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The Baltimore Orioles have suspended a play-by-play announcer after he accurately recapped the team’s struggles in past seasons against the Tampa Bay Rays during a live broadcast, AwfulAnnouncing.com reports.
Sources told the sports media site that Long Island, NY native Kevin Brown was suspended indefinitely following his commentary during the end of the team’s series against the Rays on Sunday, July 23.
In his pregame comments, Brown noted that Tropicana Field has been “maybe the toughest ballpark” for the Orioles to play in and reminded viewers that the team had lost its last 15 series there.
“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,” he said. “Already got three and two at the Trop this year after winning three of 18 the previous three years combined.”
Brown went on to call the game, which the Orioles won 5-3, but has notably been off the air since.
His suspension has triggered a flood of criticism on Twitter, where the hashtag #FreeKevinBrown has taken off.
“Absolutely ridiculous. Anyone with eyes can see that the Orioles were terrible for a prolonged stretch of rebuilding,” reads one Tweet. “For the front office to get pissy about people pointing it out as things turn around is thin-skinned and petty.”
Gary Cohen, play-by-play man for the New York Mets, is one of scores of broadcasters who have come to Brown’s defense on their own airwaves, calling him “one of the great young talents in broadcasting.”
"Let me just say one thing to Baltimore Orioles management. You draped yourself in humiliation when you fired (former announcer) Jon Miller. And you're doing it again,” Cohen said on air. “And if you don't want Kevin Brown, there are 29 other teams who do."
A senior Orioles official denied that Brown had been suspended in a statement to AwfulAnnouncing.com, saying they don't comment on personnel matters and "look forward to hearing Kevin's voice soon."
In addition to providing TV and radio commentary for the Orioles, Brown also serves as a play-by-play commentator on several college sports for ESPN.
A Long Island native, Brown graduated from Holy Trinity Diocesan High School in Hicksville in 2007 before graduating from Syracuse University.
Click here to read the full report from AwfulAnnouncing.com.
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