Orioles announce 2019 broadcast team
The Orioles today announced the broadcast team for the 2019 season for MASN, the Orioles Radio Network, and Orioles and MASN digital platforms. The talent lineup includes the return of several veteran broadcasters, increased roles for familiar faces, new additions to the broadcast team, and the retirement of a radio legend.
Longtime broadcaster Joe Angel will retire after 19 seasons as the “Voice of the Orioles” on the Orioles Radio Network. Angel spent more than four decades calling Major League Baseball games, including two World Series, 44 postseason games, and seven no-hitters. His signature calls of “In the WIN column,” “Wave it bye, bye,” and “Hasta la vista, pelota” have been enjoyed by fans across Birdland for nearly two decades. A resident of El Dorado Hills, Calif., Angel will enjoy retirement with his wife, Antoinette; their three children: Tony, Natalie, and Jonathan; and their three grandchildren: Carsyn Angelina, Jacob, and Thomas.
“Joe’s voice has filled the homes of Orioles fans for many years, and his smooth delivery, signature calls, and witty humor will be missed,” said Greg Bader, Orioles Vice President, Communications & Marketing. “Joe will be impossible to replace, but we are confident Orioles fans will receive superb game action and news across all Orioles and MASN platforms. Whether tuning in on television, radio, or following along via digital platforms, our talent will be seen everywhere, and fans will receive top-notch insight into all things Orioles.”
New additions
ESPN broadcaster Kevin Brown will join the Orioles Radio Network in 2019, serving as a play-by-play announcer for approximately 50 Orioles games this season. Brown currently serves as a play-by-play commentator on ESPN’s coverage of college football, basketball, hockey, and softball. In addition, he previously served as lead broadcaster with the Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, while serving as the Chiefs’ director of broadcasting and media relations. Brown is a graduate of the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, where he earned a degree in broadcast journalism.
MASN All-Access host and reporter Sara Pearlman will become the network’s sideline reporter, providing on-field reports for all regular season Orioles games. She joined MASN in 2017 to host MASN All-Access, MASN’s digital show on Facebook Live, where she covered the Orioles and Washington Nationals. A graduate of the University of Florida, Perlman previously served as a sideline reporter and color analyst for the North American Soccer League and Fort Lauderdale Strikers, and as a cage-side reporter for MMA Fights on UFC Fight Pass. Replacing Perlman on MASN All-Access on Facebook Live is PAUL MANCANO, who has served as co-host of the program for the last two seasons.
Local media personality and 105.7 The Fan broadcaster Rob Long will join the O’s Xtra pregame and postgame shows as the program’s weekend host. Long currently serves as a co-host for Baltimore’s Big Bad Morning Show on the Orioles Radio Network flagship station, 105.7 The Fan. He has been a member of the MASN family since 2009, appearing on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Report and hosting the show regularly since 2017.
Roch Kubatko brings his unique insights from the “School of Roch” on MASNsports.com to Orioles game broadcasts in an expanded role in 2019. He will continue his posts on MASNsports.com and on Twitter @masnRoch, but fans will now see and hear Kubatko as a regular contributor on MASN and the Orioles Radio Network both pregame and in-game. Kubatko has covered the Orioles for more than 20 years and has been with MASN since 2008. MASNsports.com reporter STEVE MELEWSKI will serve as play-by-play broadcaster for the 16-game Spring Training digital streaming schedule on Orioles.com and MLB At Bat, as announced last week.
Returning play by play broadcasters
Returning to their previous in-game roles are veteran broadcasters Gary Thorne, who enters his 13th season as MASN’s lead play-by-play announcer, and JIM HUNTER, who returns for his 23rd year as a member of the Orioles broadcast team. Hunter will serve as the Orioles Radio Network’s play-by-play announcer for a majority of games, while also continuing to appear on MASN’s broadcasts.
Expert game analysts
Hall of Famer and Orioles Legend Jim Palmer will return for his 27th season as lead analyst on MASN and his 56th season as a member of the Orioles organization. Former Orioles Mike Bordick, Dave Johnson, Ben McDonald, Gregg Olson, and Brian Roberts will also provide expert in-game analysis throughout the season on MASN and the Orioles Radio Network.
Bordick enters his eighth season as an analyst, while McDonald enters his fourth. Olson and Roberts will expand their slate of games in their second seasons in the radio booth, with Roberts also adding several MASN appearances. Johnson returns to the Orioles Radio Network as a regular in-game analyst in 2019.
Orioles Hall of Famer Rick Dempsey will return for his 13th season as a member of the Orioles broadcast team, continuing his role on the O’s Xtra pre- and postgame show. TOM DAVIS returns to the program for his fourth season and his 21st year on Orioles telecasts, serving as the weekday host on O’s Xtra.
About MASN and the Orioles Radio Network
MASN has been the exclusive television home for all Baltimore Orioles games since 2007. Every available regular season Orioles game is televised on one of the network’s two channels, MASN and MASN2, throughout an exclusive territory that covers a seven-state region. Out-of-market fans are able to watch MASN and MASN2 broadcasts via MLB.tv feeds on Orioles.com and the MLB At Bat app.
The Orioles Radio Network broadcasts across more than 40 stations in seven states, including 105.7 The Fan (WJZ-FM), the flagship station. The Orioles Radio Network will again broadcast all 162 regular season games. Games can also be streamed on the Gameday Audio platform on Orioles.com and MLB At Bat.