Nearly one year into owning the Baltimore Orioles, David Rubenstein — like any good team player — understands his role.

“When I bought the team, I said, ‘What can I help the team with?’” he said in a session with reporters in Sarasota on Monday. “It probably isn’t by trying to second guess the sabermetrics of some of our experts on things.”

So aside from signing checks — to the tune of $161 million in payroll this coming season — Rubenstein leaned into his strengths. Unlike John Angelos, Rubenstein was publicly present, speaking often about the hope he had for his baseball team. He established philanthropic channels, like the one that has helped enrich Harlem Park Elementary/Middle. And he showed up to games, tossed out hats, signed autographs and tried to show he loved the team, and its city, too.

For a 76-year-old, he seems remarkably energized for this self-assigned part.

“I can always do a better job,” he said. “But I hope to be engaged publicly again with the Orioles and go to as many games as possible and be actively involved in the civic affairs of Baltimore.”

It occurred to me, as Rubenstein talked about the multiyear plan to finally renovate and refresh Camden Yards, that these particular strengths could mean the Baltimore-raised billionaire could actually bring something to the city that it desperately needs — and no, not just a World Series (although the Orioles need to do that, too).

Rubenstein has the ideal mix of traits and resources to bring the MLB All-Star Game back to Baltimore for the first time since 1993 — a challenge that is not nearly as straightforward as it might seem.

Renovations are obviously one of the most important parts. Fans who come to Camden Yards this season should rejoice with an upgraded sound system, long in need of an overhaul. But after the 2025 campaign, the changes will begin in earnest: food, fan experience, a bigger scoreboard.

I’m not personally a huge fan of the trend of luxury spaces that force longtime ticket-holders to relocate, but that will happen, too, and for good reason. If the MLB top brass and their numerous corporate sponsors descend on Camden Yards, they’ll expect lavish premium spaces above and beyond what the park currently offers — so the Orioles will need to build them.

But the baseball venue is just a small piece of the package Baltimore needs to offer to host one of baseball’s premier events. Visit Baltimore advertises 8,000 hotel rooms on its convention center campus. Last year’s All-Star in Texas filled more than that number in Fort Worth.

It seems reasonable to assume the city needs to increase its hotel capacity to realistically show it can host. Commissioner Rob Manfred has already suggested Chicago and Toronto, which last hosted in 1990 and 1991, as candidates for the undetermined All-Star locations in 2027 and 2028. Both are much bigger cities with an obvious ability to handle the influx of people an All-Star Game attracts.

With that also comes other considerations in Baltimore’s infrastructure, from replacing aging light rail cars, to making the bus service more reliable and fixing potholes in the streets. What’s the state of the Inner Harbor overhaul? Is there a vibrant environment for tens of thousands of visiting baseball fans to gather and have fun?

A lot of these projects could be threatened by a financial crunch, with state budget deficits and a presidential administration openly hostile to cities like Baltimore. But there probably needs to be a push to get the house in order.

Who has money, a history of civic engagement and philanthropy, and finds himself with a little more time on his hands these days? David Rubenstein.

Donald Trump may have kicked him out of his chairman position at the Kennedy Center for no good reason — that’s OK, because Baltimore can use a man of his talents.

As someone who has donated millions for projects from repairing the Washington Monument to the National Museum of African American History, Rubenstein can bring his resources to bear on his hometown, which can definitely use it. As much as residents of Baltimore love this city for what it is, Rubenstein has the power to help give it some shine.

Landing the All-Star Game is no mere trinket — there are definite spoils. The 2023 Midsummer Classic generated an estimated $50 million in economic impact for Seattle, and Arlington reported $85 million in “direct and indirect” economic impact for the 2024 game.

As a small market, Baltimore could benefit a lot from the sprucing up it takes to host, and the resulting publicity and reputation boost. Recent years have seen an unusually dry spell for Baltimore’s sports hosting, to the point where there haven’t even been men’s NCAA Tournament games there since 1995 — back in the Inner Harbor’s heyday. Hosting the MLB All-Star Game could help change that narrative, proving the city can put on top-tier events.

So yes, it matters that the Orioles continue to add pieces to contend on the field, but there’s a lot of alignment between Rubenstein’s strengths and Baltimore’s needs. An owner can never guarantee his franchise will get a World Series, but if he can bring in an All-Star Game, there’s plenty to appreciate about that, and the fans would be pretty fired up.

It should be noted that the Orioles are, at least, on the early parts of this path. From hiring Catie Griggs from Seattle on the business side (she helped arrange Seattle’s All-Star Game) to engaging with MLB about the possibility. Baltimore’s timeline is partially tied to the renovations, which Rubenstein anticipated wouldn’t be complete until 2027. But beyond that, the Orioles should aggressively be in the mix to be seen as a major hosting city again – an opportunity Baltimore would relish.

So yes, there’s a role for Rubenstein as the public rally man, sitting near the dugout game after game, shaking as many hands as possible: “I try to do as much of that as I physically can,” he said.

But for a guy like Rubenstein, a City College alum, a hometown son who is hoping to do well, bringing the All-Star Game back to Baltimore would be an achievement that would resound for a long, long time.