Orioles Talent
Gary Thorne, Play-by-Play
Gary Thorne is one of the most recognizable voices in sports broadcasting, having covered Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, the Olympics, NCAA basketball, football and hockey during his illustrious 45-year broadcasting career. This year marks his 25th season of play by play coverage of MLB and his fourth on Orioles' MASN broadcasts.
Thorne has broadcast seven World Series, 13 All-Star Games for MLB International TV and 12 NHL seasons, including Stanley Cup playoffs and finals for ABC/ESPN. He broadcast New York Mets games on radio and TV for 13 seasons, including the 1986 World Series. This season is his 20th year of MLB coverage on ESPN.
In addition to his on-air work, Thorne also serves on the Baseball Assistance Team (BAT) Board of Directors and hosts both the BAT and Major League Baseball Players Association annual dinners.
Thorne has covered three Olympics with CBS and NBC and has received four Emmys, one for his Orioles coverage on MASN in 2009, two for his work with Mets TV and one for his work broadcasting New Jersey Devils hockey. Twice he has hosted the Hall of Fame induction day ceremonies at Cooperstown.
Thorne's first appearance on ESPN was in July 1988 for the inaugural Triple-A All-Star Game. He served as the original host and moderator in 1988 for "The Sports Reporters," the network's Sunday morning roundtable program.
In 1989, Thorne served as the voice of the Chicago White Sox on WFLD-TV and teamed with Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan on ABC's Thursday night MLB telecasts. He also broadcast games for the Baseball Network
Thorne has also done play-by-play on SportsChannel America's National Hockey League telecasts (1988-92) and New Jersey Devils telecasts on SportsChannel New York (1987-92). Prior to that, he was the play-by-play commentator and director of broadcasting for the Maine Guides (1984), a Triple-A ball club which he co-owned from 1984-88. He also covered University of Maine hockey games for WBGW-AM and WABI-TV and radio from 1977-86.
Thorne is a 1970 graduate of the University of Maine with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business. He graduated from the University of Maine School of Law in 1973 and received a doctorate in law in 1976 from the Georgetown University Law Center. He is a former assistant district attorney in Bangor, Maine, member of the Army JAG Corps and was admitted to the Bar of the United States Supreme Court in March 1977.
Jim Palmer, Color Analyst
The winningest pitcher in Orioles history, Hall-of-Famer Jim Palmer returns for his 18th season as an analyst on Orioles television broadcasts. He previously had done some play-by-play and analyst work on Oriole broadcasts on Home Team Sports and on WMAR-TV.
Without doubt the finest pitcher in Orioles history, Palmer is one of the six players to have his uniform number (22) retired. In the 20 years (1965-'84) he spent with the Orioles, Palmer put his name atop the record books for wins (268), losses (152), games (558), innings pitched (3,948), shutouts (53), complete games (211), strikeouts (2,212), and walks (1,311).
He earned three Cy Young Awards (1973, 1975, 1976). Palmer also started and went the distance to win pennant clinching games four times (1966, 1969, 1970, 1971) and was 8-3 in postseason play.
In 1966, at 20 years old, Palmer became the youngest pitcher ever to throw a World Series shutout, and in 1983 he became the only hurler to win a World Series game in each of three decades.
Mike Flanagan, Color Analyst
Mike Flanagan is in his first season as a color analyst for MASN's Orioles broadcasts. He has spent more than thirty years with the Orioles as a player, coach, front office executive and broadcaster.
Drafted by Baltimore in 1973, Flanagan spent eighteen years in the Major Leagues, mostly with the Orioles. He 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.
Flanagan a seasoned broadcaster who provided game analysis for the Orioles television network during two stints between 1996 and 2002.
Flanagan is a native of Manchester, NH, and is a third-generation pro baseball player. Both his grandfather, Ed Sr., and his father Ed Jr., played in the Boston Red Sox organization.
Mike and his wife, Alex, reside in Sparks, MD. He has three daughters: Kerry, Kathryn and Kendall.
Rick Dempsey, Color Analyst/ Co-Host of O's Xtra
Former Orioles catcher and 1983 World Series MVP Rick Dempsey is in his fourth year as a member of the Orioles broadcast team after five years on the club's coaching staff. He teams with Jim Hunter to host the "O's Xtra" pre and postgame shows on MASN, and will also serve as an analyst on a selection of game broadcasts.
This season marks Dempsey's 43rd year working in professional baseball. He played for 24 major league seasons with six teams, including 11 1/2 with the Orioles. Dempsey is tied for 8th all-time in seasons played and is one of only three catchers, along with Tim McCarver and Carlton Fisk, to play in four decades. He played on three World Series teams and won two championships, including 1983 when he was named the World Series MVP in the Orioles' 4-games-to-1 triumph over Philadelphia.
Rick batted .233 with 96 home runs and 471 RBI in his career, which began with the Minnesota Twins in 1969. He was traded to the New York Yankees in 1973 and, in 1976, to the Orioles as part of a 10-player swap that also brought the O's Tippy Martinez and Scott McGregor...He became the Orioles' regular catcher in 1977 and for 10 years was the Orioles' primary backstop, catching a club-record 1,222 games. After leaving the Orioles, Dempsey played for Cleveland (1987), Los Angeles (1988-90) and Milwaukee (1991) before returning to the Orioles for his final season in '92. He had a .988 career fielding percentage.
Dempsey began his post-playing career as a manager in the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets' farm systems, compiling a winning record in three of five seasons. He was a member of the Dodgers' major league coaching staff from 1999-2000 before returning to the Orioles as an analyst for Comcast SportsNet in 2001. From 2002-2006, he served as a first base coach, third base coach and bullpen coach on the Orioles coaching staff.
Rick and his wife, Joani, live in Westlake Village, a suburb of Los Angeles. They have two sons, John, who was a catcher in the St. Louis Cardinals farm system, and Christian. Rick's younger brother Pat was a minor league catcher for several teams, including the Orioles. His nephew, Gregg Zaun, is a catcher with the Milwaukee Brewers. The son of an actor, Rick entertained crowds as a player during rain delays with his impersonations of Babe Ruth. He was elected to the Orioles Hall of Fame in 1997.
Jim Hunter, Play-by-Play / Host of O's Xtra
Veteran broadcaster Jim Hunter is in his 14th year as a member of the Orioles broadcast team. Jim enters his 7th season in the TV Booth on MASN. He is the host of "O's Xtra," MASN's Orioles pregame and postgame shows and will also call play by play of O's games on MASN. He also has called play by play of MASN's coverage of college football and college basketball. Hunter was originally named as the Orioles' radio announcer on February 5, 1997 and brings to the booth 32 years of diversified broadcasting experience that ranges from Major League Baseball to the NFL to the Olympic Games.
Hunter, 51, came to Baltimore from CBS Radio Sports, where he had been since 1982. He had been a member of the network's MLB "Game of the Week" announcing team since 1986. He broadcast the American League Championship Series, teaming with Hall of Famer Johnny Bench from 1990-92, and with the Orioles' first radio voice, Ernie Harwell, in 1993. In 1995, he called the National League Division Series and the NLCS, teaming with Jerry Coleman. In addition, Hunter hosted "Inside Pitch," the CBS Radio Sunday Night Baseball pregame show.
During the offseason, Jim makes several appearances in the community on behalf of the ballclub as well as helping various charities. He's been an active part of the Johns Hopkins Pediatric Oncology Friends Committee, which annually raises money for cancer research for children.
When Jim began his career at the CBS Radio Network in '82, he served as the Saturday evening anchor of Sports Central USA. He was later assigned to host SportsBreak, a daily feature heard on CBS Radio from 1984-87. It was in 1987 that Jim was named full weekend anchor of Sports Central USA.
Jim's experience is varied and all-inclusive. In 1992 from Albertville, France and again in 1994 from Lillehammer, Norway, Hunter served as a studio anchor for CBS Radio's network coverage of the Winter Olympic Games. Also, he was the host for the NFL Preview and NFL pre-game and halftime reports. Jim has covered 12 Super Bowls. He began his broadcasting career in 1978 at WJLK Radio in Asbury Park, NJ.
A native of New Jersey, Hunter is a 1973 graduate of St. Benedict School and a 1977 graduate of St. John Vianney High School in Holmdel, NJ. He was inducted into his high school's athletic Hall of Fame for football and baseball in 1994. He attended Brookdale Community College and is a 1982 graduate of Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ with a BA in Communication Arts.
His peers have recognized Hunter for his accomplishments on several occasions. In 2002, he was named Maryland Sportscaster of the Year by The National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. He also received the prestigious Radio/TV Media Excellence Award from the New Jersey Sportswriters Association in 1998.
Hunter resides in Fallston, MD with his wife Bonnie. They have three children. Jimmy (25) and Jeff (23) are graduates of Fallston HS and York College, PA. They are musicians in the band Second Self. Allie (19) is a graduate of Fallston High School where she was a member of back to back state championship field hockey teams. She is a freshman at George Mason University. They also have two faithful dogs, Bobby and Sadie.
Amber Theoharis, Orioles Reporter/Studio Host
Amber Theoharis is an Emmy-award-winning sports reporter entering her 4th season on MASN as part of the Orioles' broadcast team. The Baltimore area native provides live in-game reports as well as player interviews and clubhouse updates for MASN's pre and post-game show O's Xtra.
This fall, Amber will enter her 7th season covering the Baltimore Ravens as studio host of MASN's post-game show Ravens Xtra.
In the offseason, Amber finds time for her love of sports talk radio. After recently ending a two year run as host of ESPN Radio and 105.7 The Fan's The A List with Amber Theoharis and Playmakers, Amber can be seen guest co-hosting MASN's simulcast of 105.7 The Fan's Monday Morning Quarterback.
In addition to her MASN duties, Amber is a columnist for the Baltimore-based newspaper Press Box, writing her weekly editorial Like It Is.
Prior to joining MASN, Amber was the weekend sports anchor and reporter at FOX45 in Baltimore, and also hosted Ravens Wired, a weekly NFL magazine show. The former news reporter broke into sports as weekend sports anchor and co-host of Buckeye Football Fever at WSYX-TV in Columbus, OH. Prior to Columbus, Amber worked in the largest television market in the country, New York City, for WNBC-TV. Her experience there includes live coverage of the 2003 blackout from the WNBC helicopter.
Throughout her career Amber has also held on-air positions at News 12 Long Island and WBOC-TV in Salisbury MD. She began her career as a production assistant at WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C.
Previously named Maryland Sportscaster of the Year by The National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association, Amber is the recipient of two Associated Press awards for sports journalism and has been recognized in Forbes Magazine and Baltimore Magazine.
Amber is a proud graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park where she earned a B.A. in journalism. She and her husband Todd live in Annapolis, MD.
Tom Davis, Guest Host of O's Xtra
Baltimore native Tom Davis enters his 39th year as a local sportscaster and begins his fourth year on the Orioles broadcast team as host of Orioles pre and postgame shows on WJZ-FM 107.5 The Fan. He will also work on television as a co-host of "O's Xtra," MASN's pre and postgame shows. Davis previously spent 17 seasons as a host on Orioles telecasts on Home Team Sports (HTS) from 1984-2000.
A five-time winner of the Maryland Sportscaster of the Year Award, Davis began his career as a weekend sportscaster for WBAL-TV in the early '70s. He also worked at WBAL Radio, had two stints at WCBM-AM and spent 17 years as a sportscaster for the "Rouse & Company Show" on WQSR-FM.
Tom's national sports broadcasting experience includes work with NBC-TV and NBC Radio, where he covered the NFL, 1987 Gator Bowl and the 1988 Summer Olympics. He also did play-by-play for a number of college football bowl games for the Mutual Radio Network and was a sideline reporter for ABC-TV's coverage of the USFL in 1983-84.
Davis served as play-by-play announcer for the first game played at M&T Bank Stadium on August 8, 1998, an exhibition game between the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears. He lists one of his greatest thrills as calling Cal Ripken's 400th career home run in 1999.
In addition to his work on Orioles broadcasts, Davis serves as a sports update anchor on Baltimore's ESPN Radio 1300 AM on weekday mornings and co-hosts a sports talk show each Saturday afternoon on the station called "Wall to Wall Baseball". He also produces and hosts "Touchdown Baltimore" and "Take Me Out to The Ballgame," shows that profile the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles and air on MASN weekly during the teams' respective seasons. Davis is the host of "Orioles Classics" on MASN and during the football season hosts "Monday Morning Quarterback", which airs on MASN and ESPN Radio 1300 AM.
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A graduate of Calvert Hall College High School, Davis received a BS degree in Marketing from the University of Baltimore in 1971. He lives in Baltimore County with his wife Bonnie and is the father of two adult children, Malinda and Tad. He also has a stepdaughter, Mandi, a grandson, Hunter and a granddaughter, Georgia.
Dave Johnson, Color Analyst
Former major league pitcher and Middle River (Baltimore County) native Dave Johnson will serve as co-host of the Orioles' pre and postgame shows on WJZ-FM 107.5 The Fan, as well as serving as a color analyst on MASN's coverage.
Johnson spent all or parts of five seasons in the majors, including three seasons with the Orioles, 1989-91. In his second week with the O's, he earned American League "Player of the Week" honors with a pair of complete-game victories in early August. After helping the '89 "Why Not?" club stay in the pennant race to the final weekend of the season, Johnson led the 1990 Orioles with 13 wins and O's starters with a 4.10 ERA, while finishing second on the staff in starts and innings pitched. He went 21-24 with a 4.84 ERA and 7 complete games in 66 appearances for the Orioles.
After graduating from Overlea High School (77) in eastern Baltimore County, Johnson drove a tractor-trailer for several years before enrolling at Baltimore City Community College, leading the school to the 1982 Junior College World Series. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by Pittsburgh in 1982 and made his big league debut with the Pirates in 1987. He finished his playing career in 1993 with Detroit after compiling a Major League record of 22-25. Dave also pitched extensively in winter baseball. He pitched in Cartagena Colombia (84-85 Season), Puerto Rico (86-87 Season) and for Aguilas of the Dominican Republic (87-88, 88-89 & 92-93 Seasons). He led the Dominican team to the 93 Caribbean World Series, where he faced Fernando Valenzuela in the opening game in Mazatlan, Mexico. He was the only American player on the team and beat Puerto Rico in the Semi-Final of the series.
His first experience in broadcasting came in 1996, when he served as color analyst for Home Team Sports' production of the 16-18 year old Babe Ruth World Series. He also spent two years as a post-game analyst for Comcast SportsNet before joining the Orioles' flagship stations last year.
Dave also currently serves as the co-host of The Tom Davis Show live on ESPN-1300, 105.7 The Fan and MASN each Saturday. He currently runs Dave Johnson's Baseball Academy, providing baseball instruction to individuals and small groups. He lives in Kingsville, MD with his wife, Tera. Their oldest son, Steve (22), was traded along with Josh Bell to the Orioles from the Los Angeles Dodgers for George Sherrill in July of 2009. In December he was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the Major League Portion of the Rule 5 Draft but rejoined the Orioles during Spring Training this year. Their youngest, Daniel (19), is a graduate of the Sheffield Institute for the Recording Arts and is interested in film and videography. Daniel also is one of The Morris Bros. and performs at schools.
Roch Kubatko, Orioles Guest Host, MASNsports.com Blogger
Roch Kubatko joined MASN in August of 2008 as the author of MASN's popular and exclusive "School of Roch" blog. He covers the Orioles and the Ravens and makes frequent guest appearances during Orioles broadcasts and appears on 105.7 The Fan.
In twenty-one years with the Baltimore Sun, Kubatko became one of the region's most talented sportswriters, having won the 2004 Maryland Sports Writer of the Year award from the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. During his tenure at the Sun he covered nearly every major sporting event in North America, including the NBA, the NFL, NCAA lacrosse, boxing, the World Series, the CFL Grey Cup and the MLB All-Star games. This is his 14th season covering the Orioles.
In November 2005, Kubatko began writing Roch Around the Clock, a blog which quickly became a central internet destination for sports fans in Baltimore and nationally. Attracting more than 100,000 page views every week, Kubatko's blog rapidly became the most highly trafficked blog at the Baltimore Sun and was often the most visited sports blog within the Tribune Company of newspapers.
Born in Annapolis and raised in Severn, MD, Roch is a graduate of the University of Maryland.
updated 3/31/10
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