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December 10, 2009

Buck leaves MASN: Who's up next?

The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network released a statement a couple of hours ago confirming that Buck Martinez is leaving the network to join the television crew of the Toronto Blue Jays. His replacement has not been announced, so all's fair in the race to speculate on who will move into the color analyst role.

The statement referred to MASN's "deep bench," which could mean a lot of things. I'm sure a lot of people are wondering if this is the opening they've been waiting for to insert Mike Flanagan back into the picture. We've already spent way too much time trying to figure out that situation, but he would seem like an obvious candidate. Of course, pregame/postgame commentator Rick Dempsey probably would like to be considered and former general manager Jim Duquette -- who has a morning baseball show on XM Radio -- is still living in the area.

In this economy, it's also possible that MASN will simply increase the responsibilities of the current members of the extended broadcast team, creating more play-by-play opportunities for Jim Hunter and adding more games to Jim Palmer's schedule.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:03 PM | | Comments (184)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Comments

John lowenstein please

yes, yes on john lowenstein! not bloody likely, i know, but he sure knew how to make even the worst games entertaining.

As a follow up to my “ripping you “ about your chat-- C’mon Peter, this is not complicated. Why do you set up a false choice between the chat and giving us the breaking news? You know you have your blog that you could have just as easily posted to.

What I AM SAYING; IF the Sun wants to develop the chat concept than you should treat it seriously.

I already cited Boswell and the Post as an example of the way to do it right. His chats are “appointment internet” and one of the most popular features on the entire Post website.

A couple of –few word answers does not cut it!

I think Wayne from this blog should replace Buck. That would be outstanding. Three hours a night of him telling us how stupid and ignorant O's fans are. Can you imagine him yelling and cursing at the O's when they score runs. The crying fits when we win a game. Think about him heckling Trembly every time he makes a move to the bullpen.

I think there's some real potential here. We could even get rid of Gary Throne too. Then we could bring back our old friend Bob L. who, surprisingly, has maintained his vow to stay away up till this point.

Think about it Pete. I think you know how great this could be. You should pitch it to the people at MASN.

What do you think Wayne? This is the chance to be an angry star you've always wanted.

Me - I say Brooks Robinson 1st. Lowenstien 2nd or if neither than Roch Kabato!!

Please not more of jim hunter or Rick ( Im not sober during my broadcasts) Dempsey. These two delusional goofballs make this unwatchable team even more unwatchable

Buck was good, If hes replaced by either of these company men, the broadcasts will suffer

1. Dave Johnson
2. Jim Hunter on more

No more Dempsey. He just sounds confused and has no polish. Like listening to Terry Bradshaw after games on Fox call replays. Well, not that bad. Bradshaw is horrible.

I hope whoever they hire to replace Buck doesn't have the words "effective" or "effectively" in their vocabulary.

I'm sure Buck is a nice guy but I won't miss him. At all.

Buck was very good. I'll miss him.

That's great news. I never liked Buck Martinez and I think less of Gary Thorne.. Hope Thorne is going with him. Even though Hunter is ok in the studio I wouldn't mind listening to him again. Fred Manfra is ok but not a big fan of his either. Who is the other radio guy? Jim Palmer has done play-by-play, but he is not the guy we are looking for in that role. I would love to see Lowenstein back but not sure he would come back. Brooks' schedule won't allow him the time because he has other things going for him.

Buck was good but I want more Palmer!! I like a guy with hall of fame credentials that is not afraid to call it like it is and call out players when they do not play well or make bonehead mistakes. Please NO DEMPSEY.

That's great news. I never liked Buck Martinez and I think less of Gary Thorne.. Hope Thorne is going with him. Even though Hunter is ok in the studio I wouldn't mind listening to him again. Fred Manfra is ok but not a big fan of his either. Who is the other radio guy? Jim Palmer has done play-by-play, but he is not the guy we are looking for in that role. I would love to see Lowenstein back but not sure he would come back. Brooks' schedule won't allow him the time because he has other things going for him.

Now if we can only get rid of Hunter. He is the worst, an arrogant, egotistical blowhard who thinks he is the only one who knows anything about baseball.

Every time he says "The batter swings through it", even if the ball is in the dirt and the bat didn't come within a foot of the pitch, I cringe.

Hunter, just so you know, it is a physical impossibility for a bat to swing though a ball. That's a mark of lazy announcing. But Hunter is so stupid, he thinks knowledgeable fans don't know it.

MLB Net was showing the replay of the Mets/O's series and Bill O'Donnell, God rest his soul, a great broadcaster and a great man, would say, when it appeared the batter "swung" through the pitch, "He's just a little late with the swing" or "He's out in front, the pitch fooled him." Bill never said "He swings though it."

O'Donnell made an effort to be accurate, just like Chuck Thompson or some of the other announcers we hear when MLB shows old time games.

I can tolerate Palmer, I learn from him something every time I watch a game, I like Buck, very knowledgeable, and there's nothing wrong with Dempsey, he is very enthusiastic and is not afraid to call out an Oriole fro whatever reason. Thorne can't recognize pitches but otherwise isn't terrible.

The weak link is Hunter, he has to go. I can't watch on Sundays the guy is so horrible. Please get rid of him.

I second the notion for Oakcrest's finest, Bob Lancione.

Orioles broadcasts have not been the same since Mel Proctor and John Lowenstein. They were a very good duo who made me laugh.

Except for his voice, I thought Buck Martinez was a pretty good commentator. He was very insightful and not a homer.

Jim Hunter on the other hand IS THE WORST! He is the biggest homer I have ever heard and he knows nothing. It drives me nuts. I would love to see more of Gary Thorne and Jim Palmer. Thorne has a great voice and Jim Palmer is one of the most insightful announcers I have ever heard. I honestly learn something new during every game.

This provides the Orioles with the opportunity to improve one of the most dysfunctional telecast arrangements of any team in any sport. With two announcers (Thorne and Hunter) sharing the play-by-play and at least three analysts (Palmer, Martinez and Dempsey), there was never any continuity from day-to-day.

I was not a fan of Martinez because when he wasn't doing the games it was apparent that he wasn't even following the team through the newspapers. He would make some of the strangest comments that showed he had lost track of the performance of the team and the players during his absence.
Personally, I think the Orioles have one of the very best analysts in Jim Palmer.
As a Hall-of-Fame pitcher with network experience (working the World Series for ABC), he can talk authoritatively and succinctly without being too technical. He has an easy delivery and demeanor. Unless he doesn't want to work a full schedule, he's the best available in my opinion.

Going back to my earlier point, MASN should tell Gary Thorne that, if he wants to be the Orioles' voice, he needs to cut back on his ABC/ESPN work. Besides being gone for 25 or so Sunday games while doing radio play-by-play for ESPN's Sunday night baseball, he's gone for 10 days in August for the Little
League World Series, takes one week off leading up to the All-Star break, and last year missed a handful of games just after the start of the season. One of the best memories I had growing up following the Orioles was the comfort of knowing that, when I turned on the radio, Chuck Thompson's voice would be on the other end.

Finally, keep Jim Hunter away from the booth at all costs. He has so overdosed on Orioles Kool Aid that he lost his credibility..............forever.

Say it ain't so Buck...I sort of liked his comments. He sure seemed knowledgeable enough. Lowenstein is intriguing. Wouldn't miss Thorne. Of course everyone pales in comparison to the radio days of Chuck Thompson, Bill O'Donnell and John Miller.

I love Thorne from his days calling the NHL on ESPN and still think he does a great job when he's with Palmer or Buck. I like Buck and will miss him. I can't stand Hunter and Dempsey, but Hunter is the official Mascot for MASN so he's not leaving, but please don't add Dempsey to split time with Palmer as the color commentator. I hope the guy who posted Roch should be considered, was joking because I can't take listening to him when he's on with Amber.

I would love to see the O's get Ken Singleton. He lives in the area and does an amazing job on YES. I don't know if he would want to leave YES, but it would be nice to have a knowledge ex-Oriole in the booth.

A guy who did a nice job, but no ties here was Eck when he filled in last year on NESN. He's outspoken and doesn't sugarcoat anything, but again leaving NESN for MASN is like dumping Angelina Jolie for Ricki Lake.

Haha-I was scrolling down to comment LOWENSTEIN but it looks like the first 2 posters beat me to it. Seriously though, how great would that be?

Tonite...Let It Be Lowenstein!

Pete,

IMHO while Bucks' voice sometimes went higher like he was going through puberty, he offered the best and most knowledgeable color work of all the Orioles announcers. Its an unfortunate loss, and I wouldn't look forward to more of Palmer, Dempsey or a return of Flanagan! Having ejoyed the likes Chuck and Odonnel and then Brooksie, and brother Low and John Miller, but none of the current roster comes close!

Give me the HTS tandem of Lowenstein and Proctor.

can we get john miller to come back.i liked buck.i would like to see john lowenstein come back too

Any truth to the rumor that Buck was sent north of the border with 4 cartons of Marlboro Reds as a goodbye gift?

While Buck's voice was grating at times, he offered real insight into the game and was generally enjoyable to listen to. That's in stark contrast to Gary Thorne, who seems to be continually baffled by everything in the game. It's really not that difficult to tell the difference between Adam Jones and Nick Markakis, but Gary struggled with that distinction numerous times last year. I'd say replace him too. Unlike most people on this blog, I like Jim Hunter, possibly because when I first started listening to O's games on the radio, it was the duo of Hunter and Manfra, so I kind of just got used to it.

@ Ken: While Hunter might say it too often, the fact that you take issue with him saying "swinging through" a pitch is ridiculous. We all know that a ball can't literally pass through a bat, but it gives the listener an image of what happened, which, as a former radio guy, is natural for him. And it's not like he's the only one that does it. Stop trying to wow us with your knowledge of physics, it's getting old.

I think this is the best news so far during these winter meetings!! Buck's voice DROVE ME NUTS! It sounded as if he was talking out of his nose.

I say any Schmuck would be better than Buck.

I think this is the best news so far during these winter meetings!! Buck's voice DROVE ME NUTS! It sounded as if he was talking out of his nose.

I say any Schmuck would be better than Buck.

Any Schmuck would be better than Buck!!

Buck's voice DROVE ME NUTS.

Any Schmuck would be better than Buck!!

Buck's voice DROVE ME NUTS.

I don't suppose Jon Miller is available?

Lord, anybody but Dempsey.

I would love Brooks to get it but I do not see that happening.

I like Flanny, too, but I do not think most of my fellow Morons would get his sense of humor.

The problem with Demper is he could make a strip dance boring. He is no the master of the obvious and a complete dunce like McCarver, but he is very wooden (no pun intended) and has the same tendency to over-explain the simple and confuse the complex.

Whoever they pick should be a guy with some connection to the team.

Hey, doesn't Tejada need a job???

(put your knoves down, I was joking....)

KNIVES. I meant to write knives. Stupid QWERTY keyboard...

Anyone but Dempsey!!!!!!

I'd be OK with Flanny, he was good back in the day.

O's fan in OC (there is only 1?), I think we need to send you a CD copy of "Buck Martinez's Greatest Game Calls."

Given your love for his sound and all...

I just want to see less Gary Thorne, so please more Jim Hunter. If I have to hear Gary Thorne say "at'em ball" 15 times a game next year, I'm going to start listening to the games instead.

oh my god please no more Jim Hunter for the love of god! I will root for another team if I have to see anymore of him!!!

Do we get partial credit toward Halladay?
Do they have to keep him all season or we get him back? I can't imagine the Canadians loving Bucks voice. Though I did enjoy listening to him. And as for lousy play call, the majority of announcers here have been less than stellar. The greats are rare. So we have to hope whoever it is isn't a total boob.

I used to love the "Folksy musings" of Mr. Brooks Robinson. Or should I say, Mr. Oriole! Who doesn't love John Lowenstein?
Brother Lo!
Of course my favorite tandem ever was Jon Miller and Joe Angel. Now, that was chemistry. As for those other guys mentioned above.. Manfra, Hunter and company, I'd love to see them doing Bluefield games. Maybe you could apply.
Just don't announce as badly as you run a live chat. D'oh! I'll buy you a beer in Sarasota for that remark! Or better yet, a mojito! Which reminds me, sign Chapman!

I like how a story about a color guy leaving sparks a debate about who should be the play-by-play guy.

Anyways, did anyone sign Melvin yet? If not, he might be our answer.

I have to agree with Dave. I am not sorry to see Buck go. I would LOVE to see Gary Thorne go. the only voice on air more irritating than Bucks is Anita HIll. I think Amber would do a great Job in the Booth.

Well thanks a lot, Richard! I was just about to suggest bringing back Michael Reghi and you had to remind me that Buck was a color guy...

Bring back Lowenstein!!!

I recall watching the O's first televise spring training game from St Pete about 15 years ago. It was being played at Al Lang Stadium. The press box windows are open there and between innings I heard John yell out to a consessionar, "How about a pop and a cock up here?" He said it three times!!! I thought the TV producers had cut to a commerical. I guess after the third time he yelled it, someone must have got to him to let him know his mike was still ive.

Here's another "me too" for Brother Lo. Along with Mel Proctor, they could make some bad O's games entertaining. That's a talent that we could have certainly used recently. Their broadcasts were not full of the vanilla propaganda that is offered by Hunter and most of the rest of the MASN crew.

Maybe this is why Peter Gammons left ESPN, to be exclusively O's!!

why did Buck have to leave??? :(

Any chance Thorne goes too? I'd like to see Brooks join Palmer doing the color and let Manfra do the play by play. If Brooks isn't interested, I'll take Lowenstein. Please, Please, Please, NO Rick Dempsey; NO Jim Hunter; NO Joe Angel.

How about some diversity - instead of one of the big dopey white guys listed above. Y'know -- perhaps a woman, latino or other minority. Think outside of the box and set yourself apart from the usual 2 white dude tandem.

No Michael Reghi or Mel Proctor; been there, done that; Both have all the excitement of mowing the lawn on a hot humid July afternoon.

I say bring back the classic HTS announcers from 1998...Rick Cerone and Michael Reghi....See...You...Later!

Proctor and Lowenstein


How about some diversity - instead of one of the big dopey white guys listed above. Y'know -- perhaps a woman, latino or other minority. Think outside of the box and set yourself apart from the usual 2 white dude tandem.

Posted by: HP | December 10, 2009 10:36 PM
___________________

I wasn't aware that Brooks was a big dopey white guy. I guess being a former Orioles player for 20 years and a Hall of Famer isn't qualified enough to do Orioles' broadcasts so we have to be politically correct and hire a latino and a woman. Spare me the PC crap. It's bad enough we have to put up with it every damn other place in our lives.

proctor & gamble

Laurel & Hardy.

Oh wait, MASN already has that on the post game show.

How about Anita Marks?

Anyone ever think Billy Ripken might be interested.Know all the ins and outs of the game.

............................................................................................
Pete's reply: Great to hear from you Jesse. If they hire somebody from outside, I would think Bill would be a candidate if he's interested.

Low-en-stein
Low-en-stein
Low-en-stein

As long as his name is Homer, he'll get the gig.......

Let the ass kissing begin.....

I wish it was Thorne who was leaving. In a perfect world we'd still have Lowenstein and Proctor. As any Os fan know, this isn't a perfect world.

I am amazed to see the love for John Lowenstein. I ran into his brother , who lives in North Carolina. He said John loves being retired and lives in Arizona. even if they were wanting to bring him back, I don't think he would come back at this junction in his life. As for Mel Proctor, not sure what he is up to these days. To this day, I do not know why Mel and John were let go. Funny how the O's have gone down hill since their departure.

Bring back Clay Dalrymple, if he's still around.

Please dear lord no more Jim Hunter...don't we have to suffer enough with his current schedule

No more Jim Hunter for anything at all.

I always figured Buck would leave to maybe manage somewhere or continue his work nationally, but why Toronto of all places? It hardly seems like an upgrade or something. Was he unhappy? (Please, no comment on that one wayne)

Billy Ripken would be my vote if we could just pick someone. Though I feel like MASN would Rule 5 someone for the job rather than spend big money.

I think Hunter was the player AKA jack ass to be named later in the Millwood deal.

Off topic, but there are other ways to get better in the rich AL East like hoping the Sox do now what the Yanks used to do which was sign enough overpriced free agents so that the only way they could trade them was to package them with young talent. The Boston Herald is reporting that the Sox wont give Beltre 65 mil for 5 years, but they will give him 55 mil for 5 years. Adrian is great with the glove, but this is along the lines of JD Drew, in a nice player that is over hyped to death plus wait till the Boston media and fans get a hold of him. I have nothing against Beltre from a personal standpoint, but not even the biggest Andy hater, could say we should offer more. The guy hasn't been the same since his roid days LA. He's good with the glove, but he's not a guy that will hit for a high avg. and at best, what will he knock in about 70-75 runs at 11 mil? This follows the bad signing of Julio Lugo and the eventual dumping of him. They have money, but look at the Cubs and Mets. They started making dumb moves so no matter how big your payroll is, you can't always win. If the Sox lose Bay and stick to their guns by not going after Holiday, they wont be the same monsters that they have been with an aging Ortiz and a high paid so-so SS journeymen in Marco. I am not saying this year, but sometimes you can move up when your opponents are desperate.

Bill in Salisbury, please tell me that was a joke. Anita Marks, really?

Can you imagine it. Besides fumbling over words like And & The seven times before getting it right, we'd have to listen to her interupting people to shout something senseless about her fantasy team or Brandon Marshall. Or about how she texted Brian Roberts with an invite to play Wii at her apartment later.

She could bring in Willis Mcgahee or Chris Mcallister to be her color guy and they could argue throughout the entire game about how the Orioles need to run the wildcat, without actually calling a single pitch.

And there is also the distinct posibility that upon hearing the news that he didn't have to work with her anymore, Scott Garceau would die of happiness.

Good riddance. We won't have to hear "He sure did" or "He sure does" eighty times a game any more!

Now, is there any chance Gary Thorne would head north with Buck? Now that would be a rebuilding move!

P.S. I wish there were a way to get Joe and Fred on the tube. I'm tired of having the "sync" my MLB Radio feed with my MLB DirecTV feed!

Several of you have mentioned Jon Miller. Of course we'd love to have him back; but what a waste it would be to put him on TV! He is a stellar talent who belongs on radio, where he can evoke images of the game through his words rather than relying on the TV cameras.

I can't believe so many of you complain about Jim Hunter instead of Gary Thorne!! Thorne is THE WORST Oriole play-by-play man EVER!! You'd need 10 hands to count the number of idiotic mistakes he makes EVERY game! From getting the player's name wrong to calling an obvious high and inside fastball a "breaking ball away". He's just HORRIBLE and I give Palmer all the credit in the world for putting up with this idiot and not correcting 20 times every broadcast.

This is easy ---- MORE JIM PALMER!!!

first of i don't think masn has a deep bench. dempsey wasn't very good when he was the analyst but he's better at that than singing christmas songs. dave johnson isn't really good and who wants to hear the nasal tones of flanny? not me. brother low is number one though i think billy ripken could do a really good job. may the schmuck be with you.

Re-signing Jon Miller would be the best offseason move in 20 years!

Bring the Earl of Baltimore back! His raspy, cigarette-choked, eighty-something voice would be great to hear again!

I really like Gary Thorne. His enjoyment of the game and intelligence really come through. I'm sorry to hear that Buck is leaving.

Dempsey is a bit much and not too focused.

Jim Duquette is great on XM radio. He knows the game well, especially the business of the game and he has an excellent demeanor.

I agree with many of the previous posts, lets hope Gary Thorne resigns as well.

Please, please do not bring Mike Flannigan back. I do not find his sense of humor to be the least bit funny. He has already contributed mightly to the decline of the Orioles lets show him the door for good!

Bring back Proctor and Lowenstein for television. And while we are at it lets get Jon Miller back for the radio.

John Miller, please.

Although I like Thorne, bring back Proctor and Brother Lo'... Also, let's bring back Tom Davis and his yellow HTS blazer for pre game call in show.. Always loved watching Tom sweat on the those Sunday games...

Thank GOD Martinez is gone! If I had to listen to that insipid, nasally droning through one more game . . .

John Lowenstein would be GREAT!! Or Brooks. I miss both of them very much (as well as Mel Proctor, Davey Johnson, John Miller and all of the other quality professionals that Angelos drove off over the years). Miller will never come back after what Angelos did to him.

Martinez was a consumate professional - but with no ties to the Orioles; i.e., who the heck wants to vote for a player of the game when there is an opposing player nominated (sometimes all 3)?

We need a "homer." What's wrong with "Jimmyville?"

OUR radio guys are great. They root for us. There's a connection there.

Opposing team's use "homers" to broadcast their games.

Palmer is great, Dempsey is real good, too. Flanagan? Boring.

I second the Bill Ripken suggestion, though after hearing him for only a few days recently on 105.7, I'm not sure how he'd hold up for an entire season.

Doubtful they'd ever get Jon Miller to leave SF to come back here, but he'd always be my first choice. We are fortunate to have Joe Angel, and IMHO, Fred Manfra's grown on me over the years.

Martinez was alright, though frankly his voice sounded cartoonish at times.

How about Ken Singleton. He does a really nice job on the Yankee network and I think he still lives in the area.

How about Ken Singleton. He does a really nice job on the Yankee network and I think he still lives in the area.

Who cares either way? The broadcast is a joke, mirroring the team. Buck Martinez is a clown and Jim Hunter is become nothing more than a PR flak for the team. I find it sad that a former Oriole great (or almost great), Ken Singleton, is doing Yankee games and the greatest of them all, Brooks, has nothing to do wth the team.

Anita Marks?!! Are out of your mind? She is the worst thing ever foisted upon this town. It doesn't get any better than Thorne and Palmer. Palmer knows the game inside and out!

LOWENSTEIN AND BROOKS.........BRING BACK NOW!!!!!!!
Those voices were O's magic...

Release Bass,

hahahah is Bass still on the team???!! ROFL

YES YES YES TO JOHN LOWENSTEIN
BROTHER LO WAS THE ABSOLUTE BEST AT KEEPING THE GAME INTERESTING. HE KNOWS HIS STUFF AND IS IRREVENTLY FUNNY. PLEASE BRING BACK BROTHER LO. I WOULD DEFINITLY WATCH THE GAMES AGAIN.

TONIGHT....LET IT BE LOWENSTEIN

Capt."C", Professor Cool or Capt. 20 and if you can't get any of them John Lowenstein

More Palmer, Flanagan, or Brooksie. NO Dempsey. As a cost saver, I'll do it!!

two words , brother lowe

Nestor

Brother Lo rules!!!! PLEASE bring him back.... he'd be a great alternate for Palmer, who I think is one of the best analysts in the game.

Not sad to see Buck go. Not crazy about Dempsey either, so the less of him the better.

Thank goodness. Buck annoyed the hell out of me with his droning on and on in that nasal tone of his. My wife would make me turn the channel after hearing his annoying voice. He knows his stuff, but his voice was not made for TV or radio.

Thank you Buck, have a great time, enjoy the Jays, great career move, wish you well. Now I don't have to listen to your irritating voice.

Brink back Lo-Lo!!!

Brother Lo and Mel would be great. They were never afraid to say it like it was.

Billy would be a fresh voice and he knows the game; also knows the local talent that will be coming through the organization and that would give some local color.

Kenny S leaving the Yanks? Oh...right...

Fred Manfra has a fabulous voice, but keeping up with the action has always been a challenge for him; Joe Angel and Chuck Thompson know how to do that, but Fred gets flummoxed and defers to give a recap of what happened. Always.

I'm also available for the slot, if the price is right

Dempsey is loved by Baltimore but that doesn't mean he belongs in the broadcast booth. Sorry, Rick. I'm not a big fan of Jim Hunter either. He may be from New Jersey but comes across as too much of a homer. Gary Thorne has a great voice. Jim Palmer, though conceited at times, provides pretty good insight. More of those two along with Mike Flanagan, Jim Duquette, or even Tom Davis would be enjoyable. Chris Hoiles is my dark horse for the position.

What about Steve Stone? He'd been doing Cubs broadcasts for some time now ... is he available? And a former Oriole to boot!

Melvin Mora!

The Amazing Kreskin! He can make people see things that really aren't there.

Lowenstein / Palmer ... enough said!

How about Mel Proctor and John Lowenstien the best tv play by play in Memory or have scott garceau

What is Joe Orsulak doing? Let's give him a shot.

And of course I wouldn't be a true fan if I didn't get on the Lo-Lo bandwagon however long the odds. Gotta dream BIG right?

without any questions asked, Lowenstein!!

I miss the days of Brooks and Palmer doing the TV broadcasts. I'd say bring Brooksie back!

I loved Lowenstein, but he's been out of the game for so long, and out of the Orioles ambit, that I don't think he'd be successful as a replacement for Buck. Maybe Bill Ripken. Not Dempsey!!!
In a perfect world, Gary Thorne would be replaced by Michael Reghi, Mel Proctor, or Fred Manfra. Or even by my next door neighbor's kid.

Michael Reghi?? PLEASE , say that's not so... I don't need a play by play man who sounds like a 70's DJ... Was glad to see him go...Proctor and Brother Lo'...

Lowenstien without a doubt.
I could do wothout Gary Thorne too, everytime I hear his voice all I can think about is "Ted Baxter" calling the Orioles games.

Panda Claus is right on the money. Ken Singleton! If we can't get players over top the Yankees (ie Tex) then we can steal their broadcasters! If not Singleton then 2nd choice Steve Stone.

The Amazing Kreskin! He can make people see things that really aren't there.
Posted by: Mike

------
That's great, but isn't that what Hunter and Davis do?

Hunter was the Iraqi Information Minister before woring for the Orioles. You know, "there were no American troops in Baghdad" while American tanks were patrolling the streets only a few hundred yards from where he held his press conference.

Davis is a great guy, but he still has clothes he bought from Morton's. He should just work in the PR dept. or write a book on why baseball isn't fair to the Orioles.

The MASN sets look like a high school production.

They should get Craig Laughlin to replace Buck. Has the same voice.

Buck Martinez was a color guy. Although I found his voice grating, he had plenty of good things to say. Unfortunately, there wasn't always a need for a comment from a color commentator but he gave one all of the time anyway. Perhaps that was an edict from Peter the Grate who wanted to make sure he was getting his money's worth.

So unless MASN would toss Gary Thorne to the curb -- which would warrant no shedding of any tears from me -- dreaming of a comeback by future broadcasting HOFer, Jon Miller, is probably pointless.

Bill Ripken would be an interesting prospect to join Jim Palmer in sharing color responsibilities. I would suggest BJ Surhoff. He is articulate with a no-nonsense style that might be a good counter-point assuming we're still stuck with Thorne.

John Lowenstein -- another unlikely candidate -- was great because he teamed well with Mel Proctor. Thorne's stiff style would stifle any free-wheeler like Brother Lo.

Someone who would be a great play-by-play man would be Bob Haynie. He has a great interviewing style that would set up any kind of color broadcaster. Plus, he seems to flow with the action and can change directions on a dime. That would bode well for someone doing play-by-play, set-ups, etc.

Brooksie is too folksie and too far removed from those who are now playing. Dempsey should be restricted to waving a towel. Singleton would be Sominex if teamed with Thorne.

I take the Anita Marks and Nestor (Aparicio) suggestions were actually jokes. Well, they made me laugh.

I understand Flanny has a dry wit but I have grown too tired to wait for it any longer. Magpie Manfra needs less mike time, nor more. Captain Recap wouldn't be suited for color anyway unless it were at a Glidden store.

So, my suggestion barring any further developments in the MASN cheerleading cage would be BJ Surhoff.

What am I going to do without Buck's voice putting me to sleep on summer evenings? Oh well, he'll do great in Canada, since he sounds like a hockey announcer anyways. Damn, I miss those old radio days of Jon Miller and Joe Angel, being glued to every pitch. Of course the team was good then. We probably could use Lowenstein for comic relief on next year's broadcasts. Analysis of how bad our bullpen is gets old late in games, so maybe old Lo could lessen my rage with a little humor about the mess we are always in.

Please bring back John Lowenstein and Mel Proctor. I miss them both calling games and the way they made baseball very enjoyable to watch. These guys today put me to sleep and if I never hear Jim Palmer broadcast a game again it will be too soon.

1) Can they just play a soundtrack of Chuck Thompson and Bill O'Donnell calling games from the 70"s? We can increase the color/tint so the TV screen goes black and just pretend Oriole magic is back.

2) If Angelos is involved its got to be low budget. Maybe he'll go announcerless, which given the recent track record, would be an improvement.

3) Maybe Angelos will force Joey Belle to work off all that money he was paid to deliver nothing.

4)Angelos is going to file a grievance with MLB to get more money - he's going to claim having two teams in this market is making it impossible to recruit and retain TV analysts.

I would LOVE to have Flanagan back in the booth. He is very smart and can break things down well.

Would it be possible to create a situation like some teams have the same announcers for both TV and Radio? You could have Joe Angel & Fred Manfra do radio for the first 3 innings, go to TV for innings 4-7, then back to radio for the close. You could then have Thorne and Hunter/Palmer do the reverse. Not sure contractually what can be done, but is it a possibility?

Lowenstein first, if not him Dave Johnson

Let it be Lowenstein


First, let me put in a good word for Jim Palmer. He may be a bit too laid-back or bland, but he knows his stuff, and since the majority of the game revolves around pitching, who better than a Hall-Of-Famer to lend his insights?

As for Gary Thorne, I first found him to be a bit off-putting, but I have sort of gotten used to his befuddled enthusiasm.

Besides, it's not always easy to stomach a sober-sounding play-by-play guy during a miserable stretch of games like the kind we O's fans have had to endure these past 12 years.

Lowenstein and Bill Ripken would make a great pair. I'd pay to hear that.

Well, I actually liked Buck, and will miss him. Besides that, I envied him for having "the best hair in sportscasting. " Maybe he's going to Toronto to follow his stylist?

well, since my dream team of Thompson & O'Donnell can't happen, how about Boog Powell & Artie Donovan? Probably get a lot of censored bleeps, but wouldn't it fun ?

I think Billy is doing work on MLB network.
**************

Anyone ever think Billy Ripken might be interested.Know all the ins and outs of the game.

............................................................................................
Pete's reply: Great to hear from you Jesse. If they hire somebody from outside, I would think Bill would be a candidate if he's interested.

I really like Dave Johnson. He knows what he is talking about from a fundamental standpoint, he's a home town boy, and it would be nice to get him off the Pregame show that lets him talk then (FRANTIC SHOW MUSIC) cuts him (FRANTIC SHOW MUSIC) off as he (FRANTIC SHOW MUSIC) speaks. Its like he is getting played (FRANTIC SHOW MUSIC) off accepting an (FRANTIC SHOW MUSIC) Oscar.

I will miss Buck M. and I don't have a problem with Thorne. As for who should replace Buck, I'd love to see Lowenstein return, but I don't think that's happening. The next best thing would be to see if Palmer would expand his schedule, try to entice Brooks to do a dozen or so games and give the rest to Flanagan.

Damn, no more of my hilarious Buck Martinez impersinations during games that the Orioles are getting their butts kicked in. At least that was entertaining. I don't care who is in the booth, (I do like Gary Thorne) how about putting a good team on the field that can compete. My kids are 15,12 & 5, will they ever see a winning Orioles team that they can take pride in & brag about like they do the Ravens? It's sad a whole generation of kids have had to grow up with a baseball team like this. At least when I was a kid the Orioles were competative evry year & we were excited during baseball season. That has ot been the case the last 12 years.

Wow lots of posts.
Too bad it wasn't Thorne going instead.
My vote would be:
1) Jon Miller (but of course he should be play by play, not color)
2) Ken Singleton
3) Albert Belle

Jon Miller. Jon Miller. Jon Miller.

As far as hiring a minority or a woman, how is it going for the Yankees to have Susan Waldman with her stupid crying about everything and not knowing a thing about anything?

I haven't seen this name come up, but what about Tom Davis? The guy that has the show with Phil Wood and Dave Johnson? He used to be a part of HTS and Comcast. I know he's had some health issues lately, but I think he's healthy now after a fairly recent operation.

The other radio guy is Joe Angel.

I can't stand Gary Thorne. I wouldn't want Dempsey calling games simply because he keeps calling Nolan Reimold, "Nolan Ryan" or Nolan Rhyme." You should be able to pronounce our players' names at least.

I don't like Jim Hunter, never liked Reghi with that annoying smacking lips problem he had every time he opened his mouth.

Or, and this is my favorite choice. ME! I would love to do it and I have several voices to choose from. How about play by play done by Sean Connery, Don LaFontaine, Patrick Warburton, The father on American Pie, Harry Caray, and the list goes on.

Buck sounded like he had a clothspin on his nose. Palmer is the best there is. The one person we must have back is Amber Theo-Harris. She was a sight for sore eyes. Especially when she wore her "academic" glasses. She has a great repoire with the players also.

Flannagan is the best of the realistic candidates. They're not bringing back Lowenstein or Jon Miller (who is a play by play guy anyway; they need an analyst).

Peter, for my money the best possible announcer is the best past announcer of the last 20 years, Joe Angel. It was a sad day, when he left for the left coast. He was the best we have had since Chuck Thompson and I remember Bailey Goss!

Pete,
It should be obvious, the fans want Brother Lo and Proctor back. Please pass this on to the powers that be! Maybe it could happen.

That was Buck Martinez?

I thought it was a comic doing a really bad bit called "Bob Hope as a baseball color commentator".

I vote for no more hired guns who will just leave when they find a better contract. Bring Brooksy back! Or more Palmer, he calls it like it is. I loved Dempsey as a player but he is hard to listen to.

I'll add my 2 cents in support of Brother Lo! That is John Lowenstein in case you're under the age of 40. And, why not Amber? I mean have you heard the Yankee female homer who does their games? Crying and everything. Its a hoot, really. Amber wouldn't do that. She's too professional. I am for Amber and John. I know he'd like it, that's for sure!

Keep Palmer, add D. Johnson, Lowenstein, and/or Bill Ripken.

I'd be happy with any of them. Flanny's voice is too monotone - puts me to sleep. Dempsey is too irratic - No on Dempsey.

Hunter needs to stay in the studio - I like his optimism (endless) during the post-game shows - "The O's really battled to end that no-hitter in the 9th tonight. What do you think Rick? - this a sign of the team turning it around? - after all, Jones has one hit in a row now - I think he's breaking out of his slump."

God help us if he's back in the booth.

How 'bout Rex Hudler, the "Wonder Dog"? Oriole broadcasts would never be the same. He's funny, intelligent and a great commentator, period!

outsource to WNST it is the only way to make MASN better

Vin Scully.

http://masnsports.com/2009/12/statement-from-masn-on-the-dep.html

Would ask if everyome would leave their comments on the MASN website also. I am not sure if they read the Sun. I want them to know what the viewers want.

Who are we going to find to replace his hair????


love the comment about
chuck thompson bill o'donnell
coming back... too bad they
are both gone, but not forgotten...

chuck and bill were like a cold
beer on a summer night..cool
and refreshing....

they enjoyed the game, and
called the game with a picture
and a frame..

blair goes back makes an over
the shoulder catch...

belanger deep in the hole,
throws to powell in time..

frank robinson hits a long drive, it's way out of here...

those were the days,,,,
ain't the beer cold and go
to war miss agnes!!!!!!

Lowenstein is a buffoon, Flanagan is a homer who thinks every pitcher has a great curve ball, Miller is a homer and hunter is a cartoon character. Hire dibble away from the Nats and team him with Palmer. Dempsey is good after the games, but by no means take away Joe Angel from the radio. His ego could not take it, he's the worst.

Mary Beth Marsden. She's available, willing to work cheap (after all how could you spend all of those years at channel 2?), and would be very enjoyable to look at for 3 hours.

Sweet Lou Tilley. Problem solved.

John Buren paired with Stan the Man Saunders. Might as well put buffoons in the booth to match the quality of play on the field.

Eldrick Woods. Probably the only job where he could make a living and he wouldn"t be recognized because no one watches.

I still like Billy Ripken.If not Mr.Ripken,how about Ken Singleton or Steve Stone in that order or if we get real lucky,maybe all three.

Brooks Robinson

Me. Unless Cal or Billy, or Brooks, or Paul Blair, or Bobby Grich, or Boog, or Rick Dempsey, or Andres Mora, or Kiko Garcia, or Tito Landrum, or Larry Sheets, or Chris Hoiles, or future hall of famer Joe Orsulak is available.......But first, I would pick me. Because I give a crap. Because they have sucked for too long, and I still bet my buddy that they will get 80 wins every year. i love the O's and I will say colorful, analytical things every game. Guaranteed. No matter what.

"Derek Jeter can smooch my sack. " That is just a sample of the broadcast genius you can expect if I am the analyst.

Schmuck. You should get on this.

Regards,
Glenn Davis

Lowenstein and no other. I miss Mel Proctor too. Best team since Garceau and Brooks.

Brooks!

Brooks!

Brooks!

I actually read every comment. For those of you who want Anita Marks or Michael Reghi, I didn't know Sheppard-Pratt let patients have unsupervised access to computers. And, for those of you who say bring back Brooks, or Jon Miller, or Lowenstein, what makes you think they'd want to come back? Although Palmer can be a little condescending, he knows his stuff, and is more candid than anyone we have now. Martinez wasn't bad, except for the voice, which WAS annoying. Proctor and Lowenstein were the most entertaining we've ever had, if that's your cup of tea. With the O's several notches below mediocrity, I think the entertainment factor should be the top consideration. Therefore, the combination of Billy Ripken and John Lowenstein would spice things up, no matter what was going on down on the field. I doubt either one would let the game itself get in the way of a good joke. Lowenstein's humor was infectious, and Ripken is just plain nuts. No to Flanagan; no, no to Dempsey; please, dear God, no Hunter. Actually, we have been blessed in this town to have Bailey Goss, Herb Carneal, Chuck Thompson, Bill O'Donnell, Jon Miller, Ernie Harwell, et al. Too bad the announcing nowadays is as bad as the team.

You do it Peter- That is my vote!

Ken Singleton is the answer and I will miss Buck Martinez because he knew the game so well.

No more Palmer,he talks to much ab out his self., and not about happends on the field.Anybody but him. We he is on I turn off the sounds.

No more Palmer,he talks to much ab out his self., and not about happends on the field.Anybody but him. We he is on I turn off the sounds.

I doubt if it would happen, but I would love to see Brooks Robinson in the spot. What a class act and just plain Baltimore. He embodies it all. I agree Palmer talks way too much about himself and his career. My vote is simply - Brooks.

I would love to see Mike Flanagan back but several other the other suggestion are good also.

If you are a O's fan with deep orange blinders, then Flanagan is the dull homer for you. Let's have more Palmer or someone else with a bit of objective credibility..

I say bring back Bill O'Donnell and Charley Eckman. They would be awesome and I don't know why the O's got rid of them to begin with.

keep those radio guys off tv and off the radio for sure.
how about mark viviano channel 13

keep those radio guys off tv and off the radio for sure.
how about mark viviano channel 13

Please not more of Jim Hunter.

Please not "Monotone Mike." He wouldn't know what enunciation is if it bit him in the rear!

TRACK... WALL... YARD... SEE YOU LATER, ALBERT BELLE WITH A BOMB TOO LEFT

Flannagan always put me to sleep anytime he had a microphone in his hands. Maybe thats the thinking by bringing him back so that the ratings could stay up because they are hopeful that people fall asleep while watching the game and leave the station on.

I always have wondered what exactly went wrong when Mel Proctor and John Lowenstein left. Those 2 guys to me where the best.

I am glad to see Buck go, I don't understand why TBS ever hired him. I would like to see Al Bumbry as a color commentator. he was my summer league asst. coach and was hilarious.

BILL RIPKEN!! He is awesome on MLB Network. Bring him to MASN!!

Arnold Schwarzenegger! I would def listen to what those people say then or try

John Lowenstein. Period.

I love how many comments are being posted- about our analyst- possibilities certainly abound! First of all, Jon Miller is the best there is and ever was. Whatever it would take to bring him back- GET IT DONE! That said, yes he's incredible on TV, but his forte is the radio b/c of how much more he brings the game alive. As for the analyst position, I would be happy with bringing back either Lowenstein, Brooks or Flanny. I also think Jim Palmer is consistently one of the very best and most under-rated out there- incredibly insightful! One one hand I would like Palmer full-time, but assuming he wouldn't want that. Best scenario is to add one of those 3 for a great variety.

I think it should be John Lowenstein and Gary Roenicke. Lowenstein would announce for right handed starters and Roenicke for lefties...

I'm more interested in knowing who's going to play 1B,3B,DH, first. Then lets worry about the announcers. Lets give them something to talk about first.

You can forget Billy Ripken....he would need to take a huge paycut from what he makes off all the little leaguers of America.

My vote: Benny Ayala for Sunday games and Len Sakata as the end of game emergency announcer.

how could it be anyone but Brother Lo? If he'll come back. He used to drive Palmer crazy when they shared the booth on occasion. I miss Proctor too.

how could it be anyone but Brother Lo? If he'll come back. He used to drive Palmer crazy when they shared the booth on occasion. I miss Proctor too.

Hunter & Dempsey are brutal

I know it's not happening but John Lowenstein was great and from the looks of this blog I am not the only one who thinks that.

Dave Johnson would be good if it had to be someone that is currently there. I saw someone mention Billy Ripken that would be cool too. Basically someone who is entertaining. Yes I said entertaining so that means no Flanagan.

Hunter SUCKS.

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About Peter Schmuck
Peter Schmuck wants you to know that, contrary to popular belief, he is more than just a bon vivant, raconteur and collector of blousy flowered shirts. He is a semi-respected journalist who has covered virtually every sport -- except luge, of course – and tackled issues that transcend the mere games people play. If that isn’t enough to qualify him to provide witty, wide-ranging commentary on the sports world ... and the rest of the world, for that matter ... he is an avid reader of history, biography and the classics, as well as a charming blowhard who pops off on both sports and politics on WBAL Radio. That means you can expect a little of everything in The Schmuck Stops Here, but the major focus will be keeping you up to the minute on Baltimore’s major sports teams and themes, whether it’s throwing up the Orioles lineup the minute it’s announced or updating you on the latest sprained ankle in Owings Mills. Oh, and by the way, that’s Mr. Schmuck to you.

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