The Orioles Reach 70 Wins Amidst Controversy

The Baltimore Orioles achieved a significant milestone on Sunday, reaching 70 wins for the season. Their performance has been remarkable, establishing them as one of the most exciting stories in baseball. However, the headlines on Monday were not focused on their success on the field. Instead, they were dominated by the absence of broadcaster Kevin Brown from the MASN booth for the next two weeks. This absence can be attributed to comments he made on July 23 regarding the Orioles’ success at Tropicana Field in 2023 compared to the previous two years.

The comment in question was a factual statement included in the team’s game notes, highlighting the Orioles’ three wins out of five games played at The Trop this season. In contrast, they only won three out of the 21 games played in St. Petersburg between 2020 and 2022. MASN, the team-owned network, accompanied this information with a graphic titled “Trop-ical Disaster.” While Kevin Brown was not responsible for writing the game notes or creating the graphic, he faced repercussions for merely stating a seemingly innocuous fact that offended someone.

Sources familiar with the matter identified John Angelos as the individual with the ultimate authority to dictate the team’s actions. It appears that no one dares to challenge him, regardless of the questionable nature of his decisions. Despite the Orioles’ well-known struggles in recent years, including consecutive seasons with over 100 losses, Angelos publicly expressed the team’s desire to emulate the success of the Tampa Bay Rays on a limited budget. However, Angelos deemed Brown’s comment unacceptable and potentially detrimental to the perception of the team’s ownership.

Consequently, Angelos dispatched his representatives to address the situation without explicitly stating the word “suspension.” Instead, the team emphasized that Kevin Brown would return to his broadcasting duties in the near future while refusing to comment further to The Athletic. A spokesperson for John Angelos echoed this sentiment, denying any suspension but declining to provide additional information. Regardless of the chosen terminology, it is evident that Brown’s absence from the airwaves was a form of reprimand.

One cannot help but draw parallels between this incident and previous instances of what can be perceived as petty behavior from the organization. MASN has severed ties with several loyal broadcasters, including Gary Thorne and Jim Hunter. Moreover, the public address announcer, Ryan Wagner, was remarkably dismissed shortly before the team’s home opener in 2021. Angelos has also publicly chastised sportswriter Dan Connolly, a close acquaintance and former colleague at The Athletic, for asking baseball-related questions during a press conference on Martin Luther King Day.

This incident detracts attention from the Orioles’ achievements on the field, an unfortunate occurrence on National Sea Serpent Day. Kevin Brown, who has become a beloved figure in Orioles broadcasts, possesses intelligence, astuteness, and a genuine passion for his job. He has witnessed the team’s lean years and should be allowed to share the excitement of the current season while appreciating how far the team has come. It is perplexing how losing to the Rays in previous years, an organization the Orioles aspire to emulate, can be construed as embarrassing.

The Orioles’ management has adopted peculiar rules such as prohibiting the mention of certain former players on-air. Furthermore, they previously drove Jon Miller away due to his perceived lack of cheerleading for the team when Peter Angelos ran the show. It is important to note that John Angelos is not his father, and he has made positive strides, such as hiring general manager Mike Elias and allowing the baseball operations staff to operate without undue interference, which was a recurring problem during his father’s tenure.

Sources with knowledge assert that Kevin Brown will resume his broadcasting duties on August 11. His return will undoubtedly be welcomed by fans and viewers alike. However, it raises concerns regarding the potential repercussions he may face for every statement and action moving forward. The Orioles’ on-field achievements should not be overshadowed by the challenges the organization faces off the field.

(Photo: Karl Merton Ferron / The Baltimore Sun / Tribune News Service via Getty Images)