The Baltimore Orioles suspended announcer Kevin Brown for commenting on the team's previous performance at Tropicana Field.
Kevin Brown hasn't appeared on a television broadcast since July 23, and hasn't been heard on the radio since the end of the month. The reasoning, previously unknown, reportedly has to do with his commentary regarding the Orioles previous performance at Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay.
On the live broadcast, MASN revealed a graphic showcasing Baltimore's recent struggles at the Trop, specifically in their last 16 series, which dates back to 2017. Considering the two teams are AL East rivals, this is very relevant information. The graphic also painted the O's in a positive light, revealing how well they've performed in Tampa Bay this season.
Here is the clip in its entirety.
Why did the Orioles suspend Kevin Brown?
The news, as confirmed by Awful Announcing, is rather confusing. It's understandable that the Orioles would want a positive spin on their own broadcast, but the graphic itself along with Brown's commentary suggest they've been much better of late. This is all in spite of the graphic's title, Trop-ical depression.
The O's and MASN have yet to commented on Brown's indefinite suspension, but it would appear these orders come from the top.
"Awful Announcing has confirmed through multiple sources familiar with the situation that Brown has been suspended indefinitely, that it came after the Rays series, that he only wound up on the radio for the Phillies' series thanks to another controversy about a different announcer's apparel, and that the comment here seems to be what's at issue," Andrew Bucholtz, Sean Keeley, and Ben Koo wrote.
This is far from the first time Baltimore's broadcast booth has been at odds with the organization itself. Peter Angelos fired Hall of Famer Jon Miller in 1997 because of honest commentary about the team's play. Baltimore also owes the Nationals $100 million (for now) over MASN broadcasting rights fees.
What a mess.
