Orioles fans chant 'Free Kevin Brown' after broadcaster's suspension makes headlines
Baltimore Orioles broadcaster Kevin Brown has been off the air since the team played a series at Tropicana Field in July. This was reported by Awful Announcing as a suspension for comments that he made, pointing out the team’s past record against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Across MLB, this has been widely viewed as an unjust suspension. In particular, Baltimore fans weren’t happy with the move and they made their voices heard at Camden Yards on Tuesday night. There, the crowd could be clearly heard chanting, “Free Kevin Brown.”
You can watch Orioles fans chant, “Free Kevin Brown,” here:
John Angelos, who owns the Orioles, has come out of this controversy looking petty. It’s not like anyone watching the Orioles broadcast is unaware that the team has struggled recently. After all, Baltimore has finished five of the last six seasons with a losing record.
The Athletic, in confirmation of Awful Announcing’s initial report that Kevin Brown was suspended, reported, “Broadcasters have also been reprimanded previously for mentioning past Orioles players who are no longer with the team.”
Kevin Brown is considered one of the best broadcasters in the game and he’s widely liked around baseball. Fans clearly love him, as well as other broadcasters. Many other team broadcasts around baseball have been critical of the decision to suspend him, including the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and Chicago White Sox among other teams.
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Jason Benetti, the White Sox’s broadcaster, said, “They actually played Baltimore pretty well. They were 6-7 against the Orioles this year. So, they lost seven times but they did beat Baltimore six times, which I hope I don’t get suspended by the Orioles for saying that.”
Why Kevin Brown was suspended
While the Baltimore Orioles denied suspending Kevin Brown and said they “don’t comment on personnel matters,” it has been widely reported that Kevin Brown was suspended for comments he made on air while Baltimore played Tampa Bay. However, those comments didn’t seem deserving of punishment.
“The Orioles have won more games against them this season than the last two combined,” Brown said, comparing Baltimore’s record this year to past ones against Tampa Bay. This was part of a planned segment that included a graphic.
Still, Kevin Brown hasn’t been on-air since he made those comments. That suspension has, in turn, led to a massive outcry from around baseball and, potentially in reaction to that outcry, Brown will return on Friday.