Somber but hopeful Opening Day in Baltimore

“He had other things in mind.” Rubenstein certainly had a better week than protégé and fellow Carlyle alum Glenn Youngkin, the Virginia governor whose gambit to move the Washington Capitals and Wizards across the Potomac River was rebuffed this week.

Rubenstein’s franchise was hurriedly and unanimously approved by MLB owners, less than two months after striking an agreement to sign the team.

The timing was certainly right.

“I want to make sure this is not the high-water mark,” says Rubenstein. “I want the high-water mark to be in the fall, when we go to the World Series and we are a city that supports a great team – and we have unified the city in a way only the Orioles can do. Nothing unifies this city as the Baltimore Orioles.”

Their task got just a bit heavier this week.

‘I hope we’re playing together for a long time’

You could hear it in Orioles manager Brandon Hyde’s voice. Usually a rock at the mic, Hyde began his first pregame briefing of the year reading a statement sending condolences to the families impacted by the collapse.

And when someone recounted that Rubenstein called Hyde the greatest manager in baseball, the sixth-year manager and reigning AL Manager of the Year found his voice choking a bit.

“Well, that’s really nice of him to say,” says Hyde.

“My interactions with him have been incredible. He is obviously really smart, he’s extremely funny and witty and such a pleasure to talk to and really interested, curious and I’ve walked away every single time thinking, ‘This guy is unbelievable.’ ”

Veteran outfielder Austin Hays called Rubenstein “a very impressive man” and “a Baltimorean through and through,” and his purchase marks perhaps the final step in a process for Hays and fellow outfielders Anthony Santander and Cedric Mullins, parts of three 100-loss teams and with Hyde from the jump.

“I’ve seen a lot of turnover, a lot of change. I’m hoping the guys you’re looking around the locker room – it’s a good core here – don’t change that much. I hope we’re playing together for a long time.”