masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgMASN, the television home of the Baltimore Orioles, announced that Mike Flanagan will join the Orioles broadcast team as a color analyst for the 2010 season. Flanagan will make his MASN debut in the broadcast booth for the Orioles game against the Oakland Athletics on April 15th.

Flanagan, 59, has spent more than thirty years with the Orioles as a player, coach, front office executive and broadcaster, and brings a comprehensive knowledge of the game of baseball and the Orioles franchise to…MASN, the television home of the Baltimore Orioles, announced that Mike Flanagan will join the Orioles broadcast team as a color analyst for the 2010 season. Flanagan will make his MASN debut in the broadcast booth for the Orioles game against the Oakland Athletics on April 15th.

Flanagan, 59, has spent more than thirty years with the Orioles as a player, coach, front office executive and broadcaster, and brings a comprehensive knowledge of the game of baseball and the Orioles franchise to the broadcast booth.

Drafted by Baltimore in 1973, Flanagan spent eighteen years in the Major Leagues, mostly with the Orioles. Flanagan was selected to the 1978 All Star team and earned the Cy Young Award for the American League in 1979. He was also an essential part of the 1983 World Series Champion team. After retiring in 1992, Flanagan served as a pitching coach and eventually a front office executive for the Orioles. He was inducted to the Orioles Hall of Fame in 1994.

“Flanny’s” television career includes two stints in the broadcast booth, in 1996-1997 and from 1999-2002 when he provided game analysis for the Orioles television network.

“Having spent 34 years in the organization, I am looking forward to bringing my experience and perspective to Orioles fans throughout the region,” said Flanagan. “I am excited about the club and think we are going in the right direction, and am equally excited to join MASN, which has quickly established itself as one of the leading regional sports networks in the country. It will be great to be back in the booth with Gary Thorne and Jim Hunter, and to be contributing my insights to MASN’s first-rate production.”

Flanagan will join renowned play-by-play voice Gary Thorne in the booth for approximately half of the Orioles games during the 2010 season, replacing Buck Martinez, who recently returned to the Toronto Blue Jays to try play-by-play for the team for whom he played, coached and broadcast for two decades. Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer will continue to provide color commentary for the remaining Orioles games on MASN.

“As a former player, coach, front office executive, and broadcaster, Mike knows every aspect of the game and can provide a unique and comprehensive perspective to MASN’s Orioles viewers,” said MASN spokesman Todd Webster. “With more than three decades of experience with the Baltimore Orioles, Mike knows this team, this franchise and these fans better than anybody.”

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.