Earlier this year, Cal Ripken Jr. joined David Rubenstein as part of the Orioles’ new ownership group. Tuesday, he sold off his majority stake of the ballclub he owned first.
Ripken and his brother, Billy, sold their majority stake of the Aberdeen IronBirds, the Orioles’ High-A minor league affiliate, to Attain Sports on Tuesday. The Ripkens, who have owned the IronBirds since their inaugural season in 2002, will remain part of the ownership group, according to a joint news release.
“Today marks an exciting day for me personally and for our entire organization,” Greg Baroni, CEO of Attain Sports, said in the news release. “The opportunity to grow Attain Sports by welcoming a terrific team like the IronBirds, and to partner with Cal and Bill Ripken, is very meaningful. We look forward to continuing to deliver baseball as affordable family entertainment with a commitment to community engagement, exceptional customer service, and innovative experiences right here in Aberdeen.”
The Ripkens technically sold their stake in IB Professional Holdings, the owner of the IronBirds, to Attain Sports, which already owned the Bowie Baysox and Frederick Keys. The Baysox are the Orioles’ Double-A affiliate, while the Keys, a former Orioles affiliate, are a college summer team in the MLB Draft League.
Ripken purchased the minor league franchise, then the Utica Blue Sox in the Florida Marlins’ system, in 2001 after he retired from his 21-year MLB career with the Orioles. He immediately moved the team to Aberdeen to become the IronBirds.
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“Bill and I are proud of what we have been able to bring to our hometown,” Ripken said in the release. “Since 2002, through the IronBirds and our Ripken Experience Aberdeen youth baseball complex, we have been able to provide wonderful experiences for baseball fans of all ages. At this stage of my life, I thought the timing was right to turn over the day-to-day management of the IronBirds to Greg. I am thrilled that we can partner with such well-respected operators like Greg and Attain Sports.”
Ripken is part of Rubenstein’s large ownership group that purchased the Orioles for $1.725 billion in February. The deal was officially approved by MLB on opening day.
The “Iron Man” has been one of the ownership group’s public-facing members, frequently attending Orioles games while sitting in the front row behind home plate.
“If I can be helpful at all, I’ve got to be into it,” Ripken told The Baltimore Sun in September. “It’s felt good to be on the inside looking at it again as opposed to when you get out.”
Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Calvin Meyer at jameyer@baltsun.com, 667-942-3337 and x.com/JCalvinMeyer.
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