Tom Cheek
| Tom Cheek | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 13, 1939 Pensacola, Florida |
| Died | October 9, 2005 (aged 66) Oldsmar, Florida |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Cambridge School of Broadcasting |
| Occupation | Toronto Blue Jays radio sportscaster |
| Spouse(s) | Shirley Cheek |
| Children | 3 |
Thomas F. Cheek (June 13, 1939 – October 9, 2005) was an American sportscaster who is best remembered today as the original "Voice of the Toronto Blue Jays", Cheek announced Major League Baseball (MLB) games for the Toronto Blue Jays on radio, as the play-by-play announcer, from the team's establishment in 1977 until his retirement in 2004, in which he had a 27-year streak of 4,306 consecutive games plus 41 post-season games called, which lasted from the first ever Blue Jays game on April 7, 1977 to June 3, 2004. Cheek was inducted to the Blue Jays Level of Excellence in 2004.
Cheek's best-known call was perhaps his description of Joe Carter's dramatic title-clinching home run in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series, when he said, "Touch 'em all, Joe, you'll never hit a bigger home run in your life!" He is also author of the book Road to Glory, which chronicled the first 16 years of Blue Jays baseball.
Cheek was selected as the recipient of the 2013 Ford C. Frick Award after being nominated as a finalist for the award every year since 2005.
Born and raised in the west side of Pensacola, Florida, Cheek, an avid sports fan, was introduced to his first tape recorder at the age of 14, which would lay the foundations for his future in broadcasting. From 1957 to 1960, he served in the United States Air Force where he was introduced to the Yankees broadcaster Red Barber. Following his discharge from the armed forces in 1960, Cheek attended the Cambridge School of Broadcasting in Boston for two years. His father, also named Tom Cheek, was a well known United States Navy flyer in World War II and a recipient of the Navy Cross at the Battle of Midway.
Cheek began his radio broadcasting career in Plattsburgh, New York as a Disc jockey on WEAV in 1962. He then moved to Burlington, Vermont where he worked for WDOT and was quickly promoted to corporate sales manager and sports director. He later moved from music to sports broadcasting when he moved to WJOY where his on-air sports work included baseball, basketball, football, and hockey for the University of Vermont.
...
Wikipedia