ICYMI: The Baltimore Orioles announcer Kevin Brown was recently suspended for telling the truth about the team’s former losing ways. Brown, who took over as the Orioles lead play-by-play broadcaster in 2022 was suspended on Monday. The comments in which he was suspended for occurred during a pregame segment on July 23 against the Tampa Bay Rays. He hasn’t been on air since July 26.
Orioles broadcaster Kevin Brown has been suspended indefinitely for making these comments about the Orioles' record against the Rays pic.twitter.com/uoSnReAI7S
It’s been a minute,” Brown said. “The Orioles split a two-gamer with the Rays in June. They had lost their last 15 series here at Tropicana Field. You have to go back to when our now-colleague Brad Brach picked up the win in the series finale June 25, 2017 — the last time the Orioles won a series here in St. Pete.
Already gone 3-2 at the Trop this year after winning three of 18 the previous three years combined.”
Those were the comments made by Brown as he read a Graphic on the broadcast with stats to support the comments. The Orioles were 0-15-1 in their previous 16 series against the Rays. The Athletic reported that the same stats were cited in the team’s game notes that day. So why was Kevin Brown suspended by the Orioles?
The ownership thought the comments made them look cheap. Baltimore is in first in the AL East this season and entered Monday with the second-best record in baseball, trailing only the Atlanta Braves. The Orioles doing this despite having the 29th-ranked payroll.
The Orioles denied in a statement to Awful Announcing that Brown had been suspended. They also announced that Brown will return to the booth.
“We don’t comment on personnel matters,” an Orioles official told Awful Announcing, adding, “we look forward to hearing Kevin’s voice soon.”
After the suspension, a “Free Kevin Brown” chant broke out at Camden Yards during the Orioles game on Tuesday.
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So, the suspension may not have been long. As Kevin Brown is set to return to the Orioles broadcast booth Friday night, when the Orioles take on the Seattle Mariners.
Statement from Kevin Brown
The broadcaster addressed the suspension just hours before his return to the booth. Brown has insisted that the relationship between the two sides is fine.
“Unfortunately, recent media reports have mischaracterized my relationship with my adopted hometown Orioles,” Brown wrote, in part. “The fact is that I have a wonderful relationship with the organization, and our ownership and front office has fully supported me since 2019 when I first came aboard.
“I ask that everyone disregard the distracting noise of the past few days. I have worked closely with O’s SVP Greg Bader for the past four years, and Jon Angelos and I have a solid dialogue based on mutual respect. We are all good here in Birdland!”
“I am proud to be an Oriole and call Baltimore home, and there is no place in baseball I’d rather be now and for the long haul. Go O’s!”
Unfortunately, recent media reports have mischaracterized my relationship with my adopted hometown Orioles. The fact is that I have a wonderful relationship with the organization, and our ownership and front office has fully supported me since 2019 when I first came aboard.
Brown didn’t state anything about the suspension specifically other than that he never wants to be “part of the story.” The suspension of Brown drew much backlash around the Sports world.
For now it appears that Kevin Brown is ready to move on, which he’ll get the chance to do this weekend with the Orioles facing a hot Seattle Mariners team.
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