A look at the possibility for Frederick to regain an MLB affiliation
The Keys were the Orioles' High-A club from 1989 through 2020
BOWIE, Md. – In November Greg Baroni, CEO of Attain Sports which owns the Orioles’ Double-A Chesapeake Baysox and High-A Aberdeen IronBirds affiliates, said his ownership group has “significant interest” in getting an MLB affiliate back in Frederick, Md.
From 1989-2020, Frederick was the O’s High-A affiliate in the Carolina League. But largely due to facility issues, Frederick was contracted when Minor League Baseball cut back to 120 teams ahead of the 2021 season. The O’s High-A full season club then moved to Aberdeen to play at Ripken Stadium, which previously was home to short-season ball only.
But Attain Sports, which also owns the Frederick team in the MLB Draft League, a summer collegiate league for draft prospects, retains big interest in getting an affiliation back for Frederick.
It now seems that possibly could happen as early as next season or maybe in 2027. Frederick could get back in the game.
Harry Grove Stadium in Frederick
The Keys won four Carolina League championships representing the Orioles in 1990, 2005, 2007 and 2011. The last championship team in Frederick included Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop as a double play combination.
The club had a long history of success at the gate and in serving its community. The Keys were first or second in the Carolina League in attendance for the team’s last eight years through 2020.
So where does it stand now? Does Attain Sports still want to see Frederick back as an MLB affiliate?
Absolutely.
“Things are advancing at a pretty rapid pace,” Baroni told me yesterday after the Baysox groundbreaking event to announce stadium improvements in Bowie. “My statement still stands (from November), but stay tuned soon would be my update. It’s on the precipice of happening soon.”
No one, including Baroni and Attain Sports, has announced anything here or formally confirmed any plans. My own speculation leads me to believe that the O’s High-A club would return to Frederick from Aberdeen and perhaps Aberdeen retains high-level ball in the Draft League. A swap of teams in a sense.
How soon could Frederick get back an affiliation?
“I would say as early as 2026,” said Baroni. “Now could be 2027, but it could be as early as 2026.”
Baroni said that would be exciting news for him, his company and the Frederick sports community if it happens.
“The community really embraced minor league baseball. It wasn’t surprising to me when we looked into the history of Frederick that they often led the league in attendance. It wasn’t for the lack of fandom, sponsors or community partnerships. It was the state of the facility,” he said of Frederick losing the Keys five years ago.
Now, in a sense, a wrong could be righted here.
Frederick, a community with a long history of strong minor league fan support, that lost a team not due at all to lack of interest, but a lacking facility, could be back in the game soon.
Coming tomorrow: The Orioles and the Baysox, and plenty of others, have collaborated on wonderful stadium improvements at Bowie’s Prince George’s Stadium, including two new state-of-the-art video boards ready for Opening Day this season. Tomorrow here I will have a lot more on that. Including the plans to build a two-story, player performance center and home clubhouse beyond left field that may prove to be the envy of most clubs in all of minor league baseball. It sounds like it’s going to be a fantastic facility when the improvements at Bowie, made over two years, are fully complete.
Steve there was mention of the facility being the reason to lose the affiliate but is there plans for improvements to Harry Grove ? BTW love going to see minor league baseball.
Steve, thanks for the insightful piece on Frederick and Harry Grove Stadium. Our kids very much grew up there. We went to a ton of games, pretty much 2001-13 or so. You certainly are correct about community support. The demographics for baseball could not be better.
As I understand it, the absence of a passage from the clubhouse to the dugouts, that did not commingle with the public, was pretty much the issue. Otherwise, stadium conditions were better than at Bowie. Apparently, players, teams and agents care a lot about not having to rub elbows with the hoi polloi.
Of course, my now-adult kids cherished memories of meeting guys like James Johnson, Luis Matos, Matt Weiters and others, on the concourse there.
I don't think that condition is easily or quickly rectified, however. We'll see I guess.