Jim Palmer, whose appearances on Orioles’ MASN telecasts in 2020 were limited to Zoom calls, will return to the air in 2021, the club announced on Monday. It will be Palmer’s 29th season on the broadcast team and 58th with the Orioles’ organization.
Kevin Brown and Scott Garceau, who appeared on telecasts in 2020, will again work on television play-by-play. Brown, who joined the broadcast team in 2019, will also be heard on the Orioles’ radio network.
Garceau, a longtime local broadcaster, appeared on Orioles games for the first time since 1992 last year.
Geoff Arnold, who joined the radio team last year, returns this year, and he’ll occasionally provide play-by-play.
Former Orioles pitcher Ben McDonald will return as an analyst on MASN broadcasts in 2021.
Brett Hollander and Melanie Newman, who joined the broadcasting team in 2021, will return and contribute radio play-by-play and make occasional appearances on MASN.
Rob Long, who anchored pregame and postgame shows in the last two years, will appear on both MASN and 105.7 The Fan Orioles programming.
Besides the reported departures of Gary Thorne, Jim Hunter, Tom Davis, Mike Bordick and Dave Johnson, the Orioles confirmed that Rick Dempsey will no longer appear on pregame and postgame programs but will serve as an Orioles community ambassador.
The club also announced that Brian Roberts, who had occasionally contributed to Orioles radio and television broadcasts in recent years, will not return and would join Dempsey, Brooks Robinson, Eddie Murray and Boog Powell as community ambassadors.
Streaming Orioles games: For years, local fans have complained that the Orioles didn’t stream their games. Now, MASN has announced plans to launch “its owned and operated dedicated sports media app.”
MASN will stream all of the Orioles and Nationals games it televises “by using the new MASN app and authenticating via TV provider log-in.”
This will be available throughout MASN’s seven-state broadcasters and will require viewers to subscribe to MASN on cable or satellite.
The app can also live stream via desktop, mobile (iOS and Android) and Roku. The app can be downloaded on iTunes and Google Play App Stores.
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Great news all around on the broadcasters.
I'm very naive on the subject of streaming so bare with me Rich. Will I be able to stream the games on the APP through my ROKU up here in NJ? Could this be a way for me to not have to get the MLBExtra innings on DIRECTV and just watch O' s games?
My understanding is that streaming applies to the states where MASN is available on cable systems, and New Jersey is not one of them, so I'm afraid you may be stuck with DIRECTV.
Orial, it must be insufferable being an O’s fan in NJ. I’m in Pa. so Phil’s fans and Pirates fans (which are hard to find) don’t say too much. I couldn’t imagine being around Yankees fans everywhere I go.
Yeah dlgruber it's pretty disgusting.. They think they're entitled. Guess the worst part is when the Yankees play in Balt and I have to watch the Yankees broadcast and hear them constantly call OPACY "Yankee Stadium south",. Mets fans not so bad.
If you’re out of market, you can stream all the games via an MLB TV subscription for a little over $100 a year. Been doing it for years here in Georgia. It’s the MASN broadcast just as if you were watching locally. I highly recommend it.
I have been an O's fan since the Senators left Washington but probably no longer. Over the past few years,I think the O's have taken a downward turn thanks to Angelos' handling of the team. I thought I would stop watching O's games when the team didn't keep Adam Jones, one of the remaining last good players. Now Gary Thorne, an excellent baseball announcer is not having his contract renewed and the team is getting rid of a host of former great players. The team does not even resemble the teams that had the very people on it that now Angelos feels are dispensable. This is one fan who regrettably will not be back to watch Angelos tear the O's further apart.
I’ll miss the outgoing broadcasters but glad to see them keep a few old faces. This is all just cost cutting given the current environment. Teams across the league have been making similar cuts.
I got really excited when I saw "MASN to offer in-market streaming" but it's the same old "cable or satellite subscription required."
Most of the MLB teams offer in-market streaming via Sling, Youtube TV, for those of us who are cord-cutters, but sadly not my beloved Orioles :(
I live in Greensboro, NC, so it's really satellite or nothing for getting MASN, (rarely when they play the Braves I get to see them on Sling TV, but it's the ATL broadcast) I am in my mid-30's, satellite/cable is not my thing!
I could get MLBTV but because I am in the Orioles TV Market (yes, even in Central NC this is O's territory) all the games are blacked out.
Now, if we ever get a team to move to NC, that would likely change the TV market map and then I could get MLBTV
Thank God Jim Palmer is coming back it will be so good to hear a real baseball boys welcome back Jim
So what is the big deal is about MASN's new streaming app? The way I see it, all they've done is create the option for me to watch the game(s) on my ipad or phone when my tv set is right there. It's obvious that I'd much rather watch the game on my tv. so thanks for nothing MASN. I would gladly pay for an independent app that would allow me to stream the games without a subscription to a local cable service provider, and I'm sure there are more out there like me, but MASN doesn't seem to get it.
"Garceau, a longtime local broadcaster, appeared on Orioles games for the first time since 1992 last year."
I love this blog. I didn't think Garceau had seen a baseball game. I certainly don't remember him announcing games. Lucky me!
"Former Orioles pitcher Ben McDonald will return as an analyst on MASN broadcasts in 2021." Young McDonald will get the full pack of bubble gum in his mouth this year. I'm sure of it.
I'm happy for Brown, Hollander, and Newman. They have a lot of potential. I guess I'll listen when they and Palmer are on. For the rest of the games, I'll be watching while listening to some good old Grateful Dead.
Streaming sounds good if its done right. I grew up knowing every Orioles batting average. Worshipped Eddie Murray. Loved Earl Weaver. But today, I am a non-fan. I rarely keep up. I don't watch highlights. I don't watch drafts. Because I have been shut out of the game. I live 300 miles away from Camden. But i'm blacked out. MLB is absolutely destroying itself by making deep fans into non-fans. I want my Orioles back!! Maybe streaming will do it. MLB - its come to jesus time.
Palmer was a Great pitcher and I loved watching him pitch. However, I find his comments are often about himself and his career instead of consistently talking about the game in front of him. He tends to drone on and on as well. Ben MacDonald is a far better analyst and commentator in my opinion.
Palmer was my favorite player until Cal came up. One of the greatest pitchers ever and would be even MORE famous if he would have been in a bigger market. Can't stand him on the air. Knowledge is one thing, but he puts me to sleep. It is indicative of today's Orioles. Instead of saying "Mullins is like Al Bumbry on the base path" maybe throw up a stat on his speed compared to other runners. Ben McDonald is MUCH better as was Bordick. Scott Garceau is NOT Gary. Nice guy. Thorne was at least excitable. I have watched the Nationals broadcast and it is TEN TIMES BETTER. Ownership has bled this team dry. So much that I don't know if they will ever demand an audience at Camden until this team is sold. Never sadder.