Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred announced before the season opener at Nationals Park on Monday that the 2018 All-Star Game will be in the nation's capital, which is sure to be viewed in Baltimore as another cold slap in the face from Major League Baseball.
The evidence is circumstantial, but it's hard to believe there's is no connection between the decision to award four straight Midseason Classics to National League cities and the long-running dispute between MLB and the Orioles over the Nationals' annual television rights fee.
MLB officials have long denied any vindictive intent and say privately that the Orioles have not shown strong interest in hosting another All-Star Game. That might be true, but the All-Star Game is not awarded in an Olympic-style bidding process and the decision where to place it should be based on an even-handed regional and league-sensitive manner.
Of course, the Nats deserve to host the game, but it seems obvious that there is some unexplained reason why MLB has stood tradition on its ear by interrupting the alternating league approach so dramatically.
Clearly, MLB officials and several influential owners are angry with Peter Angelos for holding the Nationals to the television rights agreement that was heavily lopsided in the Orioles' favor because of the projected (and since proven) economic impact on Orioles attendance and revenues of a second franchise in Mid-Atlantic region.
There was speculation early on that the All-Star Game might end up being a bargaining chip in the dispute, but the amount of MASN money that hangs in the balance dwarfs any economic benefit to the Orioles from hosting the event.
The real benefit would be to the community and local businesses, but it's not reasonable to expect the Orioles to take a huge ongoing revenue hit simply to be good civic citizens for one entertaining week in July.
Whether Baltimore was passed over again because of the MASN dispute or not, there certainly is the appearance that MLB is getting even with the Orioles. That's unfortunate, especially at a time when the team is in the midst of a long-awaited competitive renaissance and its fans deserve to be rewarded for their patience and support.