IronBirds hire interim GM as future in Aberdeen remains murky
The Aberdeen IronBirds named former Baltimore Orioles executive Scott Proefrock as interim general manager, the owners of the club announced Monday as questions remain about the future of the franchise in Harford County.
Proefrock most recently served as the president of the New England Knockouts, a member of the Frontier League. Prior to that, he spent 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, where he served as both interim general manager and assistant general manager.
Proefrock was the director of baseball administration for the Orioles from 2006 to 2008 and interviewed for the job of president of baseball operations in 2011 before the club hired Dan Duquette.
'Scott's extensive background in both Major and Minor League Baseball, combined with his leadership and commitment to excellence, make him a great fit to guide the IronBirds forward,' Greg Baroni, CEO and managing partner of Attain Sports, owner of the IronBirds, said in a statement. 'We are excited for what's ahead under his leadership.'
In addition to the Orioles and Phillies, Proefrock has held positions with the Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates.
It's unclear what happened to the IronBirds former general manager, Jack Graham, who could immediately be reached for comment Tuesday. Officials with Attain Sports could not be reached for comment either.
The IronBirds are already underway in their 2025 season at Ripken Stadium.
However, the future remains murky.
In October, Cal Ripken Jr. and his brother, Billy, sold their majority stake of the Aberdeen IronBirds, the Orioles' High-A minor league affiliate, to Attain Sports.
The club and the City of Aberdeen have been sparring over revenue.
At the center of the dispute is a difference of opinion between the city and team owners about what a concession renewal fee should be for the next 20 years of an agreement first signed in 2001.
An arbitration process began almost three years ago and culminated in a week and a half of in-person arbitration last summer. At the end of February, the arbitrator, William G. Connelly, a retired federal judge in Maryland, released a partial ruling with the instruction to do more work and report back by last Friday.
'Now, we will wait for the arbitrator to amplify his initial ruling,' Aberdeen Mayor Patrick McGrady said.
However, McGrady also has concerns about Ripken Stadium being a viable venue for professional baseball.
'I think Aberdeen stadium does not meet the Major League Baseball requirements for the Player Development League Standards,' McGrady said. 'And the Major League Baseball folks, from what I understand, are not willing to let their players play in a stadium that doesn't meet the Player Development League standards. So, it's likely Class-A ball won't be in Aberdeen for much longer.'
Attain Sports also owns the Chesapeake Baysox and Frederick Keys.
This article will be updated.
Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at tkarpovich@baltsun.com or on X as @ToddKarpovich.
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