MASN broadcast overhaul - Palmer, Thorne, others out

[MurphDogg]

Hopefully just for this year and they are just being cautious because of their age, but losing Palmer and Thorne is a major bummer.

 

[SteveA]

Wow.  The four guys they are letting go are all over 70, I wonder if it just for this year and they didn't want to take on the risk of all the travelling with Covid out there?

I mean sure, you could say have them only do home games but that means you will have other guys who would only do road games and that would be a pretty rough assignment.

Or maybe the Angelos Brothers think it's time to have a changing of the guard as we rebuild.  Sort of an assumption that those guys won't be around (as broadcasters) by the time we are good anyway so rip the band-aid now during the pandemic in a cheesy short season.

I will miss Jim Palmer most of all, he has been a great analyst on Oriole games for a long time.  I hope they can find ways to keep him and Dempsey in the Oriole family as they have with Brooks and Eddie.

[Lucky_13]

This is most likely covid related, especially because Dan Connolly tweeted Palmer and others may join some broadcasts via zoom. It sucks but those guys are all high risk. 

I have the feeling Palmer's earned the right to go on broadcasting for as long as he wants in Baltimore, so I doubt this is him being let go. 

[murph]

I get it.  But no Palmer sucks!   

[SteveA]

Connelly also says broadcasters won't travel to road games.  They'll broadcast the road games remotely from a studio in Baltimore.

[MurphDogg]

6 minutes ago, SteveA said:

Connelly also says broadcasters won't travel to road games.  They'll broadcast the road games remotely from a studio in Baltimore.

Yep, that is in the opening post.

[atomic]

Sad to see Palmer out of the booth and Dempsey out of post-game but understand the risks. Hopefully the regular crew returns next year.   

[SteveA]

Connelly has an article in the Athletic detailing all the changes:

   -- All game broadcasts (home and away) for both radio and TV will be from the Camden Yards radio and TV booths.   (Wow, I can see doing TV remotely by watching a monitor, but radio play by play will be challenging).

   -- Hunter, Palmer, Dempsey, Davis, Thorne will not ever appear on site at Camden Yards for broadcasts.  Some or all could join broadcasts via audio or video call-in at one time or another.   Palmer and Dempsey definitely will contribute that way.  Some or all could potentially rejoin the broadcasts in 2021.

   -- McDonald and Bordick will be the only MASN color commentators.  Garceau will be the primary TV pbp man, with Kevin Brown or Geoff Arnold subbing for him in games he misses.

   -- Gregg Olson and Brian Roberts will not be part of the broadcast teams this year but could appear via Zoom or teleconferencing feeds.

   -- Pre- and post-game shows will all be broadcast from Camden Yards (even road games, which used to be from MASN studios in Baltimore County.  Rob Long will be the host, replacing Tom Davis.   Bordick will be with Long most of the time, although occasionally Dave Johnson will fill in.   When Long isn't available, Melanie Newman or Brett Hollander will fill in.

   -- Radio brodcasts will not feature players as color commentators.  Geoff Arnold and Kevin Long will do the bulk of the play by play, with Melanie Newman or Brett Hollander sharing the booth with them.

[wildcard]

How old is Scott Garceau?

[Aristotelian]

Hope this is just for 2020 to protect the old guys. Nothing against McDonald, but Palmer is the best and Gary has grown on me over the years. Bordick... yuck. Can this season get any worse?

[makoman]

18 minutes ago, wildcard said:

How old is Scott Garceau?

According to the internet he’s 68. That seems reasonable, he’s been around Baltimore sports since the mid to early 80s if I recall correctly. 

[MurphDogg]

24 minutes ago, wildcard said:

How old is Scott Garceau?

 

3 minutes ago, makoman said:

According to the internet he’s 68. That seems reasonable, he’s been around Baltimore sports since the mid to early 80s if I recall correctly. 

Right, but he hasn't done baseball in such a long time and it was going to be his first year back in the fold, so I kind of understand what he would risk it while 72 year-old Thorne and 74 year-old Palmer sat out.

Just like how several players that are upcoming free agents said that they felt they had a pretty easy decision about not sitting out this season.

[backwardsk]

Uninformed question:  is this the same Kevin Brown that pitched for the O’s, Yankees, Marlins, Dodgers?  Or nah?

[SteveA]

29 minutes ago, wildcard said:

How old is Scott Garceau?

I'd guess mid-60s.

[SteveA]

1 minute ago, backwardsk said:

Uninformed question:  is this the same Kevin Brown that pitched for the O’s, Yankees, Marlins, Dodgers?  Or nah?

Nope, he's a younger guy who was our primary play by play guy on the radio starting last season.