MLB owners approved the sale earlier this week
Free beers on opening day? Good day to be a Baltimore Orioles fan.
Nearly 46,000 fans packed Oriole Park at Camden Yards Thursday for opening day, and they were treated to a nice surprise.
Mike Arougheti, a new owner of the team, met a flock of fans in the concourse to introduce himself.
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A Baltimore Orioles hat and a glove in the dugout after a game against the Detroit Tigers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards April 22, 2023, in Baltimore. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
As he introduced himself and his co-owners, Arougheti got a loud ovation with a big announcement.
"We're buying everybody a beer! It's on us," he said.
Orioles fans responded with cheers and a "Let's Go O's" chant.
Arougheti is part of a group led by billionaire David Rubenstein and Hall of Fame Oriole Cal Ripken, Jr., that bought the team from the Angelos family for around $1.725 billion. MLB owners approved the sale earlier this week.
John Angelos took control of the team in 2020 with his father, Peter Angelos, in poor health. Peter Angelos, who bought the team in 1993 for $173 million, died Saturday at the age of 94.
Owner Peter Angelos, left, talks with Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles before the final game of his Major League Baseball career against the Boston Red Sox Oct. 6, 2001, at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
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The sale to Rubenstein’s group comes as the Orioles are on the rise.
Baltimore invested in a swath of young prospects who figure to hit their stride in 2024. The Orioles won 52 games in 2021 before winning 83 in 2022.
Last season, the Orioles won the American League East with a record of 101-61. It was the first time the team had broken the 100-win plateau since 1980. They were bounced from the playoffs by the eventual World Series-winning Texas Rangers.
Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore during a game between the New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles Aug. 5, 2023. (Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Orioles started the 2024 season with an 11-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels.
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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