It looks like MASN is expanding their game coverage with the addition of four Oriole legends – pitchers Mike Boddicker, Ben McDonald, outfielder Brady Anderson and first baseman/Hall of Famer, Eddie Murray.
I’m intrigued to see Eddie Murray interact with the MASN gameday crew. Of course, everyone knows about Murray’s so-called legendary aversion to the press, but I’m looking forward to hearing his perspective on the sport and his abilities now that he’s on the other side of the proverbial fence.
With Mike Flanagan back in the booth as well for the network, 2010 will have a fairly strong ex-Oriole presence on the broadcast side of things.
Here’s the press release from MASN distributed yesterday:
MASN, the television home of the Baltimore Orioles, announced today that four former Orioles will join the broadcast booth for selected Orioles games during the 2010 season. The former Orioles stars include Eddie Murray, Brady Anderson, Mike Boddicker and Ben McDonald, all of whom will assist with color analysis during game broadcasts, radio broadcasts and on the network’s exclusive pre and post game show, O’s Xtra, in 2010.
The four former Orioles will rotate as color analysts in an occasional three-man booth throughout the season, each appearing nearly a dozen times on MASN telecasts and several more times on Orioles radio broadcasts. The former players will join renowned play-by-play voice Gary Thorne and either Hall of Famer Jim Palmer or MASN’s newest color analyst, Mike Flanagan, to provide added depth and perspective during the season.
The innovative broadcasting partnerships will begin in late April, when Brady Anderson does a turn as a radio analyst, television analyst, and provides pre and postgame updates on successive nights, April 23-25 from Boston.
Eddie Murray, a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, is one of only four players with 3,000 hits and 500 home runs. Over his decade with the Orioles, Steady Eddie won three Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, AL Rookie of the Year, a World Series Championship and he was elected to seven All Star games. Murray is one of six players, including fellow MASN broadcaster Jim Palmer, to have his number retired by the Orioles.
Brady Anderson, elected to the Orioles Hall of Fame in 2004, patrolled the outfield for the O’s for over a decade. He brought power to the top of the lineup and was chosen to represent the Orioles in three All Star games. Anderson is also the club’s all-time stolen base leader (with 307) and holds the club record for home runs in a season with 50.
In 1988, Anderson was traded to the Orioles for pitcher Mike Boddicker, who will also join MASN’s Orioles broadcasts in 2010. Boddicker, the Orioles last twenty game winner, was a key member of the rotation for eight seasons including the 1983 World Series. During that post-season, Boddicker won Game 2 of the ALCS in a complete game shutout and earned ALCS Most Valuable Player. Boddicker has years of radio and television experience in the Kansas City area.
Ben McDonald was the first overall pick in the 1989 draft, and made his debut with the Orioles in that same year. In his first major league start, he threw a complete game shutout. McDonald spent seven seasons with the O’s and ranked highly in the league in complete games, wins, ERA, WHIP and strikeouts. McDonald is also a seasoned broadcaster as the TV analyst on Louisiana State University baseball games.
“I have no doubt that Eddie, Brady, Mike and Ben will provide a lot of value to our television and radio broadcasts,” said Orioles President of Baseball Operations, Andy MacPhail. “Their stories and experiences will provide fans and viewers with a rich historical perspective as we begin to write a new chapter of Orioles baseball.”
“This is yet another way that MASN is pushing the envelope to provide the best and most innovative broadcast in the country,” said MASN spokesman Todd Webster. “As fans celebrate the storied history of the Orioles franchise, these voices will help usher in a new era of Orioles baseball around a young nucleus of talent.”
With every available Orioles game live and in high definition, O’s Xtra before and after every game and an All Star talent team, MASN provides maximum access to the Baltimore Orioles. MASNsports.com provides extensive online coverage of the Orioles with Roch Kubatko’s School of Roch, a dedicated beat writer, Steve Melewski, the exclusive blog of Brian Roberts, a weekly online segment with Dave Trembley, talent blogs featuring Rick Dempsey, Jim Hunter, Amber Theoharis and Dave Johnson, an Orioles Buzz blog, up to the minute video clips in MASN’s Media Lounge, series previews, in-game statistics, live game blogs and more. MASN is currently carried on 23 cable and satellite providers throughout a seven-state region.
