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An Orioles executive took to Twitter on Wednesday afternoon to answer some questions from fans. This is interesting because the executive is John P. Angelos, son of Peter, who is both the President of MASN and Executive Vice-President of the Orioles. That's nice work if you can get it.
Often, it seems like these kinds of Twitter "town halls" are a disaster because the thing about opening up for questions from anybody means that anybody could ask a question. There are a lot of crazy people out there and also a lot of sane people who are annoyed or angry about different topics.
You can view the tweets for yourself on Angelos' Twitter account. I have rounded up the transcript below in chronological order.
Fan Q: Any way to stream O's day games online if you have MASN on cable at home? Can you make it happen?
Angelos: Yes, there is an industry standard method available for regional sports networks working directly with their sports teams distributors to bring live games to the fans. MASN and our fellow sports networks are able and ready to deliver and are working with MLB to make this a reality very soon as Orioles and Nationals fans deserve to see all games on all platforms.
Reading between the lines: MLB is the reason in-market streaming isn't happening and the Orioles (or at least MASN) want that to change.
Fan Q: What is the plan to ensure continued success?
Angelos: Buck, Dan, Brady and the entire Orioles Baseball Operations department is committed to sustaining the current emphasis on building through the draft, strong pitching and defense, and a prudent balance of veterans and youth necessary for most MLB franchises to maintain constant competitiveness under the current league economic environment. That approach has worked so far, and we are staying the course as recommended by our baseball experts.
Fan Q: How much do you think the diplomatic changes in Cuba will impact MLB markets (increased fan base) and Latin players?
Angelos: Evaluators project a substantial talent impact on MLB if and when more Cuban players are free to play in the US without sacrificing their Cuban citizenship. Once that occurs, Cuba's impact will increase perhaps rivaling other countries such as the Dominican Republic and portions of the United States long known for producing top players.
The next question and answer don't make sense together. Angelos appears to think he is answering a question about his favorite Orioles memories, but that is not the question he retweeted from the fan he replied to.
Fan Q: Do you expect any trades to be made before Opening Day?
Angelos: I have a few. Among them are: Eddie Murray returning to the O's to join Hank Aaron and Willie Mays as the third player in MLB history to record 3,000 hits and 500 home runs. Another was the historic Orioles vs. Cuban National Team series that took place in Havana and Baltimore and broke down political barriers to bring two peoples long kept apart back together. Finally, the 2014 Division Championship and ALCS appearance last season and the excitement every O's fan experienced all year.
Fan Q: Why did Oriole Park at Camden Yards get passed up for the All-Star Game? Our stadium and downtown definitely deserve it!
Angelos: The awarding of the All-Star Game is a decision of the MLB Commissioners' Office. Camden Yards is an iconic venue and Baltimore and our Mid-Atlantic region are ideal hosts for MLB fans from around the US. The Orioles are also known for the fine front office Promotions and Events staff, I think the finest in MLB and all sports, that created our 2131, Cuba Series, Postseason, and our annual Opening Day festivities. We are hopeful for the city, state, and all O's fans in the region of an All-Star Game at Camden Yards soon.
Fan Q: Will Camden Yards have concerts after the games in the future?
Angelos: We have had quite a lot of fan interest in bringing back the Orioles summer concert series of several years ago, and many MLB clubs have moved toward adding music both as post game added value and as stand alone concerts when the team is out of town. Stay tuned, and the more fans reach out to tell us what they miss from the past or what music they want to see (insert favorite band here), or what other events fans want to see at the park, the more we will make every effort to create those events.
Fan Q: Do you think Oriole Park at Camden Yards naming rights will ever be for sale? I would hate to see that.
Angelos: No, there has never been nor is there any plan today to sell naming rights to Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Fan Q: I have loved all of the recent upgrades to Camden Yards including the CF rooftop deck bar. Are there any more plans to renovate?
Angelos: Great to hear you enjoyed. Yes, we continue to masterplan with the finest architects in the country for future enhancements to the ballpark while staying true to what our friends Joe Spear and the late Ben Barnett of HOK and Populous created over two decades ago before taking the Camden Yards magic and revitalization of sports venue thinking around the US.
Angelos appears to have just picked out the questions from the hashtag #AskJPA himself. Many went unanswered because there's only so much time. A smattering of others were probably ignored because that's the price you pay for giving a microphone to just anybody, as anyone who's ever listened to a FanFest panel Q&A or sports talk radio knows.
Some Walgreens district managers appear to have taken some time out of their day to tweet questions like:
"When are you going to roll over on your counter suit and pay the Nationals their money?"
Others were more along the lines of disgruntled Orioles fans:
"Do the Orioles care about winning or making money for their greedy owner?"
"Why are you such a tight a**? Why did your family let our franchise die for 15 years?"
I can't imagine why he didn't answer those.
Some interesting answers, some non-answers. It's always good to hear there aren't any plans to sell Camden Yards naming rights.