Tom Cheek
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Thomas F. Cheek (June 13 1939 - October 9 2005) was an American broadcaster who announced Major League Baseball games for the Toronto Blue Jays on radio from the team's establishment in 1977 until 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!"
Born in Pensacola, Florida, Cheek attended the Cambridge School of Broadcasting in Boston, Massachusetts and began his career in Plattsburgh, New York. He moved to Burlington, Vermont as corporate sales manager and sports director. Early Wynn was his first broadcast partner. From 1981, Cheek's play-by-play partner was Jerry Howarth. They have had colour commentators over the years including Gary Matthews and Warren Sawkiw.
From 1974 to 1976, Cheek was the swing man on Montréal Expos radio broadcasts on television nights. Besides baseball, Cheek's play-by-play experience also included basketball, football, and hockey for the University of Vermont. Cheek also broadcast college basketball for the Mutual Radio network, and was a member of the broadcast team for ABC Sports at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid and the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo.
Cheek, perhaps the most respected Toronto sports broadcaster (with CJCL 1430 and FAN 590) equalled only by that of Foster Hewitt, announced every single Blue Jays game from the first game on April 7, 1977 until June 3, 2004, when he took two games off following the death of his father - a streak of 4,306 consecutive regular season games and 41 postseason games. The Jays raised a banner to the Rogers Centre's "Level of Excellence" bearing his name and, in the place where a uniform number would have gone, the number 4,306.
Cheek quickly returned to the booth, but was forced to take further time off after undergoing surgery on June 12, 2004 to remove a brain tumor. It seemed he had recovered and would call the Jays games in 2005. But the cancer returned and he had treatment at Mount Sinai Hospital and Toronto Western Hospital. By September 2005, Cheek's condition had deteriorated and he was reportedly in grave condition. He could no longer speak and was at his home in Florida. He passed away at age 66 in Oldsmar, Florida, and was buried in Clearwater, Florida on October 14, 2005 with his wife Shirley, three children and seven grandchildren present. During the 2005 season, he was inducted to the Toronto Blue Jays "Level of Excellence", bearing the number 4306. He called 4306 consecutive games for the Jays, and his last job on the radio was with Toronto Sports Radio, The FAN 590 (590AM).
In 2005, Cheek was nominated for the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame, along with long-time broadcast partner Jerry Howarth.
In 2006, the Blue Jays wear a black circular badge with the letters TC and a microphone beside the letters on their sleeve in tribute to Cheek.