For nearly 15 years, Ken Young owned three of the Orioles’ four full-season minor league affiliates. In the span of 13 months, he’s gone down to one.
Attain Sports and Entertainment, based in McLean, Virginia, announced Thursday it has bought the Bowie Baysox and Frederick Keys from Young, who retains ownership of Baltimore’s Triple-A team, the Norfolk Tides, as well as the Albuquerque Isotopes and Biloxi Shuckers. The Baysox are the Orioles’ Double-A affiliate, while the Keys spent three decades tied to the Orioles before moving to the MLB Draft League as part of December 2020′s reshuffling of the minor leagues.
Greg Baroni, Attain Sports and Entertainment CEO and principal general partner, and Richard Roberts, president and general partner, will serve as the teams’ new owners.
“As a Maryland resident of more than 30 years, I have deep roots in the region and am excited by the opportunity to bring next-level baseball experiences to our area,” Greg Baroni said in a statement. “Throughout my career, I’ve had a passion for building great teams, and this is a natural extension of that focus. The Baysox and Keys offer a pipeline opportunity to the Major Leagues and continue the tradition of providing quality entertainment to families and communities. It’s about building teams and serving the players and fans, and that resonates with me.”
Baroni previously held senior roles at KPMG, KPMG Consulting and Unisys Corporation. He and Roberts have goals of “increased community outreach, stadium enhancements, and a focus on the fan experience” as owners of the Baysox and Keys, according to a news release. The Keys’ removal from affiliated baseball largely stemmed from a facility in need of modern upgrades, general manager Andrew Klein recently told The Baltimore Sun.
Maryland Baseball Holding LLC, a group led by Young, bought the Baysox and Keys in 2006. The next year, the Tides, which Young has served as the president of since 1993, became the Orioles’ Triple-A team. Young was named Baseball America’s Minor League Executive of the Year in 2009.
“It’s not just about baseball, it’s about providing family fun entertainment — Attain Sports and Entertainment understands that and is positioned to invest in the Baysox and Keys to further enhance the teams’ impact on their communities and fans,” Young said in a statement. “I am confident that the teams are in great hands with Greg and Rich, each of whom bring a proven track record of success throughout their impressive careers. I’m excited to watch them build on the momentum that we’ve created.”