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Cal Ripken Jr. and Grant Hill are part of the investor group that has agreed to buy the Baltimore Orioles, and so are former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke.

The group is headed by Baltimore native David Rubenstein, co-founder of the Carlyle Group. Additional investors were revealed in a news release Wednesday announcing the agreement between Rubenstein and the Angelos family.

“I am excited to once again be a part of the Orioles organization and I thank David for including me in the ownership group,” Ripken said in a statement. “The Orioles have been a part of my life since I was a child, and this is a special day.”

The Angelos family has run the team for the past three decades and is selling a controlling stake in the team to Rubenstein for $1.725 billion.

“I am grateful to the Angelos family for the opportunity to join the team I have been a fan of my entire life. I look forward to working with all the Orioles owners, players and staff to build upon the incredible success the team has achieved in recent seasons,” Rubenstein said. “Our collective goal will be to bring a World Series trophy back to the city of Baltimore. To the fans I say: We do it for you and can’t do it without you.”

John Angelos, the club’s current chairman, will remain as a senior adviser.

“I am personally committed to helping David and his partners take the franchise to the next level,” Angelos said. “We think this transaction is great for Major League Baseball and great for the city of Baltimore and Maryland. We are thankful to the fans and supporters cheering on the O’s as we reached this important goal — and who will be with us celebrating more success to come.”

Rubenstein’s investment team includes Ripken and Hill, who in addition to being Hall of Famers in baseball and basketball have ties to the extended area. Ripken, of course, is an Orioles legend who was born in Havre de Grace, Maryland. Hill is from northern Virginia, not far from Washington.

Other members of the investment group include Bloomberg, Schmoke, Ares Management co-founder Michael Arougheti, Ares Credit Group co-heads Mitchell Goldstein and Michael Smith, and Cognosante founder Michele Kang, who also owns the Washington Spirit of the NWSL.

The sale is subject to a full vote of Major League Baseball ownership and must receive 75% approval.

The Angelos family has been in control of the Orioles since 1993, when Peter Angelos purchased the team for $173 million. Angelos’ son John is the team’s current chairman, and the Orioles recently reached a deal on a new lease extension at Camden Yards.

“Gov. Moore would like to thank the Angelos family for their contributions to the Orioles community and this storied franchise,” said Carter Elliott, a spokesman for Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. “Keeping the Orioles in Baltimore for the long term was a key priority for this administration and we are proud that this transaction won’t change that.”

The Angelos family will keep a significant investment in the team.

“When I took on the role of chair and CEO of the Orioles, we had the objective of restoring the franchise to elite status in major league sports, keeping the team in Baltimore for years to come, and revitalizing our partnership group,” John Angelos said. “This relationship with David Rubenstein and his partners validates that we have not only met but exceeded our goals.”

The Orioles won 101 games last season, their most since 1979, and their future is bright thanks to young stars Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson — as well as a farm system that has remained loaded even as top prospects moved on to the big leagues.

The team’s low payroll has been a sore spot with fans, but this sale offers hope that the Orioles might spend aggressively enough to make the most of the impressive foundation of talent they’ve built.

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Johnson, 2-time Cup winner with Lightning, retires

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Johnson, 2-time Cup winner with Lightning, retires

Tyler Johnson has announced his retirement after playing 13 NHL seasons and winning the Stanley Cup twice with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Johnson called it a career in a lengthy message posted on social media Monday. Johnson had battled injuries in recent years and is set to turn 35 on July 29.

“As a short kid from a small town, I saw my chances of playing in the NHL as very slim,” Johnson wrote on Instagram. “But my family — my parents, Ken and Debbie, and my grandparents — believed in me when doubt clouded my mind. Their unwavering faith turned that dream into reality.”

Listed at 5-foot-8 and 191 pounds, Johnson won at just about ever level, capturing the Western Hockey League and Memorial Cup championships in 2008 with his hometown Spokane Chiefs and the Calder Cup championship with Norfolk of the American Hockey League in 2012.

The NHL brought more success, as he skated in 863 regular-season and playoff games since debuting in the league in 2013, putting up 498 points. Johnson was part of the Lightning’s core when they reached the final in 2015 and helped them hoist the Cup back to back in 2020 and ’21.

Johnson finished with Chicago, playing three seasons with the Blackhawks, and Boston, signing with the Bruins early last season following his training camp tryout.

“After a lifetime devoted to hockey, I’m ready for what’s next,” Johnson said. “This moment is bittersweet, but I leave the game with no regrets.”

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‘Gritty’ McBain secures 5-year deal from Mammoth

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'Gritty' McBain secures 5-year deal from Mammoth

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Mammoth re-signed center Jack McBain to a five-year contract worth $21.25 million on Monday.

McBain will count $4.25 million against the salary cap through the 2029-30 NHL season, which was announced a little more than 24 hours since the team elected salary arbitration with the restricted free agent forward.

“He is a big, strong, physical player who competes hard on a nightly basis and brings a gritty toughness to our group,” general manager Bill Armstrong said. “Jack is an important part of the championship-caliber team we are building, and we look forward to having him back on our roster for the foreseeable future.”

McBain, 25, is coming off setting a career high with 27 points and playing all 82 games. He was one of six players to skate in every game of the organization’s first season in Salt Lake City.

“Jack’s versatility as a player, his care for his teammates and his demonstrated willingness to do whatever it takes to win, are all critical elements to our future team success,” president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong said.

McBain has 82 points in 241 games with the franchise, which moved to Utah from Arizona. Since debuting in April 2022, he ranks third in the league with 832 hits.

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‘Workhorse’ York nets five-year deal from Flyers

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'Workhorse' York nets five-year deal from Flyers

Cam York and the Philadelphia Flyers agreed to terms Monday on a five-year contract worth $25.75 million, with re-signing the restricted free agent defenseman completing perhaps the team’s last important piece of offseason business.

York, 25, will count $5.15 million against the salary cap through the 2029-30 NHL season. That price could turn out to be a bargain with the upper limit rising from $88 million this past season to $113.5 million by 2027-28.

“Cam has been a workhorse for our team over the last few seasons,” general manager Danny Briere said. “We’re excited by his development and look forward to his continued growth and emergence as a young leader within our group.”

The Flyers are trying to shift from rebuilding to contending, and York was the final player on the roster without a contract. They acquired Trevor Zegras in a trade from Anaheim last month and signed fellow center Christian Dvorak and backup goaltender Dan Vladar on the first day of free agency.

York, the 14th pick in the 2019 draft, has skated nearly 21 minutes a game so far in his pro career, all with Philadelphia. He has 77 points in 235 games for the Flyers, who have not made the playoffs since 2020.

“I believe in this team, and I love the direction we are heading,” York said. “I couldn’t be more excited to continue this journey and build something special together.”

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