Last Wednesday, baseball lost one of its most classy gentlemen with the passing of Joe Altobelli, who managed the Orioles to the 1983 world championship and later served as a bench coach for the Yankees in 1986 and ’87 and the Cubs from 1988-91 before returning to his home in Rochester where he had numerous positions with the Triple-A Red Wings including general manager, special assistant to the team president and broadcaster. “Joe was my first bench coach when I took over as Yankee manager in 1986,” Lou Piniella said, “and I have to say I don’t know what I would have done without him. Remember I had no previous managerial experience anywhere and he was an immense help to me, especially with the pitching. He was also great with my hitters. He had a good way about him, quietly pointing out things and making suggestions. I’ll never forget him coming to me sometime after the All-Star break in ’86 and saying: ‘I’ve helped you enough. You can make all the decisions on your own now.’ That meant so much to me. Joe was just a wonderful human being, a kind soul. He also could pick me a lot of good horses.” … It was heartening last week to hear Orioles chairman John Angelos emphatically declare the team will never leave Baltimore, despite the uncertain ownership situation and the fact the lease agreement at Camden Yards expires at the end of 2023. Of course, there’s no getting around the fact the Angelos family — in particular ailing principal owner Peter Angelos — have managed to run this once proudest of American League franchises into the ground — to the point that almost all the Orioles fan favorite players are now estranged from the team and there is no hope for winning baseball to return in Baltimore for the immediate future.