Jim Hunter, who was removed from the Orioles’ broadcast team before the start of the 2020 season, won’t be returning to the team in 2021, he announced in a tweet on Friday.
Hunter, whose association with the team began in 1997 and served as a game broadcaster on radio and television and a pregame and postgame host, is parting ways with the team.
“I was informed this week by @Orioles my contract will not be renewed for 2021 ending my career w/the ball club,” he tweeted. “It’s disappointing to have my tenure come to an end especially since it was not my decision. For 24 years I gave my heart & soul to the broadcasts & now it’s over.”
In a subsequent tweet, Hunter thanked fellow broadcasters Jim Palmer, Ben McDonald, Joe Angel, Mike Bordick and Rick Dempsey.
“And I especially want to thank the loyal fans. It was an honor to bring @Orioles baseball to you. Good luck [to] the team moving ahead and May God Bless us all !!”
Hunter declined a request for further comment. The Orioles declined comment on Hunter’s departure from the team and said they would be announcing their 2021 broadcast team soon.
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Another big time loss for the fans of this team. I personally don't live in the DMV anymore so I won't be able to keep up on the local broadcasting like I used to, but I'm livid at this decision. We were told last spring that Mr. Hunter's absence was Covid related we we not? Am I wrong in how I remember that going down?
The current group of scallywags leading this organization are about as trustworthy as ... well I can't come up with anything right now ... but they're REALLY untrustworthy! Eeeesh, My buns are really chapped with this decision.
These guys are snakes.
God bless you Mr. Hunter, you deserve better.
Agree. Insensitivity to tradition is a major shortcoming of the current regime. Something that those in Houston should understand - e.g. Milo Hamilton.
Well stated. I heard that the guy who is making the broadcasting decisions is one of my old bosses at an ad agency in Bel Air. Guy got fired by the Orioles two times and is back yet again as he's tight with John Angelos. This guy is a massive Trumper/Republican and when I was at his wife's ad agency there were no employees of color. Saw on their website that's still the case. Guy is a money-hungry pig who is only out for himself and is not liked out in the local advertising community. He did a pathetic job building this broadcast team, getting rid of veteran talent and going cheap. Broadcasts last year were trash. Unlistenable. Hired minor league broadcasters so he didn't have to pay them much and got what he paid for -- a minor league sounding broadcast.
At least Melanie is HOT. I like when she does the pregame show. Yes. I AM a sexist pig. LOL
Hey Nats fan... Seriously this is a baseball forum.. I could say a few things about the Biden family but will take a pause.
Loyalty is not a virtue of the Angelos Boys and Elias.
Great job Mikey, probably fill the position with a rule 5 guy...go O’s...
McDonald and Bordick are the weak links in that list.
Totally ...TOTALLY agree with that assessment. Although you'll find some McDonald supporters around here.
I like McDonald. His stories of the clubhouse and on the road are priceless. Also loved Lowenstein
Lowenstein is like the Drake. Gotta love him.
The story of Ben being asked to head to Rochester the day before Cals big day was funny as hell. (In case you missed it he didn’t go)
Oakland had Catfish, while we had Jim Hunter.
Which broadcasters a viewer/listener likes is a subjective thing. Jim Hunter seems like a nice guy, and I don't enjoy seeing anyone lose a job, but I thought he was pretty boring.
I think Thorne and Palmer are still the most entertaining and informative crew, although I wouldn't be surprised if they don't return either. And I enjoyed Ben McDonald's color work this past season.
Thorne always struck me as too full of himself.
Thorne seemed to “loosen up” as the game went on, loved Palmer as a player, not so much as an announcer...they seem to have just about wiped any connections to the O’s out...again, great job Mikey...go O’s...
This just stinks anyway you look at it !!!