"He's a very nice local person," Angelos said of Ehrlich. "And he will certainly hear you out. I think he's doing his best to help the city."
Some suspect that Angelos has been trying to angle his way into any largesse that will materialize if Maryland legalizes slots.
At spring training 1994, Peter G. Angelos is flanked by Orioles Rafael Palmeiro, left, and Chris Sabo. Angelos, who built his practice representing workers, refused to field a team of replacement players during the 1994-95 baseball strike.
(James A. Finley -- AP)
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Miller, the Senate president, said that, if nothing else, Angelos's involvement would make slots more palatable to some. "Mr. Angelos does things in a big way," Miller said. Rosecroft "would be a first-class venue."
Not all legislators consider Angelos's involvement helpful.
"Some might think it's a good idea, but it just makes it tougher," said House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel), the leading opponent of Ehrlich's slots plan. "Anybody with access that nobody else has is going to have a big spotlight on them."
Angelos's personal appearances in Annapolis have tailed off in recent years, though he employs several lobbyists to represent his varied interests. His clout in Baltimore remains substantial. Last September, Baltimore magazine put Angelos atop its list of the city's 50 most powerful people, ahead of Ehrlich and Mayor Martin O'Malley.
Angelos's relationships with Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig and his fellow owners are likely to prove pivotal to baseball's future in the region. Baseball has charged a committee with examining several possible sites to move the Montreal Expos.
Selig will make the decision, which must be approved by three-quarters of the owners.
Angelos allowed that his relationship with his colleagues is "cordial" and "friendly." But he balked when asked to elaborate whether that might help him in this process.
"I could make some self-serving statements to what I believe my relationship is with fellow owners," Angelos said. "But I'm not going to do that."
Alan M. Rifkin, a lawyer for the Orioles, said Angelos has seen little need to lobby fellow owners on the Expos' relocation. "They all know his position," Rifkin said. Regardless, Rifkin said, he is certain baseball will make the best decision for baseball -- not Peter Angelos.
Schaefer, the former Maryland governor, is among those who believe Angelos gets a bad rap in Washington for his adamant defense of his franchise.
"He's misunderstood," Schaefer said. "He'd be the first person lined up to bring baseball to Washington if it weren't for his business interests."
