masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgFormer Orioles pitcher, pitching coach and executive Mike Flanagan is returning to the MASN broadcast booth.

The network announced that Flanagan will replace Buck Martinez as an analyst. He’ll work the games that Jim Palmer misses, which is approximately half of the schedule.

It’s nice to collect Cy Young winners.

“I’m excited about being back and look forward to working with MASN to make it the best possible network, and hopefully add to that, to enrich the broadcast. I’m excited about…Former Orioles pitcher, pitching coach and executive Mike Flanagan is returning to the MASN broadcast booth.

The network announced that Flanagan will replace Buck Martinez as an analyst. He’ll work the games that Jim Palmer misses, which is approximately half of the schedule.

It’s nice to collect Cy Young winners.

“I’m excited about being back and look forward to working with MASN to make it the best possible network, and hopefully add to that, to enrich the broadcast. I’m excited about it,” Flanagan said.

Serving in so many different roles in the organization “gives me an overview, a perspective on the game, not only Oriole-related, but certainly Major League Baseball as a whole,” he said.

“I’m looking forwad to working with him because when he was with the television crew the last time, he had a unique perspective of how to bring the game to the fans, both because of his knowledge of the players and his ability to break down the game in a way that makes sense,” said MASN studio host and play-by-play man Jim Hunter.

“We also share a love of pertinent numbers that tell the story. Neither of us likes to use stats just to use stats, but we like to use numbers that tell a story. And we’ll both dig deep for that nugget that will enhance the broadcast. We’re very much alike in that regard. And it’ll challenge me to bring things to the broadcast that will enable him to comment.”

MASN executives haven’t confirmed whether they’ll add former players to the broadcast team to create an occasional three-man booth, but they remain open to the idea and have interviewed a handful of candidates. Stay tuned.