Orioles owner David Rubenstein is reflecting on his first year at the helm of the franchise, noting his decision to buy the team was “more of a philanthropic gesture to help my hometown of Baltimore” and “not so much to make money.”

Rubenstein paid the Angelos family $1.725B for the Orioles and said joining the pro sports ownership ranks is “not a business that is as profitable as other things that you can do with your money.” Rubenstein.

“If I wanted to maximize the amount of money I was going to put into this kind of venture, I could put that money into venture capital or private equity and probably make a higher rate of return.”

He had long considered entering the ownership ranks, and he said, “I thought when an opportunity came along that I would do it — not to lose money, but not so much to make money.

I probably make more money doing other things with the amount of money I put into this.

But I thought it was a way to help Baltimore, which is a city that could use some help.”

Rubenstein: “I’m not disappointed at all that I put in the amount of money that we put in to do this.

I don’t expect to make a spectacular rate of return. But I would hope not to lose money in it