Ken Rosenthal’s tenure at MLB Network was positive — until it came to an end. He departed MLB Network in 2022 when his contract lapsed. Although he continued contributing to The Athletic and Fox Sports, his exit from the network was turbulent. Persistent tensions arose, mainly due to his candid criticism of MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, which ultimately influenced the network’s decision not to renew his contract. During the pandemic, Rosenthal faced a nearly three-month hiatus after publishing critical pieces for The Athletic regarding Manfred’s management of the league’s pandemic response, as reported by Andrew Marchand at that time.
Reflecting on his time there, Rosenthal shared with host Brandon Contes on the Awful Announcing Podcast that he has no regrets. “Honestly, I understood the decision not to bring me back,” he told Contes. “And I had no problem with it. Their idea was: ‘Hey, this guy is critical of the league; he’s critical of the commissioner; we don’t want him on our league-owned network.’ That is an absolutely understandable decision — you can’t argue with it. They’re not a journalistic entity; they’re a promotional vehicle. In the early days, they operated more like a journalistic outfit. When I joined in 2010, the approach was to allow reporters to do their own thing. At times, under Tony Petitti’s leadership, I was encouraged to express critical views.
“But things change, and I understood that. What puzzled me was how long this conflict persisted. It went on for a significant duration before a decision was made, and honestly, it should have been resolved sooner. Yet, in many ways, I’m glad it didn’t. I have many friends there whom I miss, but the relationship had soured — understandably on both sides.” Rosenthal’s awareness of the situation was clear; he grasped the dynamics at play.
Did he ever worry that being critical of Manfred—or MLB—could jeopardize his job? “I didn’t really think of it like that; I was just doing my job,” he explained. “If it cost me my job, so be it. At that time, I had Fox and The Athletic, so I wasn’t dependent solely on MLB Network for employment. If it had been my only job, I might have approached things differently. But that’s not how I operate. When I worked for the Baltimore Sun, I was straightforward and critical.”
However, Rosenthal emphasized that while he didn’t need a friendly rapport with Manfred to cover the league, he maintained professionalism. “No, you don’t,” he acknowledged when asked about the necessity of a good relationship with the commissioner. “But it’s professional; when I have questions, he answers them. There’s no ‘ostracize this guy’ situation. Sometimes, I can sense influences that seem to direct the coverage, but it’s his right, just as it is for any source to choose who they wish to communicate with.” Rosenthal recognized the complexities involved but confidently maintained his integrity, making his departure from MLB Network ultimately inevitable.
