Purposefulness.
Catie Griggs repeated the word, in various forms, four times during the first two minutes of a conversation about the Orioles’ efforts to analyze, restructure and improve their business operations department. Griggs, who was hired by Baltimore over the summer to lead the organization as president of business operations, said her whole purpose goes back to that word.
She envisions a deliberate approach in multiple areas, whether it’s improvements to Camden Yards, ticket sales, the in-game experience or the future of the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. It will take a holistic view, an organization driving in the same direction and the confidence of new hires and old guard alike to turn the Orioles around to Griggs’ vision.
“It’s about intentionality,” Griggs said in a phone conversation. “What are the things we can do to more intentionally engage more of our community, to welcome back fans who, for whatever reason, haven’t been around lately? How do we make sure that this is an environment where everyone who is a fan, has a hat, has clothing, wants to make their way downtown?”
Winning helps.
This season, when the Orioles made the playoffs for the second straight year, Baltimore’s attendance topped 2 million fans for the first time since 2017. That shows progress, even if the 2,281,129 fans who attended games at Camden Yards this year were left the Orioles 19th overall out of 30 teams.
Victory, then, only does so much. As Griggs oversees the health of the organization, she understands that pricing, food and the overall ballpark experience play a big role in bringing fans downtown. At some point, once the Orioles and the state negotiate and seal a ground lease around Camden Yards, the historic stadium as a destination could be even more front and center.
There’s that word again.
“It goes back to that word, intentionality,” Griggs said. “We have an incredible park. Camden Yards is one of the iconic parks — and I would argue one of the iconic sports venues in the U.S. So it’s a great place to start, but we also recognize that in certain places, it’s a little dated, and we’re We are extremely fortunate that we are now at a point where we can understand how we can protect all the incredible parts of Camden Yards, but also look at opportunities to create in-park experiences that will connect with more fans.”
That redevelopment process — during which the Orioles could use up to $600 million in state bonds to renovate the ballpark — will begin with subtle changes in 2025 before more major renovations are introduced for 2026.
The Maryland Stadium Authority approved a $135 million plan for the first of a series of upgrades, including a video board and sound system, on Oct. 1. The plan will be presented in November to the Maryland Board of Public Works — made up of Gov. Wes Moore, Treasurer Dereck Davis and Comptroller Brooke Lierman — and, if approved, the first bond issue will be in December.
Griggs said the videoboard would arrive in 2026. “It’s one of those things that feels like it should be easy to do more, but it’s generally more challenging,” Griggs said. The time needed to purchase and install a new video board, she said, will take a year or more.
“Audio, similarly, a comprehensive solution is in the works for 2026,” Griggs said. “However, we are working to see what, if anything, we can put in place as an interim improvement for ’25, so this is a work in progress. But whenever we have an opportunity to find a way to make the experience better for our fans, we’re looking to do that.”
Griggs hinted at some experimental differences for 2025, but did not elaborate on the exact details.
She said one limitation of Camden Yards — despite all the positives — is that the concourses are closed off from the playing field. Without those points, she said, the business operations department is thinking of ways to improve fans’ experiences as they wait in concession lines and hopes to implement some solutions for 2025.
As part of building Grigg’s vision, the organization is hiring for a number of openings: chief financial officer, chief revenue officer, chief marketing officer, chief human resources officer, senior vice president of strategy and innovation and general counsel. The Orioles also moved longtime executive Greg Bader to oversee MASN.
Griggs, who began her management career with Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United before moving to MLB’s Seattle Mariners, said the decision to add those positions stems from her belief in hiring knowledgeable people and letting them go. to flourish. Griggs said “underinvestment” in certain areas or the need for fresh thinking caused the positions to open up.
But she is not asking for change just for the sake of change.
“Take advantage of all the knowledge of heritage, but complement it with an outside perspective that allows us to think differently and find a way to overcome what is the best way for us to move forward,” Griggs said. “It’s not necessarily where we’ve been, but it’s also not necessarily different.”
By moving Bader to oversee MASN, Griggs said, the network gains an executive who reports directly to her and can serve as an intermediary with the Washington Nationals. The MASN deal, as always, is a point of contention. The network was created to appease then-owner Peter Angelos when the Montreal Expos moved to Washington and the Orioles own a majority stake.
But even in a “tumultuous” time for regional sports networks, with financially struggling Diamond Sports Group proposing to drop the broadcast of 11 MLB teams, Griggs said she has confidence in MASN’s positioning and ability to “maintain a relationship successful work with the National Teams” as the network continues to broadcast matches for both clubs.
When asked about the possibility of adding a direct-to-consumer streaming option, Griggs noted that there are “some real structural challenges with the way things are set up today that we’re working on, in terms of the relationships you have with distributors and how those contracts are structured.”
MASN became available on the Fubo streaming service before the 2024 season. But for the most part, the network is only available on traditional cable packages — and it moved to a more expensive package on Comcast.
Griggs is doing it all in her role as president of business operations, but that’s also why she’s adding individuals to the ranks. Similar to how Baltimore’s ownership group of David Rubenstein, Michael Arougheti and others treat Griggs in her role, she envisions a collaborative group leading the Orioles forward.
She said the ownership team has put in place a “strategic North Star” and erected several guardrails to follow the business operations team. But there is no micromanaging, by Griggs or the owners.
“I’m a big believer in bringing good, smart people together and putting them to do what they do and do it very, very well,” Griggs said.
And it all boils down to one word: intentionality. If they are intentional about their process, Griggs said, the Orioles will best serve their interests and the interests of their fans.