Popular Baltimore Orioles announcer Kevin Brown was taken off the air because of some major league pettiness from team management, insiders say. Sources tell Awful Announcing that Brown, who has been calling games for the Orioles on radio and TV since 2019, was suspended indefinitely after he remarked during the team's series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field last month that the Orioles had won as many games against the Rays this year as in the three previous years combined. Sources tell the Athletic that the suspension was ordered by Orioles owner John Angelos, who was apparently "rubbed the wrong way" by the reminder of the team's poor performance in previous years.
The statistic was also mentioned in game notes: "The Orioles have won three of the first five games at The Trop this season after winning three of the 21 games played in St. Petersburg from 2020-22." The Orioles "being terrible in past years wasn't a secret," writes Brittany Ghiroli at the Athletic, "but they reached 70 wins on Sunday and are young, fun and arguably the best story in baseball." The team, which currently has the best record in the American League, denied the reports that Brown, who also calls several college sports for ESPN, had been suspended. A senior official said they "don't comment on personnel matters," ESPN reports.
The apparent suspension was widely slammed in the broadcasting community and there were signs of discontent among fans before Tuesday's game against the Houston Astros at the team's Camden Yards home. One fan was seen parading with a "FREE KEVIN BROWN" sign and others shouted "We want Kevin" at the broadcasting booth, USA Today reports. Sources say Brown is due to return to the booth Sunday after 16 days off the air, reports Fox News. (More Baltimore Orioles stories.)
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