The Baltimore Orioles suspended television play-by-play announcer Kevin Brown for what they felt was commentary that was too negative against the team, immediately drawing backlash.
Brown was seemingly suspended due to comments he made about the team during the team’s series against the Tampa Bay Rays last month, pointing out their previous struggles against the team before turning it around this year.
MLB announcers from all over the country ripped the Orioles, and even their own fanbase disagreed with the move.
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A general view of Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore during the New York Mets versus the Baltimore Orioles on August 5, 2023. (Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
On Tuesday night, O’s fans at Camden Yards broke out in a “Free Kevin Brown” chant.
The Baltimore Banner reported Brown will return to the booth starting Friday when the Orioles face off against the Seattle Mariners. It was not made clear whether the Orioles made the decision due to the pushback from others, but the pushback was strong.
“If it is true, and I’m going to choose to believe that it’s true, they should be ashamed of themselves because not only was what Kevin said in the Oriole notes that night, but it was on a graphic – which means it was planned,” Michael Kay, the New York Yankees’ lead play-by-play announcer, said on his ESPN Radio show. “So, if you’re going to be so thin-skinned to suspend Kevin Brown then you have to suspend the entire Oriole truck … because they’re all complicit in this.
“And, if John Angelos, the owner of the Orioles, didn’t like that, then he’s thin-skinned and he’s unreasonable and he should actually get a call from [MLB Commissioner] Rob Manfred because it’s unconscionable that you would actually suspend a really good broadcaster for no reason whatsoever. He didn’t do anything wrong.”
Orioles broadcaster Kevin Brown emcees the pregame activities during the team’s home opener at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 7. Sources say Brown, the lead play-by-play announcer on MASN, was removed from broadcasts after reading off negative statistics from recent years. (Kenneth K. Lam/The Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
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New York Mets announcer Gary Cohen said on the SNY broadcast the Orioles “draped” themselves “in utter humiliation with the treatment” of Brown.
“If you don’t want Kevin Brown, there are 29 other teams who do,” Cohen said. “It’s a horrendous decision by the Orioles. I don’t know what they were thing. But they got exactly the reaction that they deserve. It’s just a shame because the Orioles are playing so well, and now they’ve diverted attention from that and now made themselves a laughingstock.”
Benetti, who calls games for the Chicago White Sox for NBC Sports, wrote words of encouragement on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. He threw some shade at the Orioles when he mentioned the Yankees’ record against the Orioles.
“I hope I don’t get suspended by the Orioles for saying that,” Benetti joked.
A Baltimore Orioles logo is seen on an umbrella during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Atlanta Braves at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore Aug. 22, 2021. (Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports)
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The O’s hold a 2.0-game lead over the Rays in the AL East at 70-43 record.
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos and Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
