SF Giants make wildly unpopular decision, part ways with PA announcer Renel Brooks-Moon

The SF Giants have been no stranger to controversy in recent seasons. However, they arguably made the most unpopular decision in recent memory by parting ways with PA announcer Renel Brooks-Moon.

SF Giants make wildly unpopular decision, part ways with PA announcer Renel Brooks-

Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area posted the press lease from the Giants on Monday morning:

The Giants say that Brooks-Moon's contract expired in December of 2023. From there, both parties held "extensive discussions" before agreeing to mutually and amicably part ways. Was it truly mutual?

Ann Killion of the San Francisco Chronicle cites friends of the longtime PA announcer who suggest that Brooks-Moon is being forced out for one reason or another. While a team announcement says it was a mutual decision, that phrasing looks to be a cheap bit of spin control.

Brooks-Moon has served as the Giants' PA announcer since Oracle Park opened in 2000. She was the second female PA announcer (following Sherry Davis) in baseball and has paved the way for many others to pursue careers in sports broadcasting and journalism. Brooks-Moon has been a trailblazer in the sports industry and one who is well-liked, respected, and revered by those near and far.

The Giants have been fighting a public relations battle in recent seasons whether it be the Carlos Correa fiasco, the decision to move on from Brandon Crawford, or the circumstances that led to J.D. Davis' release last week. There was certainly a business or organizational reason that led to those moves, but regardless, it shed a negative light on the team.

The decision to move on from Brooks-Moon is decidedly different and just nearly impossible to justify. She is ingrained in the Giants culture in much the same way that Jon Miller, Duane Kuiper, Mike Krukow, and Dave Flemming are.

When you think of Giants baseball, you often first think about the team on the field. However, there are great people who work to make the Giants unique and special. For years, Brooks-Moon has been one of the voices for that.

It should come as no surprise that this decision has been unanimously panned by Giants fans. However, Brooks-Moon's influence extends well beyond that and the news has been widely criticized by anyone and everyone she has encountered through her years of experience.

Brooks-Moon has been a very visible face among Giants fans. She has often spent extraordinary time interacting, and meeting fans before and after games. It is one of the reasons that she is so beloved in San Francisco. Nearly every person has a Brooks-Moon story that speaks to her high character.

Beyond that, Brooks-Moon spends her free time on philanthropic and community outreach efforts. She represents everything that is good and unique with Giants baseball.

This is just a misstep by the organization. There is no other way around it. While it is tough to connect the dots between something like Crawford's departure and moving on from Brooks-Moon, it continues a pattern of poor optics. Whether fair or not, the Giants have done themselves no favors in the court of public opinion. The decision to move on from Brooks-Moon is a tough, tough look for the organization. It is going to be an uphill battle to win some fans back.