worth (roughly $4 billion) might have been most intriguing to Orioles fans desperate to see the team become more aggressive in building the roster, the inclusion of Ripken in the ownership group was also well received by the fan base.
While some legends have remained involved with the franchise, relationships between the club and the greatest players in history have been frosty at times. Fans want to see their most beloved players intertwined with the organization. Even if Ripken isn’t a prime decision-maker, his inclusion is encouraging.
Despite his extraordinary bank account, Rubenstein somehow managed to maintain an “everyman” charm. He posed for selfies with fans at games, tossed hats into the crowd and even took his turn as “Mr. Splash” and danced on top of the dugout during the seventh-inning stretch.
At 75, Rubenstein says he’s in a “race to the finish line.” Orioles fans hope that involves making a World Series a priority and fast.
“To own the Orioles is a great civic duty,” Rubenstein said when he purchased the team, adding that his group’s focus was on “returning a World Series trophy to Baltimore.”
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox
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Plus: Check out PressBox’s 2024 Mo Gaba Sportsperson of the Year, Lamar Jackson.
