News/Commentary

Sports broadcasters rally around one of their own after ‘unconscionable’ suspension

August 8, 2023 | | Print Article

Baseball broadcasters rallied around one of their own after an absence from the airwaves appeared to be an “unconscionable” suspension.

(Video: MASN)

Since 2022, Kevin Brown has been the lead play-by-play commentator on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network covering the Baltimore Orioles. While the team maintains the top spot in both the Eastern Division and the American League, it looked as though some cutting facts during a particular matchup were more than franchise owner John Angelos could suffer.

Though a suspension had been denied, like the stated Orioles record at Tropicana Field that crossed Angelos, Brown’s absence was proof enough for some that he had been meted out administrative backlash.

The errant remark came ahead of the final game of a three-game set against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 23 when the broadcaster explained, “It’s been a minute. The Orioles split a two-gamer with the Rays in June. They had lost their last 15 series here at Tropicana Field.”

Brown’s breakdown went on with the finer points and, while he would go on to partake in the following series where the O’s took on the Philadelphia Phillies, The Baltimore Banner noted that, except for two nationally televised games on July 29 and 30, he has missed eight games since.

Michael Kay, YES host and longtime play-by-play announcer for the New York Yankees was among industry peers defending Brown during a discussion on “The Michael Kay Show.”

“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 Rob Manfred, the commissioner of baseball, because it’s unconscionable that you would actually suspend a really good broadcaster for no reason whatsoever,” asserted Kay.

(Video: YES Network)

“If you’re going to be so thin-skinned to suspend Kevin Brown, then you have to suspend the entire Orioles (broadcast) truck,” he pointed out of the planned graphic that read “TROP-ICAL DEPRESSION.”

The Yankees’ broadcaster continued, “This makes the Orioles look so small and insignificant and minor league.”

Sports radio personality Chris “Mad Dog” Russo had similar remarks when he chided, “This idiot Angelos, who’s never won a damn thing. 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?”

Likewise, SNY’s Gary Cohen who announces for the New York Mets slammed, “Let me just say one thing to the Baltimore Orioles management, you draped yourself in humiliation when you fired John Miller and you’re doing it again. And if you don’t want Kevin Brown there are 29 other teams that do. It’s a horrendous decision by the Orioles.”

Cohen added, “I don’t know what they were thinking, but they’ve gotten exactly the reaction that they’ve deserved. It’s just a shame because the Orioles have played so well and now they’ve diverted attention from that. And now have made themselves a laughingstock.”

A senior official from the Orioles did not explain the broadcaster’s absence and instead offered, “We don’t comment on personnel matters, however, Kevin Brown will be back with us in the near future.”

“We look forward to hearing Kevin’s voice soon,” the statement included.

Broadcasters weren’t the only ones in disbelief as social media piled on.

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Kevin Haggerty
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