Within the last week, Kevin Brown, the MASN play-by-play commentator for the Baltimore Orioles, was reportedly suspended for making on-air comments about the team’s poor performance against the Rays. Now, the team is attempting to reassure irate fans that Brown will be back “in the near future.”
Kevin Brown via Gomar YouTube
For those just catching up, Brown was taken off the air merely for reporting the team’s recent history against the Rays. Apparently, ownership didn’t like the fact that this made them sound pretty bad, but can Brown be really blamed? After all, the facts and figures was mentioned in the game notes and on-screen for the television audience.
A report from The Athletic shows that it’s not just the comments that sparked the firestorm against Brown; attempts to further micromanage what these commentators say and do is more extreme than what most people probably would consider.
The Athletic reports that their sources within the Orioles informed them that the team’s owners have placed a new policy in the books “mandating that their broadcasters wear only team gear when on air.” What’s more ironic is that Brown wasn’t even supposed to be on-air that day, but he was because he was replacing another broadcaster who got in trouble for some entirely different reason prior to the game.
Camden Yards via James Bebop YouTube
RELATED: Pitcher Chad Kuhl Declines Signing MLB Contract Offers In Order To Care For His Ailing Wife
So by the way it looks, Brown wasn’t the reason why these new policies have been put in place, but he was the final tipping point for the owners to want to implement changes ASAP. The report notes that other broadcasters have also been put on the hotseat for “previously mentioning past Orioles players who are no longer with the team,” which seems pretty weird if you want to hear a commentator discuss his thoughts on the past, present, and future performance of a team.
In a statement provided to The Baltimore Banner, an official for the Orioles stated that “We don’t comment on employment decisions, however, Kevin Brown will be back with us in the near future.”
Other commentators and fans have gone out of their way to defend Brown, as well as take some shots at the Orioles in the process.
“This makes the Orioles look so small and insignificant and minor league,” said YES announcer Michael Kay.
Yankees broadcast Michael Kay went OFF on the Orioles over Kevin Brown's removal from the booth. pic.twitter.com/laPeLieVYY
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 7, 2023
RELATED: White Sox Liam Hendriks Undergoes Tommy John Surgery After Battling Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma
“This idiot [John] Angelos, who’s never won a damn thing,” said Chris “Mad Dog” Russo when made aware of what happened to Brown.
“This is the guy that gets (Brown) fired or gets him demoted or gets him silenced for a period of time as sort of punishment. Are you kidding me?! That is a disgrace. That is so bad, I don’t even know how to comment. Who would want to be a play-by-play guy of the Orioles?”
Mad Dog Russo was made aware of the story below, and let's just say he is NOT thrilled with the Orioles' brass. https://t.co/RkmQYne5kD pic.twitter.com/Rj2gev3VtE
— Funhouse (@BackAftaThis) August 7, 2023
Time will tell whether the Orioles will have to go on a PR offensive justifying their decisions, or whether they’re going to ignore it and hope the whole thing blows over. After all, they’re sitting pretty in the postseason picture for the time being.
Will Brown actually return though? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and across social media.