Orioles, Shorebirds Extend Affiliation

Salisbury, MD - The Baltimore Orioles and the Delmarva Shorebirds have announced the extension of their Player Development Contract (PDC) for an additional two years. The Class "A" affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles will remain in Delmarva through the 2016 season.

"We are very pleased to continue our long-standing relationship with the Orioles into our 20th anniversary season," said Shorebirds General Manager Chris Bitters. "It's been a fantastic partnership and an ideal situation for Shorebirds fans to follow the players from Delmarva all the way up to Baltimore over the years."

The Shorebirds have been affiliated with the Baltimore Orioles since the 1997 season, the second-longest affiliation in the South Atlantic League. 61 former Shorebirds have gone on to debut for the Orioles in that span. The previous contract, signed in 2010, renewed the partnership for the last four years. During that time, top Orioles prospects Manny Machado, Dylan Bundy and Hunter Harvey played at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.

The current agreement ensures that the 20th year in Shorebirds history will be as an Orioles' affiliate. By 2016, the Shorebirds will have partnered with Baltimore for 20 straight seasons. Delmarva spent one season, 1996, as an affiliate of the Montreal Expos before starting their long-standing relationships with the Orioles.

The Orioles also announced extensions for four other minor league affiliates in addition to Delmarva. Triple-A Norfolk Tides, Double-A Bowie Baysox, Advanced-A Frederick Keys and Short Season-A Aberdeen IronBirds all renewed with the parent club.

For tickets for the 2015 season or more information, please contact the Shorebirds' front office at 410-219-3112 or visit the team website at www.theshorebirds.com.