Orioles Broadcaster Thorne To Teach Sports Broadcasting Students

Baltimore Orioles broadcaster Gary Thorne will teach Arizona State University students about his craft this summer.

The team announced Tuesday the MASN lead play-by-play announcer will teach a course as a visiting professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Thorne will teach the class remotely from May 20 through July 8, with no impact on his role with the Orioles.

Now in his 13th season with MASN, Thorne, 70, has worked for ESPN, ABC and Fox. Besides baseball, he's called hockey games, college football games and even bowling.

“Gary Thorne is the quintessential play-by-play announcer,” said Christopher Callahan, dean of the Cronkite school. “His outstanding work covering the Orioles for MASN as well as his work on national baseball and hockey broadcasts make him the ideal professional to teach this unique experience for our students.”

Some of Thorne's students will announce games for the Cape Cod Baseball League in Massachusetts, while others will take part with internships elsewhere.

While the course is new, Thorne has some teaching experience, having taught previously at the University of Maine and the University of Maine Law School.

“Our students are tremendously fortunate to be able to learn from one of the best,” Callahan said.