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Breaking News: Baltimore Orioles Make Historic Move, Appoint Catie Griggs as President of Business Operations
The Baltimore Orioles have hired Catie Griggs as their president of business operations, the first woman to be appointed to that role in franchise history.
Elevate Talent was retained by the Orioles’ new ownership, led by majority owner David Rubenstein, to fill the position.
“Catie’s track record of success, diverse business experience, and commitment to excellence made her the perfect fit to lead the next chapter of our business operation in Baltimore,” Rubenstein said in a statement.
Griggs comes east after three years with the Seattle Mariners, where she worked in the same role as the team’s point person for business operations. Under her leadership, the Mariners were able to enhance various aspects of T-Mobile Park, the team’s longtime home, including its operations, technology and the fan experience. Griggs’ signature accomplishment is helping T-Mobile Park become the first venue to host both the MLB All-Star Game (July 2023) and the NHL Winter Classic (January 2024) in the same calendar year.
I am genuinely thrilled to be joining the Orioles organization. Supporting this storied franchise, the city of Baltimore, and our passionate fans is an incredible honor,” Griggs said.
She’ll be tasked with a long-debated plan to revitalize Oriole Park at Camden Yards, which opened in 1992 and shepherded a wave of new stadium development across the United States. After Maryland’s Democratic governor Wes Moore was sworn into office in January, he aimed to renew an expiring lease agreement between the team and the Maryland Stadium Authority. That renewal was signed in December prior to the ownership change, and it will keep the team at Camden Yards for at least the next 15 years.
The lease comes with a $600 million taxpayer-funded purse to pay for renovations to the ballpark and the surrounding area to build a “ballpark village” akin to The Battery in Atlanta and other MLB cities.
If the Orioles hope to mirror The Battery, Griggs will also bring her extensive experience in Atlanta. In addition to time with Turner Broadcasting (now part of Warner Bros. Discovery), she worked as the chief business officer for Atlanta United from its inaugural 2017 season through 2021, which included the team’s MLS Cup run in 2018.
The new hire is Rubenstein’s latest mark on the Orioles since he became the control person for the franchise on the eve of Opening Day in late March. A group led by Rubenstein, a private equity magnate, purchased 40% of the team in January with the option to take on the remaining stake of the franchise upon the death of founding owner Peter Angelos, who succumbed to failing health on March 23.
