Tom Cheek
Encyclopedia
Thomas F. Cheek was an American
sportscaster
.
Best known as the "Voice of the Blue Jays", Tom announced Major League Baseball
games for the Toronto Blue Jays
on radio
from the team's establishment in 1977
until his retirement in 2004
, in which he had a 27-year consecutive game streak of 4,306 consecutive games plus 41 post-season games called, which lasted from the first ever Blue Jays game in 1977 to June 3, 2004. Cheek was inducted to the Blue Jays Level of Excellence in 2005 and has since then been nominated numerous times for the Ford C. Frick Award
.
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, 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 U.S. 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, Massachusetts for two years from which his broadcasting years would start from.
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
. During this time, in 1968, he was almost hired to be the first broadcaster for the newly formed Atlanta Hawks
of the NBA, only to lose out to Skip Caray
.
At the same time, the newly formed Montreal Expos
were looking for a second announcer to compliment their primary play-by-play man, Dave Van Horne
. Burlington, being only 99 miles from Montreal
, although traditionally a Boston Red Sox
town, were warming up to the new expansion team. It was later decided that the Expos would go with a guest announcer format, and this is where Cheek would get his first broadcast experience of Major League Baseball
, where he filled in occasionally until 1976.
, Cheek became the first full-time announcer for the Toronto Blue Jays alongside his first broadcast partner, Early Wynn
who remained with him through the end of 1980. Wynn was replaced by Jerry Howarth
in 1981
. For the next 23 years, "Tom and Jerry" would be the radio voice of the Blue Jays. Their partnership covered the rise of the Blue Jays through the 1980s, culminating with back to back World Series Championships in 1992 and 1993. The team was joined by color commentator Gary Matthews
in 2000
and 2001
.
Cheek, along with Howarth, were perhaps the most respected Toronto sports broadcaster of the era. Cheek's Blue Jays broadcasts originated from Toronto's CKFH "The Fan" 1430, a station that was founded by another legendary Toronto sports broadcaster, Foster Hewitt
. For a brief period, his broadcast was heard on 1050 CHUM
, but following the purchase of the Blue Jays by Rogers Communications
, reverted back to "The Fan", which had changed its callsign and frequency to CJCL
590 AM, also known as the FAN 590.
Cheek called many memorable moments in Blue Jays history, including many firsts; the Blue Jays ALCS-clinching game in 1985
and both the final outs of the 1992
and 1993
World Series
, the latter which spawned his famous "Touch 'em all, Joe" quote, when Joe Carter
clinched the World Series on a walk-off home run
, only the second to happen in World Series history.
Cheek 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. During the 2004 season, the Jays raised a banner to SkyDome's (now the Rogers Centre
) "Level of Excellence" bearing his name and, in place of a jersey number, 4,306 - his streak of straight regular-season broadcasts.
at the 1980 Winter Olympics
in Lake Placid
and the 1984 Winter Olympics
in Sarajevo
.
. Following the surgery, Cheek was able to call some Blue Jays home games while undergoing chemotherapy
, but he was replaced on the road by various guest announcers.
It seemed Cheek had recovered and would call the Jays games in 2005
. But the cancer returned and he had treatment at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital
and at the Toronto Western Hospital
. Cheek did sit in with new commentator Warren Sawkiw
and Howarth to call an inning of the Blue Jays' 2005 opening game, played in Tampa Bay
.
Cheek died 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.
in 1959. They had three children, Jeff, Lisa, and Tom and seven grandchildren at the time of his death. While in the Toronto area, he made his home in Burlington, Ontario
along with Clearwater, Florida
during the winter.
, the Blue Jays wore a white circular badge with the letters TC and a microphone in black beside the letters on their sleeve, in tribute to Cheek.
For seven straight years (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 , and 2011), Cheek was named among the ten finalists for the Ford C. Frick Award
by the Baseball Hall of Fame. The award is presented each year, during the Hall of Fame's induction ceremonies, to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
.
Best known as the "Voice of the Blue Jays", Tom announced 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...
games 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 ....
on radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
from the team's establishment in 1977
1977 Toronto Blue Jays season
The 1977 Toronto Blue Jays season was the first year of Major League Baseball played by the Toronto-based expansion franchise. The Blue Jays finished 7th in the American League East with a record of 54 wins and 107 losses.- Offseason :...
until his retirement in 2004
2004 Toronto Blue Jays season
The Toronto Blue Jays season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Blue Jays finishing fifth in the American League East with a record of 67 wins and 94 losses...
, in which he had a 27-year consecutive game streak of 4,306 consecutive games plus 41 post-season games called, which lasted from the first ever Blue Jays game in 1977 to June 3, 2004. Cheek was inducted to the Blue Jays Level of Excellence in 2005 and has since then been nominated numerous times for the Ford C. Frick Award
Ford C. Frick Award
The Ford C. Frick Award is presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the United States to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball." It is named for Ford Christopher Frick, former Commissioner of Major League Baseball...
.
Cheek's best-known call was perhaps his description of Joe Carter
Joe Carter
Joseph Christopher Carter is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from to . Carter is most famous for hitting a walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays....
's dramatic title-clinching home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series
1993 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 1993 at SkyDome in Toronto, OntarioThe Series' first game sent two staff aces—Curt Schilling for Philadelphia and Juan Guzman for Toronto—against one another. The result was less than a pitcher's duel, however, as both teams scored early and often.The deciding plays...
, 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.
Early life
Born and raised in the west side of Pensacola, FloridaPensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
, Cheek, an avid sports fan, was introduced to his first tape recorder
Tape recorder
An audio tape recorder, tape deck, reel-to-reel tape deck, cassette deck or tape machine is an audio storage device that records and plays back sounds, including articulated voices, usually using magnetic tape, either wound on a reel or in a cassette, for storage...
at the age of 14, which would lay the foundations for his future in broadcasting. From 1957 to 1960, he served in the U.S. Air Force where he was introduced to the Yankees broadcaster Red Barber
Red Barber
Walter Lanier "Red" Barber was an American sportscaster.Barber, nicknamed "The Ol' Redhead", was primarily identified with radio broadcasts of Major League Baseball, calling play-by-play across four decades with the Cincinnati Reds , Brooklyn Dodgers , and New York Yankees...
. Following his discharge from the armed forces in 1960, Cheek attended the Cambridge School of Broadcasting in Boston, Massachusetts for two years from which his broadcasting years would start from.
Early Broadcasting years
Cheek began his radio broadcasting career in Plattsburgh, New York as a Disc jockeyDisc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
on WEAV
WEAV
WEAV is an English-language American radio station in Plattsburgh, New York, with studios in Colchester, Vermont. The station broadcasts a talk format....
in 1962. He then moved to Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
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
WJOY
WJOY is a radio station broadcasting an adult standards format. Licensed to Burlington, Vermont, USA, the station is currently owned by Hall Communications, Inc....
where his on-air sports work included baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, and hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
for the University of Vermont
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
. During this time, in 1968, he was almost hired to be the first broadcaster for the newly formed Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
of the NBA, only to lose out to Skip Caray
Skip Caray
Harry Christopher "Skip" Caray, Jr. was an American sportscaster, best known for his long career as a radio and television play-by-play announcer for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball...
.
At the same time, the newly formed Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
were looking for a second announcer to compliment their primary play-by-play man, Dave Van Horne
Dave Van Horne
Dave Van Horne, a native of Easton, Pennsylvania, is a Major League Baseball announcer. He is the lead radio play-by-play announcer for the Miami Marlins on the Marlins Radio Network...
. Burlington, being only 99 miles from Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, although traditionally a Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
town, were warming up to the new expansion team. It was later decided that the Expos would go with a guest announcer format, and this is where Cheek would get his first broadcast experience of 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...
, where he filled in occasionally until 1976.
Toronto Blue Jays
Beginning in 19771977 Toronto Blue Jays season
The 1977 Toronto Blue Jays season was the first year of Major League Baseball played by the Toronto-based expansion franchise. The Blue Jays finished 7th in the American League East with a record of 54 wins and 107 losses.- Offseason :...
, Cheek became the first full-time announcer for the Toronto Blue Jays alongside his first broadcast partner, Early Wynn
Early Wynn
Early Wynn Jr. , nicknamed "Gus", was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 25-year baseball career, he pitched for the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox...
who remained with him through the end of 1980. Wynn was replaced by Jerry Howarth
Jerry Howarth
Jerry Howarth is an American Canadian recognized as the voice of the Toronto Blue Jays as a play-by-play announcer for the team's radio broadcasts, a position he has held for the Major League Baseball team since 1981.- Early career :...
in 1981
1981 Toronto Blue Jays season
The Toronto Blue Jays season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Blue Jays finishing 7th in the American League East with a record of 37 wins and 69 losses...
. For the next 23 years, "Tom and Jerry" would be the radio voice of the Blue Jays. Their partnership covered the rise of the Blue Jays through the 1980s, culminating with back to back World Series Championships in 1992 and 1993. The team was joined by color commentator Gary Matthews
Gary Matthews
Gary Nathaniel Matthews Sr. , nicknamed Sarge, is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball. He now serves as a color commentator for the Philadelphia Phillies. From through , Matthews played for the San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Seattle...
in 2000
2000 Toronto Blue Jays season
The Toronto Blue Jays season was a season in Major League Baseball. It involved the Blue Jays finishing 3rd in the American League East with a record of 83 wins and 79 losses.-Offseason:...
and 2001
2001 Toronto Blue Jays season
The Toronto Blue Jays was a season in American baseball. The season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Blue Jays finishing 3rd in the American League East with a record of 80 wins and 82 losses.-Offseason:...
.
Cheek, along with Howarth, were perhaps the most respected Toronto sports broadcaster of the era. Cheek's Blue Jays broadcasts originated from Toronto's CKFH "The Fan" 1430, a station that was founded by another legendary Toronto sports broadcaster, Foster Hewitt
Foster Hewitt
Foster William Hewitt, OC was a Canadian radio broadcaster most famous for his play-by-play calls for Hockey Night in Canada. He was the son of W. A. Hewitt, and the father of Bill Hewitt.-Early life and career:...
. For a brief period, his broadcast was heard on 1050 CHUM
CHUM (AM)
CHUM, branded as TSN Radio 1050, broadcasting at 1050 kHz in the AM band, is a Canadian radio station licensed to Toronto, Ontario. The station is owned and operated by Bell Media....
, but following the purchase of the Blue Jays by Rogers Communications
Rogers Communications
Rogers Communications Inc. is one of Canada's largest communications companies, particularly in the field of wireless communications, cable television, home phone and internet with additional telecommunications and mass media assets...
, reverted back to "The Fan", which had changed its callsign and frequency to CJCL
CJCL (AM)
CJCL is a Canadian sports radio station in Toronto, Ontario. Owned and operated by Rogers Communications, the station broadcasts at 590 kHz on the AM radio dial with a 50,000 watts transmitter and directional antenna concentrating its signal over the Toronto/Hamilton region...
590 AM, also known as the FAN 590.
Cheek called many memorable moments in Blue Jays history, including many firsts; the Blue Jays ALCS-clinching game in 1985
1985 Toronto Blue Jays season
The Toronto Blue Jays season saw the Blue Jays finishing first in the American League East with a record of 99 wins and 62 losses. The win total of 99 is a franchise record, and the division title was the franchise's first....
and both the final outs of the 1992
1992 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 17, 1992 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaBraves fans had plenty to worry about in regard to both starting pitchers. Tom Glavine's post-season career had been less than stellar, including giving up eight runs in the second inning of Game 6 of the NLCS...
and 1993
1993 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 1993 at SkyDome in Toronto, OntarioThe Series' first game sent two staff aces—Curt Schilling for Philadelphia and Juan Guzman for Toronto—against one another. The result was less than a pitcher's duel, however, as both teams scored early and often.The deciding plays...
World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, the latter which spawned his famous "Touch 'em all, Joe" quote, when Joe Carter
Joe Carter
Joseph Christopher Carter is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from to . Carter is most famous for hitting a walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays....
clinched the World Series on a walk-off home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
, only the second to happen in World Series history.
The Streak
2004 Toronto Blue Jays season
The Toronto Blue Jays season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Blue Jays finishing fifth in the American League East with a record of 67 wins and 94 losses...
, 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. During the 2004 season, the Jays raised a banner to SkyDome's (now the Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
) "Level of Excellence" bearing his name and, in place of a jersey number, 4,306 - his streak of straight regular-season broadcasts.
Other Broadcasting activities
Outside of his Blue Jays broadcasts, Cheek was also a member of the broadcast team for ABC SportsOlympics on ABC
The Olympics on ABC was the branding for Olympic Games coverage which aired in the United States on the broadcast network ABC. ABC first televised the Winter Olympic Games in 1964. ABC first televised the Summer Olympic Games in 1968...
at the 1980 Winter Olympics
1980 Winter Olympics
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, was a multi-sport event which was celebrated from 13 February through 24 February 1980 in Lake Placid, New York, United States of America. This was the second time the Upstate New York village hosted the Games, after 1932...
in Lake Placid
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
and the 1984 Winter Olympics
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from 8–19 February 1984 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Other candidate cities were Sapporo, Japan; and Gothenburg, Sweden...
in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
.
Illness and death
Cheek was forced to take further time off to undergo surgery on June 12, 2004 to remove a brain tumorBrain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
. Following the surgery, Cheek was able to call some Blue Jays home games while undergoing chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
, but he was replaced on the road by various guest announcers.
It seemed Cheek had recovered and would call the Jays games in 2005
2005 Toronto Blue Jays season
The 2005 Toronto Blue Jays season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Blue Jays finishing 3rd in the American League East with a record of 80 wins and 82 losses...
. But the cancer returned and he had treatment at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital
Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto)
Mount Sinai Hospital is a hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Although it is physically linked by bridges and tunnels to two University Health Network hospitals , Mount Sinai is an independently operated facility...
and at the Toronto Western Hospital
Toronto Western Hospital
-External links:****...
. Cheek did sit in with new commentator Warren Sawkiw
Warren Sawkiw
Warren Sawkiw is a former Toronto Blue Jays radio colour commentator who worked alongside play-by-play announcer Jerry Howarth in and on The Fan Radio Network....
and Howarth to call an inning of the Blue Jays' 2005 opening game, played in Tampa Bay
2005 Tampa Bay Devil Rays season
The 2005 Tampa Bay Devil Rays season was the team's 8th since the franchise was created. This season, they finished last in the AL East division, and managed to finish the season with the AL's third-worst record of 67-95...
.
Cheek died at age 66 in Oldsmar, Florida
Oldsmar, Florida
Oldsmar is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,910 at the 2000 census. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the population to be 13,401 as of 2008....
, and was buried in Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
on October 14, 2005 with his wife Shirley, three children and seven grandchildren present.
Personal life
Cheek married his wife, Shirley, of Hemmingford, QuebecHemmingford, Quebec
Hemmingford, Quebec may refer to any of two entities:*Hemmingford , Quebec, a township municipality*Hemmingford , Quebec, a village municipality enclaved in the township one...
in 1959. They had three children, Jeff, Lisa, and Tom and seven grandchildren at the time of his death. While in the Toronto area, he made his home in Burlington, Ontario
Burlington, Ontario
Burlington , is a city located in Halton Region at the western end of Lake Ontario. Burlington is part of the Greater Toronto Area, and is also included in the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area. Physically, Burlington lies between the north shore of Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment...
along with Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
during the winter.
Awards and honors
Cheek was inducted into the Blue Jays Level of Excellence in 2005 with the number "4306" next to his name, signifying his streak. The Canadian Sports Hall of Fame established the "Tom Cheek Media Leadership Award" shortly before his death, for "playing a key role in promoting Canadian sports." Cheek was awarded the first award. During the 2006 season2006 Toronto Blue Jays season
The 2006 Toronto Blue Jays season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Blue Jays finishing 2nd in the American League East with a record of 87 wins and 75 losses. For the second straight season, Blue Jays hitters combined for less than 1,000 strikeouts...
, the Blue Jays wore a white circular badge with the letters TC and a microphone in black beside the letters on their sleeve, in tribute to Cheek.
For seven straight years (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 , and 2011), Cheek was named among the ten finalists for the Ford C. Frick Award
Ford C. Frick Award
The Ford C. Frick Award is presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the United States to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball." It is named for Ford Christopher Frick, former Commissioner of Major League Baseball...
by the Baseball Hall of Fame. The award is presented each year, during the Hall of Fame's induction ceremonies, to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball."
Memorable Calls
- On October 2, 19911991 Toronto Blue Jays seasonThe 1991 Toronto Blue Jays season involved the Blue Jays finishing 1st in the American League East with a record of 91 wins and 71 losses. The team's paid attendance of 4,001,527 led the American League, as the Jays became the first team in MLB history ever to draw four million fans in a season...
, Cheek described the Blue Jays' win of the AL East this way:
- On October 24, 19921992 Toronto Blue Jays seasonThe Toronto Blue Jays played their 16th season in Major League Baseball. Toronto finished first in the American League East for the 4th time with a record of 96 wins and 66 losses, closing the season with an attendance record of 4,028,318...
Cheek called the Blue Jays' first World Series1992 World Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 17, 1992 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaBraves fans had plenty to worry about in regard to both starting pitchers. Tom Glavine's post-season career had been less than stellar, including giving up eight runs in the second inning of Game 6 of the NLCS...
championship
- On October 23, 19931993 Toronto Blue Jays seasonThe Toronto Blue Jays season involved the Blue Jays finishing first in the American League East with a record of 95 wins and 67 losses. They were shut out only once in 162 regular-season games. The Blue Jays would repeat as World Champions and become the first back-to-back champions since the New...
, Cheek called the Jays' back-to-back World Series championship with his famous call: