Podcast Alert: 150th Episode with the Baltimore Orioles’ Don Rovak

Transcript

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Don Rovak: [00:00:00] Up until really in the last 30-plus years, Camden Yards had very much been for the baseball fan to watch baseball. And now as we continue to reimagine what this place is, what it can be, it’s, “Hey, how do we make sure that we’re using this amazing game, right, to bring people together?” And so these spaces allow us to do that.

Jeff Nelson: Welcome to the Navigating Sports Business Podcast, where we uncover insights from the most prominent leaders in our industry. Today, I am happy to be joined by Don Rovak, the chief revenue officer of the Baltimore Orioles. We have known Don for a long time now. He was at AMBSE, rising through the ranks on the ticketing side.

And they are a longtime client. And now we’ve had the pleasure of working with him at the Baltimore Orioles for the last almost two years since you joined there. So Don, how is baseball [00:01:00] treating you a season and a half in?

Don Rovak: Baseball’s wild. It is very good, yeah. Started here last January, so I would say I’m getting used to it, but I’m truly learning each and every day as, as I watch the soap opera known as Major League Baseball throughout the, the summers, for sure.

Jeff Nelson: In all seriousness, you hear a lot of people across teams talk about the differences working league to league. But going from an organization where it wasn’t just NFL, right? You have Major League Soccer as well, but going from AMBSE to MLB, what are the biggest adjustments besides being, uh, in the ballpark for obviously a lot more game nights?

Don Rovak: Yeah, I mean, there, there’s a lot. I think, um, you know, like to your point, I originally started with the Falcons and having those 10 weekends and coveting those 10 weekends, uh, [00:02:00] and that was it. And then as we took on Atlanta United and went into the stadium with all of the college football, international soccer, and concerts, it quickly, uh, dominated a lot more than just the fall.

So on a life balance, to be honest with you, this is probably easier. It’s 13 weekends a year. It’s, we know when it starts, we know when it ends. We hope it ends about a month after when their regular season ends. But it’s a, um, it’s a much more known entity going in, whereas in AMBSE it was just, it was all s- all year long.

But yeah, I think the differ- I mean, there’s a lot of differences from both going from football to MLS and then baseball, right? There’s so many games. There’s so many seats. I would say my biggest learning is that a lot of times in the NFL by the time, uh, the fans realize you might not be as good as they had hoped, the season’s almost over and you’re onto the next year, whereas in, in baseball it’s a, it’s a longer season and there’s more games, so there’s just, you’re– the team performance matters more, I think.

Just, not I [00:03:00] think, it just does, just ’cause there’s so many, uh, each game varies so much. And then we have that weather thing which can also influx our, uh, influx from game to game for sure.

Jeff Nelson: For you two, it wasn’t just switching leagues. You had a SVP title at AMBSE. Now you have a C-suite title at the Orioles.

When you make that transition, when there is that chief in the title, can you give us some insight on kind of how that changes the responsibilities, how you view the job? And then when you’re doing that, not just getting promoted in the same place, but you’re coming into a new organization, how did you approach, “I am now in the C-suite”?

Don Rovak: Yeah, I think, you know, one of the either good or bad, I don’t know if I take on that title and wear [00:04:00] it differently in the way that I communicate to my direct reports or vice presidents or down to the seasonal associate. I like to think that’s something that’s helped me throughout my career, is being able to communicate to that 20-year-old that’s trying to make it in the industry, and I think I’m proud that I haven’t necessarily done anything a lot different from the, the– with the C in front of that title.

I think the difference is, a difference is like any other job title change. You have to understand when you say something, how it will be received. And so you– You know what I think the snazzier your title, the more clout you bring with that, and so you can unintentionally sway a decision when you– when I try to get into a healthy discussion thinking we’re about to have a good debate, uh, where you can find yourself unintentionally strong-arming, um, the person that you’re talking to if that’s not a, a C-level executive.

Um, and that’s been a learning, constant learning. I, I learned that a couple times even [00:05:00] when I moved up the ranks at AMBSE that, that, um, that your title matters and identifies you inside that building. And unless you really have great trust and great relationships, then it could be a little challenge. Uh, and I think same thing outwardly when you’re talking to customers, right?

One of my learnings is going from the major event side and, and premium and ticketing side to the sponsorship role. There’s, there’s doors that I can unlock that my corporate account executives can’t because of that title. Mm-hmm. And, and so that is something that I’ve been able to understand where I can lean in and help, and again, not to fly too low, but just to be helpful and, and in making for productive business relationships.

Jeff Nelson: You, I guess, came in and, and had to start hiring a handful of pretty important positions as, as you were kind of restructuring and [00:06:00] turning over the team. I feel like I hear more and more, especially on the revenue side of things, I hear more and more senior folks telling me that it is harder to hire than it’s ever been for a variety of reasons.

And a lot of them will trace it still back to how COVID changed the world and changed remote working and people’s willingness to move or how often they need to be in the office, how it changed people’s compensation expectations in certain cases, especially great salespeople. I already mentioned this to you before today and I think you said, eh, you don’t, you don’t think it maybe is quite as hard as, as, as some others have said to me.

But I would love for you to kinda give me your perspective on hiring people on the revenue side of a team right now and, and how you think you’ve been able to do it well.

Don Rovak: Yeah, I [00:07:00] think, you know, in, in both assessing our talent of the current team and then also bringing on some complementary roles, I think to me it’s been– I do start with geography a lot of times.

I think when I’m talking about hiring sales talent, or really any talent without the organization, it doesn’t matter to me that you’re a diehard Orioles fan, but it matters that this region makes sense in that career move for you. And so I think when I was looking, you know, we were, we were hiring a vice president of partnership closely right afterwards, a director of activation, looking for a group sales manager, a lot of these, a lot of these roles and other leadership and, and sales executive positions.

I think, I think one of the things that stuck out were why Baltimore, right? If we’re trying to build something, building something isn’t, hey, you come in and you’re gonna be here for 18 months, and then you’re gonna be somewhere else. So to me, for it to stick and for me to quickly go through [00:08:00] candidates and assess the talent, there has to be a great answer of why Baltimore.

You know, to me, I had the same thoughts when I was in Atlanta where it, you know, you’re just much more likely to ha- If I can know that the location makes sense to you, and therefore that part’s not gonna be a distraction, and you’re gonna be more willing to kind of, quote unquote, make it work, and then we’re gonna have a conversation about why.

You know, then on the selling side, to me, I lo- I don’t get to do it as much, but I love interviewing, and I love interviewing specifically for sales folks because, you know, you’re right there seeing that sales talent. And so for me, that’s the way that I go about that process. But, you know, I had, when I moved here, seven mentors, and they all told me the same exact thing, and they said, “Move quicker than you’re ready to and, um, act decisively ’cause otherwise weeks will turn into months, and you need to move quick.”

And I did. So I mean, and that [00:09:00] served me well early on ’cause, ’cause that helps, I think, build culture instead of having a lot of open positions and a long tail to, um, to the hiring timelines. But I do disagree. But I hope, you know, again, right now I think we’re in a good place. And again, I do also, you know, I, I like to think I’m the– whether it’s informational interviews or other folks that are keeping in contact with me and I’m doing the same, hiring can suck, especially if there’s nobody in your folder to go to.

But if you have a folder to go to, you know, it doesn’t need to be as, as, uh, terrifying as it can often be when you’re just starting from square one.

Jeff Nelson: I feel like there’s a lot of good advice in there. M-move quickly, be decisive, but especially I feel like a lot of people, when I am witnessing, I guess, their thought pros-process on hiring, I feel like a lot of people take the approach of trying to sell the city that they’re in.

“Hey, you should move to Baltimore. [00:10:00] Here’s…” They’re selling Baltimore, but it was interesting to hear you say that you want them to convince you that Baltimore makes sense for them. That’s really, really interesting. Is there anything, even 18 months in, for anybody listening to this who wants to be a CRO someday of the team, is there anything already 18 months in where you’re like, “Oh, I wish I had known.

I wish I’d gotten that advice 18 months ago,” or maybe three, five years ago- Uh … even leading up to this point in your career, you wish you had known then what you know now?

Don Rovak: Yeah, I mean, there’s a lot, right, as you go onto your career. I, I think a l- to double down a little bit on what we were talking about, you know, I think early on in my career I’ve always had– A, I’ve always had great ownership and therefore a lot of great coaching throughout the way.

But something that, that I learned kind of right in the other– maybe in the last eight years that was a gift of information, that was an aha moment, was a lot of times you think that the [00:11:00] louder, more powerful people in the room are the most knowledgeable. And that it, it was a team-building assessment when realized that they’re not the more knowledgeable, they just have learned to speak from a place of confidence when nobody else is speaking up.

So to me, it’s more of that lesson of how do you trust your instinct, and it’s okay to, to kind of fill that void and, and if your manager, if, if the president, if, if the CRO says something and you have more information on it, tell them they’re wrong. And what I’ve learned is if you’re dealing with the right person, that’s what they wanna hear.

Whereas again, in the absence of those information, the, the aggressive president and CRO say, “Hey, we should do this.” And to me, really have learned in the last seven, eight years, that doesn’t mean that… They’re just filling the space. Not in a bad way. That’s their job. They’re gonna say, “We’re gonna do this, and anybody have an issue?”

Jeff Nelson: When you started a year and a half [00:12:00] ago, Orioles are coming off back-to-back postseasons. They’ve got this amazing young core of talent, new ownership, new energy. And then to date, in your 18 months there, it has not gone as well on the field as you would have hoped, any of u- any of us would have hoped. I have to think that makes the job more challenging.

Don Rovak: Does. Yeah So how- It does. You know, uh, yeah Yeah. H-how do you- Yeah, expectations change. Yeah

Jeff Nelson: How do you, as a manager of so many people, and with the responsibility to report up to the president and ownership on revenue, how do you manage expectations? How do you manage still trying to perform the best that you possibly can within the bounds of what’s realistic based on what’s happening on the field?

Again, I have to think that anybody listening to this who works at a team or wants to work at a [00:13:00] team is gonna experience that moment where it doesn’t go as well as you’d like on the field or on the court or whatever. So how have you kinda managed your way through that?

Don Rovak: Managing my way through it, it’s, yeah, I think the, you know, when you’re missing expectations, that’s the biggest differentiator.

I think, you know, we unfortunately have had a few years to get better at this practice, being, having it with the last six, seven, eight years, my former employee, employer. Um, you know, let the winning help you. Don’t let the hurting. So that’s where we– if you, if you plan for– Not plan for the worst, but if you don’t plan for the best-

Jeff Nelson: Yeah

Don Rovak: let the winning help you, right? So that’s always been something we do and try. Here, it’s been a little bit harder ’cause everything’s kinda, everything’s happening in real time. And, and again, learning, quite honestly, on the baseball side, where, um, that team performance matters so much when you have night after night after night of baseball.

But that’s when you sharpen your [00:14:00] tools. To be honest with you, sharpen your knife. That’s when you make sure that how can you be creative, how can you make sure that you’re owning the off-season right before the wins and loss matter and raising that season ticket base. How do you make sure that the corporate client that’s less reliant on wins and losses, that they’re in a good place on a premium side?

How do you make sure that the Little League and the community group and the 17 ways that people should be utilizing Camden Yards away from the winning baseball, how do we make sure that that’s all in a good place? And I think, um, you know, so I’ll– So that if we’re, you know, less than, then we’re not winning.

The baseball team’s not reaching expectations. You know, it’s the easy thing to say, “Man, if the baseball team only did X, Y, and Z,” but it’s the opportunity to look in the mirror and get better, right? And how are your sales staff, how are you servicing? If those relationships are in a good place, then we’ll all be in a, in a better place.

But again, we’re all, you know, the most diehard of diehard fans, and it’s hard. But, uh, you know, [00:15:00] is it– The more that we can, I would say, fix our business and make sure that we’re planning ahead, then you’re less reliant on what’s happening on the field

Jeff Nelson: One thing somewhat in your control is what you do with the stadium.

You came in Camden Yards or Oriole Park at Camden Yards, I think- You

Don Rovak: got it.

Jeff Nelson: There you go … I think is the full name. That’s right. Which by the way, why is that?

Don Rovak: Camden Yards is the, like, complex, and the Oriole Park is the park on the complex. Other things that I didn’t know 19 months ago that I learned 18 months ago, so I’m with you there. But yes.

Jeff Nelson: You come in, you have one of the crown jewel stadiums in baseball. It really, when it was built in, what, the early ’90s, it changed how stadiums were built across the entire league.

But it had not been touched in a long, long time, and so back to something you can control is what you do kind of with the footprint that you have. Can you share kind of [00:16:00] everything that’s going on with the stadium right now, or that-

Don Rovak: Yeah. I mean, to add to your point, Jeff, like, it, it is a iconic ballpark that, you know, I hadn’t been.

I think I came to a game in 1995, and when I tell you that it looked almost identical when I started here, don’t even think it’s an understatement. So it is, for those that haven’t been to the park, it’s incredible. For those that have know exactly what I’m talking about. And so when, uh, it’s definitely one of the things that drew me here.

At Mercedes-Benz Stadium, we would launch quite a bit of different premium items and different hospitality options, and we’re excited to bring a new element of, of fan entertainment here at Camden Yards. So, you know, last year was a busy off-season. We built, I think, one, two, I guess five new social spaces, redid the club and suite level, knocked out 10 suites, created a couple of new social bars on the club level.

Camden Yards had never had kinda true high-dollar premium, a good place to really [00:17:00] do kind of B2B entertaining and, and opened up the Truist Club on opening day. Created a, a scoreboard social area called the Pure Wager Pavilion right underneath the scoreboard, which is incredible, and then launched, uh, the Corona Flag Court last weekend.

So I would say overall, meanwhile, new video board, new sound system, and a new digital ribbon board. Throughout that entire process from– I can tell you that we were all petrified at what the narrative was gonna be about disrupting historic Camden Yards, and I’m proud to say that, that it just landed. It’s crushed it.

The fan experience, game experience is incredible, and it is just so much more lively. So I think when we’re at our best, right, we’re learning from our fans. What do you need? What do you want? We’re looking at other venues. We’re looking at other spaces, making sure that for those that wanna do B2B entertaining, we have something for them.

For those that want a social space more than just the 20 inches of seats, that they have a, a bar to hang out in [00:18:00] or a, a restaurant to go to. For those families, that we have something for them. Because up until really in the last 30-plus years, Camden Yards had very much been for the baseball fan to watch baseball.

And now as we continue to reimagine what this place is, what it can be, it’s, hey, how do we make sure that we’re using this amazing game, right, to bring people together? And so these spaces allow us to do that. So that’s, that was last off season. This next off season we are probably in the next month or so be announcing and working, as we work on kind of what do the fans want.

Whether, you know, it would be a mix of some additional renovations on that club and suite level that we couldn’t get to last year, and then continuing to look at social spaces. Because everything that has launched here this past year has gone over really, really well. Um, and as we continue to learn from our fans, it seems a sweet spot for sure.

Jeff Nelson: When you make each of these [00:19:00] On the front end, are you trying to run the numbers on, “Okay, we think this has immediate near-term ROI,” or, “We think this increases revenue by X percent in the next season”? Do you have to do that to get the green light to do all these changes? Or are some of them kind of more long-term horizon, “Hey, we know this is right.

We’re not exactly sure how it’ll go right away, but we know this is the right thing to do long term”?

Don Rovak: Yeah, I think– So in Atlanta, we absolutely had it penciled out to, you know, how many years it would pay back and what it would do for the fan. Here, as we still dive into kind of building and better understanding our numbers, a lot of it is the latter, right?

It’s a, it’s a– We still have our budget projections-

Jeff Nelson: Mm-hmm …

Don Rovak: but because there’s so much more variety in all of the different changes, you can find yourself building an [00:20:00] assumption on an assumption on an assumption. And it– So it’s been more important for us to continue to check in and say, “Hey, here’s what we thought in January.

That’s different than in May. Hey, it’s different than in October. What’s going on next year?” And again, a little bit more of that admitting like, “Yeah, I was wrong. I thought X, Y, and Z,” and– or, “Hey, I really expected this and that.” And the– So we need to be more– as honest as we can so that we’re not holding on to a truth that we thought prior to building something when that has changed, that we can modify our numbers to audit.

But again, like on a, on a fan sentiment side, and I could, uh– it, it’s been in- it’s been incredible, and really just proud of when I think of what coming to a game here last year versus this year. It’s, uh, the fan experience and the game entertainment side of the business has been just crushing it, and it just feels more lively and energetic with all of the digital ribbon boards and the, and the social spaces, and the video board itself.

It’s been pretty incredible.

Jeff Nelson: You guys [00:21:00] changed so much, and, and everything you’ve talked about has leaned into, I would say, what the modern or maybe younger fan is looking for and what you need to offer to compete with, right? Obviously a sprawling, fragmented entertainment space that, that it’s harder and harder to compete with.

But with all of that change and all of it so compressed compared to other places that might do one thing every year for 10 years, did you get any pushback from your older fans or fans who have been paying a lot of money for the same season ticket for a long, long time and liked it the way it was?

Don Rovak: We did.

I would say we got a little bit more push, we got more pushback related to changing some of the ticketing products than we did the renovation, though we definitely heard that the s- you know, we heard loud and clear that the smallest video [00:22:00] board in Major League Baseball was perfectly fine and we shouldn’t touch it. And again, when I would be on the phone with those folks or returning a letter to those folks, it would be communicating exactly what you talked about.

Like, “Hey, I understand that you want it that way, but your kids don’t, and your grandkids definitely don’t,” right? And if you care about this game of baseball growing to what you talked about and making sure that it’s more inclusive and it’s, uh, more enticing for more fans, these are the things that, that we need to continue to do.

So on the construction side, again, expected more post-opening day, really didn’t happen at all. It was mostly noise prior to opening day, and as we changed some of the ticketing packaging, ticketing products here that we had had f- with our long str- long-term fans.

Jeff Nelson: And then on the partner side, can you kinda share how the partners have responded when you’ve had new offerings and something like a, a home plate club to sell-

Don Rovak: Yeah

Jeff Nelson: that you just didn’t-

Don Rovak: Yeah, I mean, w- yeah, we definitely had some big wins, right? [00:23:00] At the same time, it’s change and people can be challenged with change. So as we, you know, still went to the market that a long t- you know, some of our long-term partners, long-term sponsors that had been with us doing the same thing, and explained to them and talked with them and talked about how we’re rebuilding that side of our business to make sure that we’re as thoughtful of a partner as we could possibly be, and that we’re giving that high level of service and that we’re using the Orioles to, um, to help our sponsors.

Like, that’s something that was quite honestly different than 10 years ago, where it was more of, of here’s, you know, here’s a sign and your competitor’s might sign might be next to you. And so those changes were hard, but for the most part, what a lot of the new spaces did, along with the new strategy, allowed us to think differently about where our partners come from and, and that it can be more national and it, you know, it can be a mix of making sure our local players are locked [00:24:00] down, but then also the folks that care deeply about the Orioles and Baltimore and the region.

Like, how can they have a space that, an entitlement space is meaningful to them? And that’s been, you know, right. I mean, when we got here, there was– it’s still very hard to identify all of these different social spaces because they don’t have that partner’s name. And once we’re able to have a Corona bar, and once we’re able to have a, you know, Corona flight court, and once we’re able to have the Truist Club, and once we’re able to have these spaces, they start to story tell a little bit more about who those products are for and com- a- and better articulating the variety of consumers that, that this park welcomes all fans.

Jeff Nelson: You guys are, are doing and hitting on, I think what so many teams are focused on, right? With the better premium, incorporate your partners, more social spaces. I’d say the other thing we hear a lot about right now is what else can we do [00:25:00] either to make the park more active on non-game days, right, concerts, things like that, or of course, what can we do around the park as we think about entertainment districts, multi-use, right?

How much opportunity do you guys have in those areas given the footprint, given who owns the park and, and-

Don Rovak: Yeah, I think they- …

Jeff Nelson: yeah, what you’re allowed to do. I mean, I mean,

Don Rovak: yeah, I mean, I think, uh, right now the, um, I would say last year really was spent a lot more on the fixing of culture, partnership ticketing side of the business, and then couldn’t spend as many resources related to booking the park away from those 81 times.

And now we’re getting a lot more into that, both on a major event side and having healthy conversations for the off-season and into ’27 and ’28, um, while kind of relaunching our [00:26:00] private event business inclusive of kind of the warehouse space as well. So it’s something, um, in the short term, it’s something we are extremely active.

We hired a director of booking to lead that part of the business. It’s exciting. Our fans have asked for it. They want extra content away from the 81 games, and so it’s, it’s more of us how can we bring that to life. And then, you know, we have an aggressive ownership group that’s continuously d- continuously asking, you know, how can we make sure that this ballpark is the right thing for the community in whatever ways that can mean.

And so, you know, looking longer vision th- in terms of looking at it more than just a place that the Orioles play baseball.

Jeff Nelson: I should have clarified at the beginning of that question, by the way, that when I said who own– Like, the state owns the park. The facility. And so, uh, my last question before some, some kind of rapid fires to wrap us up.

But understanding that the state owns it and understanding you guys have already done so, so, so much, you said earlier, right, the advice [00:27:00] you’ve gotten from mentors to act quickly, be decisive. If you could wave a magic wand and do one more big thing quickly, decisively with the organization and with your role in it, what would it be?

Don Rovak: Oh, man. I mean, we have a lot of things that we’re, or that are on the, uh, that we’re gonna be doing, so I- I know the wish list … luckily, luckily I don’t think a lot of times it is a wish list, and here it is reality, that you can speak it into existence. You have, we have the cloud in the city. We have the aggressive ownership.

We have Katie Griggs, who is not afraid. And so I’m almost scared to share something right now because somebody could call me in their office and m- wanna make it happen. Okay. I’m excited for the g- the groundwork that’s been laid, and now it’s more of how do we bring the different things to light that make the most sense for our fans, that make the most sense for our customers, [00:28:00] and that can continue to, to deepen roots with the community?

Jeff Nelson: All right, let me hit you with some rapid fires to wrap us up. You mentioned, you know, your many mentors, and you’ve mentioned some amazing owners. But who is, uh, who’s a sports executive that all of us should try to learn from, whether we can talk to that person directly or just witness how they operate?

Don Rovak: Man, I, I’m gonna dodge your question a little bit ’cause I, like, I personally, to me there’s… I’ve had some great leaders that I’ve worked with, and so instead of giving a, a book of somebody that I’ve learned about ticket sales from or about partnership sales from, I mean, what Katie Griggs has done in her very, in the short time both in Seattle and here is incredible.

And you know, what I, for her, she has been incredible, and somebody that got me to move from Atlanta. So I mean, she is somebody that, that, that is, uh, approachable and that, uh, people can learn from. So not to say I want to, that she [00:29:00] wants all your, your viewership to pick up the phone and call her, but she would be.

And I would say the other one, which is weird that he’s 20 miles away now, Jim Smith. Yeah. Long-term mentor, good friend, uh, athletic director, University of Maryland, was my boss- Yeah … at the Falcons before. He randomly moved 20, 30 minutes away. I start at least three days a week on the phone with him, and just really enjoy his optimism and vision that he provides.

And so he’s always been a, uh, an unbelievable sports executive for me that I’ve been able to lean on at multiple times in my career.

Jeff Nelson: You didn’t dodge it at all. Those are two excellent answers.

Don Rovak: No, well you said one sports executive to learn from. I mean, uh, like yeah. I mean, I’ve, I had some good ones, but yeah, those are two, and they’re in my backyard.

Jeff Nelson: What’s your bucket list, uh, sporting event that you haven’t been to yet?

Don Rovak: College World Series. Oh, almost. So I have, I have, have two boys that are sophomore college or w- junior in college, and now rising freshmen, [00:30:00] that had always played competitive baseball, so I could never get out over the month of June.

But I still need to, to, uh, to go to the College World Series. I’ve heard great things. Big baseball fan.

Jeff Nelson: Yeah. That’s a good one.

Don Rovak: And, uh, yeah, I was… I had Army-Navy up there for the longest time, and then I knocked that off the list when they went to, came to Baltimore last year, which was an unbelievable event.

Jeff Nelson: Besides the ballpark you’re in right now as we speak, uh, what’s your favorite one to visit?

Don Rovak: So as a St. Louis native, this is hard for me, but, uh, ’cause I still have, I have a bunch of nostalgic memories from going to Busch Stadium throughout the years. But it’s hard for me because Wrigley Field is incredible, and what they’ve done in taking Wrigley Field and updating it over the last decade plus has, has been great.

So I mean, to me, you know, that’s an unbelievable ballpark and an unbelievable neighborhood that, that it pains me to say that to all of my, my, my Cardinal friends from way back.

Jeff Nelson: Well, it warms my heart because when one client compliments another [00:31:00] client- I get it … it gives me the excuse to point out that they’re both clients. It’s great.

Don Rovak: They are.

Jeff Nelson: Great for me. Last one. Uh, if you could transport yourself, and I have a guess now based on what you just recently said, but if you could transport yourself to one moment in baseball history and witness it live, what would it be?

I’ll tell you my guess after you give me your answer, whether I was right or wrong. I promise.

Don Rovak: Um, I don’t think you’d guess it ’cause, like, as a pretty big baseball fan, what I’ve learned about most of the amazing comeback games that I’ve ever been or watched, there’s usually been, like, a sense of misery for the first seven, eight innings on it.

So to me, those, those games when you know what you’re about to see is pretty incredible. Or a, um… Like, what people [00:32:00] describe when they came to 2131 here on the Cal side, knowing they were just coming to a big amazing party is pretty cool. Other things that I’ve… Yeah, I don’t know. What your, what would you think I was gonna say?

David Freese, Game 6? You said, thought, um, would-

Jeff Nelson: No, I thought that would be too recent. I was thinking the Ozzie Smith home run with the famous Jack Buck call.

Don Rovak: I was leaving, uh, I was leaving Hebrew school when it happened.

Jeff Nelson: Really?

Don Rovak: I remember it mad. Yes. I’d, I’d… Some of my friends in class, uh, they didn’t come ’cause they were at the game.

Jeff Nelson: That was crazy, folks.

Don Rovak: Not allowed to go.

Jeff Nelson: Go crazy. Yeah.

Don Rovak: Yeah, the um, yeah, those, those 80, those ’80s Cardinals teams definitely made me a baseball fan, for sure. Yeah.

Jeff Nelson: Now you are painting me, because as a Milwaukee native and diehard Brewers fan, that was our one World Series, and we lost it to the Cardinals, and- Oh, it is.

Yeah … uh, it is still rude to this day in this town, but-

Don Rovak: My, that was my first baseball memory, was [00:33:00] Game 7, Bruce Sutter striking out, uh… Who’d he strike out?

Jeff Nelson: I don’t know.

Don Rovak: In my parents’ house, grandfather, grandmother, parents. It was, like, exactly when you think of what baseball should be. Like, you know, it was a grainy television, watching it around the d- in the den, and yeah.

Jeff Nelson: It was incredible. Rolie Fingers stays healthy. Rolie Fingers stays healthy, the Brewers win that series. Anyway. Yeah.

Don Rovak: Anyway.

Jeff Nelson: Uh, well, hopefully we’re having these conversations at an Orioles World Series in the very near future. Uh.

Don Rovak: There you go.

Jeff Nelson: But Don, I really appreciate it. You have a lot of incredible experience and a lot of wisdom to share, and I feel like you covered a lot of that, honestly, in this conversation.

So I am very grateful for the time and the thoughtfulness.

Don Rovak: No, I appreciate it. Like I said, I think we’re building something very special here, and, um, for those that have not been to the park, it is, it does look different, but it is still iconic and it [00:34:00] is still incredible, and very proud of, of, uh, of what’s going on here, for sure.

Jeff Nelson: For all our listeners, if you have questions, comments, of course feel free to reach out to us. Uh, my email is JEFF@NVGT.com. Of course, you can reach us on LinkedIn or the website, or reach out to Don, he’ll give you my cellphone, whatever you want. But again, this is Jeff Nelson with Navigate, joined by Don Roback, the CRO of the Baltimore Orioles.

Thank you for joining us on Navigating Sports Business. Go O’s.

Don Rovak: Go O’s. Thanks, Jeff.

Jeff Nelson: Thanks