MASN’s dual broadcast booth gives O’s and Nats fans something different

There’s no doubt in my mind that the intrigue of an interleague series between the Orioles and Nationals has grown over the years, especially with the relative success of each franchise. It’s made for compelling games like we’ve seen this week. There’s something else unique about this matchup, and it happens in the press box. The type of broadcast we see from the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network during Orioles-Nationals games is unparalleled around baseball.

I’m not here to tell you that you should love the combination of Jim Hunter and Mike Bordick, or that of Bob Carpenter and F.P. Santangelo. This isn’t about critiquing each individual broadcaster for their quality of work; we can spend another time on that. This is about what MASN is doing during this “rivalry” series that is so different than in any other city.

Living in Arizona, I watch every Orioles game on the MLB.TV package through my computer or iPhone. When the O’s aren’t on, or later at night here on the west coast, I get to view a number of other teams and a large amount of different broadcasts from across the league. It’s baseball all the time for me, but I also have my favorites in terms of broadcast teams. Any chance I get to listen Vin Scully call a Dodgers home game, I take the opportunity. Dave Sims on the mic for the Seattle Mariners games is another favorite of mine. I also really enjoy hearing Dick Enberg calling Padres games late at night.

The difference between all these markets and what the Baltimore/DC area has, is that the Orioles and Nationals share a single network that their games are broadcast on. That gives MASN a special opportunity to do something different. For most interleague “rivalry” series, there is no such common bond or family in the booth.

New York features the YES Network carrying Yankees games, while the Mets are on SNY. The series between the Brewers and Twins also features two different stations, with FOX Sports doing the coverage on their FOX Sports North network AND FOX Sports Wisconsin. Los Angeles has the same deal with FOX Sports West taking the reins on Angels games while PRIME Ticket handles Dodgers contests. When the “rivalry” series is going on between all of these squads, you have two different networks with two different sets of broadcasters calling the games. The same is said in Chicago and Florida, as well as the I-70 Series between the Royals and Cardinals.

What the combination of Jim Hunter, Mike Bordick, Bob Carpenter and F.P. Santangelo DO bring to MASN’s broadcasts of O’s-Nats games, is something different. If you are an Orioles fan, you get to hear a little more in-depth analysis of what’s going on with the Nationals. If you are a Nats fan, you can take a peek into how the O’s are playing and who’s hot. You don’t always get that when watching your hometown broadcast. You don’t have to be a fan of the team to want to know more about them, especially while they are sitting in the opposite dugout against your squad.

I, for one, would love to see this utilized in other markets as well. It would be interesting to me to see the Yankees and Mets broadcasters get together for a few games a year and stir up the rivalry. Those teams dislike each other just as much as the Orioles and Nats are starting to. Having a different perspective in the booth can only help. Plus, it provides something different for the fan. In a 162-game season, that can’t be a bad thing.