October 1, 2024 – South Atlantic League (SAL)
Aberdeen IronBirds News Release
(Aberdeen, MD) – Attain Sports, led by experienced minor league baseball operator and accomplished business leader Greg Baroni, today announced it has partnered with Cal Ripken, Jr. and Bill Ripken and acquired controlling interest in IB Professional Holdings, the owner of the Aberdeen IronBirds, Class A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. The Ripkens will remain a part of the ownership group. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Attain Sports are well-established and respected sports team operators. The group owns the Bowie Baysox, Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles; the Frederick Keys, a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League; the Spire City Ghost Hounds of the Atlantic League Professional Baseball (ALPB); and the Loudon United Football Club of the United Soccer League.
“Today marks an exciting day for me personally and for our entire organization. The opportunity to grow Attain Sports by welcoming a terrific team like the IronBirds, and to partner with Cal and Bill Ripken, is very meaningful,” said Greg Baroni, CEO and Managing Partner, Attain Sports. “We look forward to continuing to deliver baseball as affordable family entertainment with a commitment to community engagement, exceptional customer service, and innovative experiences right here in Aberdeen.”
Cal Ripken, Jr. added, “Bill and I are proud of what we have been able to bring to our hometown. Since 2002, through the IronBirds and our Ripken Experience Aberdeen youth baseball complex, we have been able to provide wonderful experiences for baseball fans of all ages. At this stage of my life, I thought the timing was right to turn over the day-to-day management of the IronBirds to Greg. I am thrilled that we can partner with such well-respected operators like Greg and Attain Sports.”
In 2001, right after playing his final game with the Orioles, Ripken purchased the Utica Blue Sox and moved them to his hometown where they became the IronBirds, an Orioles affiliate. The IronBirds play at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium. Ripken partnered equally with the State of Maryland and the City of Aberdeen to get the ballpark built. Adjacent to the ballpark is the Ripken Experience Aberdeen, a state-of-the-art youth baseball complex featuring replicas of some of the most notable MLB ballparks of the modern era.
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