Popular sentiment suggests Nick Markakis and Peter Angelos are more than casual Facebook friends. After all, they're both of Greek heritage. They probably attend the same church, visit the same butcher, brunch together on Sundays, right?
Actually, Markakis had never met the Orioles owner before this week. In fact, neither had most players in the clubhouse.
"I'd never even seen a picture of him," reliever George Sherrill said.
The Orioles' exciting Opening Day win over the New York Yankees on Monday was packed with drama and at least a couple of on-field shockers. But there were two things that surprised me most, both revelations from the post-game clubhouse:
1. To players, Angelos has been little more than a signature on a paycheck.
2. They wish he were much more.
This is going to sound like heresy in some corners of the Orioles kingdom, but could it be possible Angelos plays too small a role in his empire?
No one is suggesting we revisit the days when important baseball decisions were made by people who learned the game from the backs of baseball cards. But there has been a push to get Angelos more involved with the players. One game into the season, in fact, it's already a successful movement.
Angelos accompanied Vice President Joe Biden on a tour of the ballpark Monday afternoon. They stopped in the team's clubhouse and hung around for about a half-hour. Biden did most of the talking and Angelos most of the observing, according to those who were there.
"He cares about this organization, and he cares about the guys," second baseman Brian Roberts said. "He just doesn't want to be one of the owners who's here all the time."
But those who wear the uniform are hoping for a change. Dave Trembley and Andy MacPhail have been urging the Orioles owner to show his face more often, to get rid of the mysterious man-behind-the-curtain mystique.
Despite the public perception of a meddling owner, Angelos has had almost no interaction with his million-dollar chess set the past few years. While he hasn't been shy about advising past front office officials, he has had a hands-off approach when it comes to players and, for the most part, recent managers and coaches. The owner has, however, quietly picked up dinner tabs in restaurants. He has let players fish in his pond. He and his wife have sent congratulatory cards and gifts when some players have become fathers.
