Tom Cheek

Thomas " Tom" F. Cheek ( born June 13, 1939 in Pensacola, Florida; † 9 October 2005 Oldsmar, Florida) was a radio announcer of baseball games of the Toronto Blue Jays 1977-2004.

Life

Tom Cheek attended the Cambridge School of Broadcasting in Boston, Massachusetts, after which he resigned a first position at the University of Vermont as a reporter for live broadcasts of baseball, basketball, American football and ice hockey, the way he talks about college basketball for the Mutual Radio Network. His career as a baseball reporter, he began from 1974 to 1976 with the Montreal Expos as a radio reporter in parallel with broadcast and so-called swingman. In 1977 he was appointed by the Toronto Blue Jays at the official radio broadcaster and thus the " voice of the Blue Jays ." His first partner was an expert by the end of 1980, the former pitcher Early Wynn. From then until his retirement in 2005 was Jerry Howarth his co- commentator, Howarth also became his immediate successor. As a player, Expert them stood for a time of major leaguer Gary Matthews to the side.

Merits

When reporters Cheek is second in popularity only to Canada by Foster Hewitt, the star reporter of the Canadian ice hockey. The Contracting radio station Cheek and thus the Blue Jays was CKFH 1430 (founded by Hewitt and later renamed CJCL and FAN 590 ), all other stations took over the broadcasts from there. Tom Cheek reported between April 7, 1977 to June 3, 2004 by all 4303 games the Blue Jays. It was not until his father's death and a short time later his own cancer kept him away from the microphone. The Blue Jays honored him with a banner in the Skydome throughout the MLB season 2004, which showed, in addition to the award, " Level of Excellence " the number 4306 as a jersey number - three because of rain failed games were counted there. After the removal of a brain tumor, he returned only at home games from time to time up to the microphone back, his last inning he commented at the opening game of the 2005 season.

Except for baseball Cheek was also active as a commentator for ABC Sports at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid and in Sarajevo in 1984.

Cheeks most famous announcement was his description of Joe Carter's World championship home run in the sixth game of the World Series 1993:

"She Berühr all, Joe! Never in your life you're going to hit a home run more important! "

He died on October 9, 2005 in Florida on a brain tumor.

Honors

The Blue Jays honored in after his death with a badge on the sleeve of their 2006-spec player uniform, which showed a microphone next to his initials. Cheek was proposed in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 Ford C. Frick Award for the Baseball Hall of Fame. This prize is awarded annually during the induction ceremonies for new players a reporter with "special services rendered to the baseball ."

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