Tom Cheek

Born and raised in the west side of Pensacola, Florida, Cheek, an avid sports fan, was given his first tape recorder at age 14, which inspired his interest in broadcasting.

His father, also named Tom Cheek, was a well known United States Naval Aviator in World War II and a recipient of the Navy Cross at the Battle of Midway.{{cite web|last=Millson|first=Larry|date=October 10, 2005|title=Jays' voice falls silent|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/jays-voice-falls-silent/article987946/|access-date=August 10, 2016|work=theglobeandmail.com}}

From 1957 to 1960, Tom Cheek (the son) served in the United States Air Force, where he spent a year in Morocco as a teletype operator with the Strategic Air CommandElliot, Bob. [https://torontosun.com/2013/07/26/shirley-cheek-to-accept-award-for-husband-and-blue-jays-announcer-tom-cheek "Shirley Cheek to accept award for husband and Blue Jays announcer Tom Cheek"], Toronto Sun website, July 26, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2021. as an airman third class. During this time he was introduced to New York Yankees broadcaster Red Barber. Following his discharge in 1960, he attended the Cambridge School of Broadcasting in Boston for two years.Cheek, Tom. Road to Glory, Warwick Publishing, 1993. pages 7–30 {{ISBN|1-895629-16-0}}

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.

In 1968, he was almost hired as the first broadcaster for the newly formed Atlanta Hawks of the NBA, but Skip Caray was chosen instead.Cheek, Tom. Road to Glory, Warwick Publishing, 1993. pages 31–33 {{ISBN|1-895629-16-0}}

The newly formed Montreal Expos were looking for an announcer to complement their primary play-by-play man, Dave Van Horne. Burlington, although traditionally a Boston Red Sox town, was warming up to the new expansion team as it was only {{convert|99|mi}} from Montreal. When it was decided the Expos would use a guest announcer format, Cheek got his first broadcast experience in Major League Baseball, filling in there occasionally from 1974 to 1976.Cheek, Tom. Road to Glory, Warwick Publishing, 1993. pages 34–37 {{ISBN|1-895629-16-0}}

File:A couple sport the classic radio duos jerseys. (8618573010).jpg in 2013]]

Beginning in 1977, Cheek became the first full-time announcer for the Toronto Blue Jays alongside his first broadcast partner, Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher 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" were the radio voices of the Blue Jays, covering the team's rise through the 1980s and culminating with their back-to-back World Series Championships in 1992 and 1993. They were joined by color commentator Gary Matthews in 2000 and 2001.{{cite web|url=http://m.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article/1243725|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224232224/http://m.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article/1243725/|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 24, 2015|title=Broadcaster Cheek passes away|last=Fordin|first=Spencer|work=MLB.com|date=October 9, 2005|access-date=August 10, 2016}}

Cheek's Blue Jays broadcasts originated from Toronto's CKFH "The Fan" 1430, founded by another legendary Toronto sports broadcaster, Hockey Hall of Fame member Foster Hewitt. For a brief period, the broadcast was heard on 1050 CHUM; but following the Blue Jays' purchase by Rogers Communications, reverted to "The Fan", which had changed its call sign and frequency to CJCL 590 AM, also known as FAN 590.

Cheek called many memorable moments in Blue Jays history, including many firsts; the Blue Jays' division-clinching game in 1985, and both final plays of the 1992 and 1993 World Series—the latter of which spawned his famous "Touch 'em all, Joe!" quote, when Joe Carter clinched the World Series on a walk-off home run for only the second time in World Series history.

File:JaysRetired4306.PNG

Cheek announced every Blue Jays game from their inaugural game at Exhibition Stadium, in Toronto, 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 and 41 postseason games.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/tom-cheek-a-finalist-for-hall-of-fame-1.602452|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070825085517/http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2006/12/05/cheek-frick.html|url-status=live|archive-date=August 25, 2007|title=Tom Cheek a finalist for Hall of Fame|work=cbc.ca|date=December 5, 2006|access-date=August 10, 2016}} On August 9, 2004, the Jays raised a banner to SkyDome's (now the Rogers Centre) "Level of Excellence" bearing Cheek's name and, in place of a jersey number, 4,306—his streak of straight regular-season broadcasts.{{cite web|url=http://www.americansportscastersonline.com/tomcheekmemoriam.html|title=Tom Cheek, Voice of the Toronto Blue Jays, Dies|work=americansportscastersonline.com|access-date=August 10, 2016}}

Cheek was a member of the broadcast team for ABC Sports at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, and at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo.{{cite web|url=https://jaysjournal.com/2012/12/05/tom-cheek-awarded-2013-ford-c-frick-honor/|title=Tom Cheek Awarded 2013 Ford C. Frick Honor|last=Franzoni|first=Kyle|work=jaysjournal.com|date=5 December 2012 |access-date=August 10, 2016}}

A week after his consecutive game streak ended, Cheek was forced to take time off to undergo surgery on June 12, 2004, to remove a brain tumor.{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Baseball/MLB/Toronto/2004/06/16/501837.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120730015733/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Baseball/MLB/Toronto/2004/06/16/501837.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 30, 2012|title=Everybody misses Tom|last=Rutsey|first=Mike|work=slam.canoe.ca|access-date=August 10, 2016}} Following the surgery, Cheek was able to call some Blue Jays home games while undergoing chemotherapy, but was replaced on the road by various guest announcers. For a time, it seemed he had recovered and would be able to resume calling Blue Jays games in 2005. However, the cancer returned and he required further treatment at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital and Toronto Western Hospital.

Cheek sat in with the new commentator, Canadian-born former minor league baseball infielder/outfielder Warren Sawkiw, and Howarth, to call an inning of the Blue Jays' 2005 opening game in Tampa Bay.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/cheek-returns-to-broadcast-booth-1.539814?ref=rss|title=Cheek returns to broadcast booth|work=cbc.ca|date=March 7, 2005|access-date=August 10, 2016}} This would be Cheek's final broadcast appearance.

Cheek died on October 9, 2005, at age 66 in Oldsmar, Florida. He was interred in the Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park in Clearwater, Florida.[https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/remembering-tom-cheek-as-another-blue-jays-season-gets-underway/ Sportsnet]

Cheek married his wife, Shirley, of Hemmingford, Quebec, in 1959. They had three children—Jeff, Lisa, and Tom—and seven grandchildren at the time of his death.{{cite web|url=http://www.torontosun.com/2013/07/27/shirley-cheeks-acceptance-speech|title=Shirley Cheek's acceptance speech|work=torontosun.com|date=July 27, 2013|access-date=August 10, 2016}} Jeff was a pitcher in the Blue Jays organization from 1992 to 1994.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=cheek-001jef |title=Jeff Cheek Minor Leagues Statistics & History |website=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=December 18, 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://www.canadianbaseballnetwork.com/canadian-baseball-network-articles/xkvv4an19043bd9mgnuxrb3t9pc7ab |title=Dual citizen Cottam drafted by the Red Sox |website=canadianbaseballnetwork.com |date=2018 |accessdate=December 18, 2021 |url-access=subscription}}

Cheek was inducted into the Blue Jays Level of Excellence in 2004 with the number "4306" next to his name, signifying his broadcasting streak. Shortly before his death, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame established the Tom Cheek Media Leadership Award for "playing a key role in promoting Canadian sports"; Cheek himself was the recipient of the first award. During the 2006 season, the Blue Jays wore a white circular sewn-on patch with the letters TC, and a radio microphone in black, beside the letters on their uniform sleeves in tribute to Cheek.{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/memorial/tor/cheek.html|title=Tom Cheek (1939-2005)|work=sportsecyclopedia.com|access-date=August 10, 2016}}

For nine straight years (2005–2013),{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/tom-cheek-a-finalist-for-hall-of-fame-1.602452|title=Tom Cheek a finalist for Hall of Fame|work=cbc.ca|date=December 5, 2006|access-date=August 10, 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/tom-cheek-named-frick-award-finalist-1.523535|title=Tom Cheek named Frick award finalist|work=cbc.ca|date=December 6, 2005|access-date=August 10, 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/fans-get-cheek-doucet-on-cooperstown-ballot-1.906967|title=Fans get Cheek, Doucet on Cooperstown ballot|work=cbc.ca|date=October 1, 2010|access-date=August 10, 2016}} Cheek was among the ten finalists for the Ford C. Frick Award by the National Baseball Hall of Fame, an award presented each year, during the Hall's induction weekend, to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball".{{cite web|url=http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071204&content_id=2316804&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071205185214/http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071204&content_id=2316804&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 5, 2007|title=Cheek one of 10 finalists for Frick Award|last=Bastain|first=Jordan|work=MLB.com|date=December 4, 2007|access-date=August 10, 2016}} He received the 2013 award on December 5, 2012.{{cite press release|url=http://baseballhall.org/news/press-releases/tom-cheek-named-2013-ford-c-frick-award-winner-broadcasting-excellence |title=Tom Cheek Named 2013 Ford C. Frick Award Winner for Broadcasting Excellence |publisher=National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum |date=December 5, 2012 |access-date=December 5, 2012}}{{cite web |title=2013 Ford C. Frick Award Winner Tom Cheek |url=https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/awards/frick/tom-cheek |website=Baseball Hall of Fame |access-date=4 April 2020 |language=en}}

• On October 2, 1991, Cheek described the Blue Jays' win of the AL East this way:

{{quote|Roberto Alomar has stolen his fifty-third base. A fly ball will win it now. Joe Carter at the plate. The winning run—the American League championship—ninety feet away. The pitch—a swing—and a base hit! And the Blue Jays are the champs! The Blue Jays are the champs of the American League East!Smith, Curt. Voices of the Game. Fireside Publishing, 1992. {{ISBN|0-671-73848-8}}}}

• On October 24, 1992, Cheek called the Blue Jays' first World Series championship:

{{quote|Timlin to the belt... Pitch on the way... And there's a bunted ball, first base side, Timlin, to Carter, and the Blue Jays win it! The Blue Jays win it! The Blue Jays are World Series Champions!{{cite web|url=http://www.torontosun.com/2013/07/26/jerry-howarths-world-class-move-for-tom-cheek|title=Jerry Howarth's World-class move for Tom Cheek|last=Elliott|first=Bob|work=torontosun.com|date=July 26, 2013|access-date=August 10, 2016}}}}

• On October 23, 1993, Cheek called the Jays' back-to-back World Series championship with his famous call:

{{quote|Joe has had his moments. Trying to lay off that ball, low to the outside part of the plate, he just went after one. Two balls and two strikes on him. Here's the pitch on the way, a swing and a belt! Left field, way back, BLUE JAYS WIN IT! The Blue Jays are World Series Champions, as Joe Carter hits a three-run home run in the ninth inning and the Blue Jays have repeated as World Series Champions! Touch 'em all, Joe, you'll never hit a bigger home run in your life!}}

• {{Cite book | last=Cheek | first=Tom | author2=Howard Berger| title=Road to Glory: An Insider's Look at 16 Years of Blue Jays Baseball| year=1993 | location=Los Angeles CA | publisher=Warwick Publishing| isbn=1-895629-16-0}}

{{reflist|2}}

• [https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/awards/frick/tom-cheek Tom Cheek] Ford C. Frick Award biography at the National Baseball Hall of Fame
• [http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=7142453 Tom Cheek calling Joe Carter's 1993 World Series-clinching Home Run]

{{Toronto Blue Jays HOF}}

{{Toronto Blue Jays Level of Excellence}}

{{2013 Baseball HOF}}

{{Ford C. Frick Award}}

{{Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame}}

{{Authority control}}

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Category:1939 births

Category:2005 deaths

Category:American radio sports announcers

Category:Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductees

Category:College basketball announcers in the United States

Category:College football announcers

Category:Deaths from brain cancer in Florida

Category:Ford C. Frick Award recipients

Category:Major League Baseball broadcasters

Category:Sportspeople from Burlington, Ontario

Category:People from Pensacola, Florida

Category:Toronto Blue Jays announcers

Category:United States Air Force airmen

Category:Grahm Junior College alumni