Concerns that Ripken Baseball or the Aberdeen IronBirds might be flying out of Harford County, based on two startling developments last year, were put to rest Tuesday by the head IronBird, the Iron Man himself, Cal Ripken Jr.
"We're not going anywhere," Ripken said during a meeting earlier this week with Aegis and Record editors in his suite at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, where the former Orioles player and Baseball Hall of Fame member talked about the future of his business interests in his hometown of Aberdeen.
The news in September that Ripken Baseball would no longer host the Cal Ripken youth World Series in Aberdeen was followed closely by reports that Cal and brother Bill Ripken were seeking a strategic partner to buy part of the IronBirds led to speculation about the future of big-time youth baseball and Minor League Baseball.