John Cerutti
Encyclopedia
John Joseph Cerutti was an American
left-handed pitcher
in Major League Baseball
, and later a broadcaster
for the Toronto Blue Jays
.
, Cerutti was selected in the first round of the amateur draft by the Blue Jays in with the 21st overall pick out of Amherst College
. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Economics. He played 7 seasons in the major leagues with the Blue Jays (-) and Detroit Tigers
.
On June 7, 1989, Cerutti recorded the first Blue Jays win in SkyDome, their new stadium.
and started doing Blue Jays games alongside Brian Williams
on CBC
before becoming a TV analyst for the team's new flagship station, Rogers Sportsnet
.
hotel room. He was found without any vital signs. His death at the age of only 44 was officially declared to be of natural causes, apparently due to heart arrhythmia. The situation of his death was similar to that of pitcher Darryl Kile
two years prior.
The Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America paid tribute to John Cerutti in November, 2004, giving him its annual Good Guy Award and renaming the honor for him. The Award has been handed out every year since Toronto's inaugural season in 1977, and is given annually to an individual who best exemplifies a positive image for baseball. John Cerutti was known and admired for his exemplary character, good will, and sportsmanship.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
left-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, and later a broadcaster
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
.
Playing career
Born in Albany, New YorkAlbany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, Cerutti was selected in the first round of the amateur draft by the Blue Jays in with the 21st overall pick out of Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Economics. He played 7 seasons in the major leagues with the Blue Jays (-) and Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
.
On June 7, 1989, Cerutti recorded the first Blue Jays win in SkyDome, their new stadium.
Broadcasting career
After his playing career, he went into broadcastingBroadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
and started doing Blue Jays games alongside Brian Williams
Brian Williams (sportscaster)
Brian Williams is a Canadian sportscaster who is best known for his coverage of the Olympic Games.-Biography:Williams' father was a very successful doctor...
on CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
before becoming a TV analyst for the team's new flagship station, Rogers Sportsnet
Rogers Sportsnet
Sportsnet was launched on October 9, 1998 as CTV Sportsnet. The name was chosen to match the regional "Fox Sports Net" operations across the United States...
.
Death
Cerutti was supposed to broadcast the last game of the 2004 season for the Blue Jays but missed an 11:00 AM meeting. The production staff began to worry and started calling him. After numerous attempts, the police had to be brought in to break open the door of his TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
hotel room. He was found without any vital signs. His death at the age of only 44 was officially declared to be of natural causes, apparently due to heart arrhythmia. The situation of his death was similar to that of pitcher Darryl Kile
Darryl Kile
Darryl Andrew Kile was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1991-2002 for three different teams in his career. In his first season for the Cardinals, he won 20 games in 2000 as the team reached the postseason for the first time in four years. They advanced to the...
two years prior.
The Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America paid tribute to John Cerutti in November, 2004, giving him its annual Good Guy Award and renaming the honor for him. The Award has been handed out every year since Toronto's inaugural season in 1977, and is given annually to an individual who best exemplifies a positive image for baseball. John Cerutti was known and admired for his exemplary character, good will, and sportsmanship.