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{{Short description|American sports commentator (1939–2005)}}
{{other people|Thomas Cheek}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Tom Cheek
| image = Thomas_F._Cheek.png
| birth_date = June 13, 1939
| birth_place = [[Pensacola, Florida]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2005|10|9|1939|6|13}}
| death_place = [[Oldsmar, Florida]], U.S.
| education =
| alma_mater = [[Grahm Junior College|Cambridge School of Broadcasting]]
| occupation = [[Toronto Blue Jays]] [[sportscaster|radio sportscaster]]
| spouse = Shirley Cheek
| children = 3
| awards = [[Ford C. Frick Award]] ({{bhofy|2013}})
| module        = {{Infobox baseball biography
 | embed = yes
 | hofcolor= #EC1C40
 | hoflink= Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
 | hoftype= Canadian 
 | hofdate= 2013
 }}
}}

'''Thomas F. Cheek''' (June 13, 1939&nbsp;– October 9, 2005) was an American [[sports commentator]] who is best remembered as the play-by-play radio announcer for the [[Toronto Blue Jays]] of [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB), from the team's establishment in [[1977 Toronto Blue Jays season|1977]] until his retirement in [[2004 Toronto Blue Jays season|2004]]. During that time, he covered a 27-year streak of 4,306 consecutive games plus 41 post-season games—from the first Blue Jays game on April 7, 1977, until June 3, 2004. He was inducted to the Blue Jays [[Toronto Blue Jays#Level of Excellence|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!"<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-oct-11-me-cheek11-story.html Tom Cheek, 66; Announcer Called Blue Jay Games for 271/2 Seasons] Los Angeles Times. October 11, 2005</ref> He is also author of the book ''Road to Glory'', chronicling the first 16 years of Blue Jays baseball.

Cheek posthumously received the [[Ford C. Frick Award]] from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013 after being nominated as a finalist for the award every year since 2005.

==Biography==
===Early life===
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]].<ref>{{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}}</ref>

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 Command]]<ref>Elliot, 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.</ref> as an [[Airman Third Class#United States Air Force|airman third class]]. During this time he was introduced to [[New York Yankees]] broadcaster [[Red Barber]]. Following his discharge in 1960, he attended the [[Grahm Junior College|Cambridge School of Broadcasting]] in [[Boston]] for two years.<ref>Cheek, Tom. ''Road to Glory'', Warwick Publishing, 1993. pages 7–30 {{ISBN|1-895629-16-0}}</ref>

===Early broadcasting years===
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]], [[American football|football]] and [[ice hockey|hockey]] for the [[University of Vermont]].

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

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.<ref>Cheek, Tom. ''Road to Glory'', Warwick Publishing, 1993. pages 34–37 {{ISBN|1-895629-16-0}}</ref>

===Toronto Blue Jays===
[[File:A couple sport the classic radio duos jerseys. (8618573010).jpg|thumb|right|Toronto Blue Jays fans wearing  jerseys honouring Tom Cheek and [[Jerry Howarth]] in 2013]]
Beginning in [[1977 Toronto Blue Jays season|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 Toronto Blue Jays season|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 Toronto Blue Jays season|2000]] and [[2001 Toronto Blue Jays season|2001]].<ref>{{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}}</ref>

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 (AM)|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 Toronto Blue Jays season|1985]], and both final plays of the [[1992 World Series|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.

===="The Streak"====
[[File:JaysRetired4306.PNG|right|thumb|Tom Cheek's name on the Blue Jays Level of Excellence.]]

Cheek announced every Blue Jays game from their inaugural game at Exhibition Stadium, in Toronto, on April 7, 1977, until June 3, [[2004 Toronto Blue Jays season|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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

===Other broadcasting activities===
Cheek was a member of the broadcast team for [[Olympics on ABC|ABC Sports]] at the [[1980 Winter Olympics]] in [[Lake Placid, New York|Lake Placid]], and at the [[1984 Winter Olympics]] in [[Sarajevo]].<ref>{{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}}</ref>

===Illness and death===
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]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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 Toronto Blue Jays season|2005]]. However, the cancer returned and he required further treatment at Toronto's [[Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto)|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 [[2005 Tampa Bay Devil Rays season|Tampa Bay]].<ref>{{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}}</ref>  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]].<ref>[https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/remembering-tom-cheek-as-another-blue-jays-season-gets-underway/ Sportsnet]</ref>

==Personal life==
Cheek married his wife, Shirley, of [[Hemmingford, Quebec (village)|Hemmingford, Quebec]], in 1959. They had three children—Jeff, Lisa, and Tom—and seven grandchildren at the time of his death.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Jeff was a pitcher in the Blue Jays organization from 1992 to 1994.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>

==Awards and honors==
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 Toronto Blue Jays season|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/memorial/tor/cheek.html|title=Tom Cheek (1939-2005)|work=sportsecyclopedia.com|access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref>

For nine straight years ([[Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2005#Ford C. Frick Award|2005]]–[[Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2013#Ford C. Frick Award|2013]]),<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> 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".<ref>{{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}}</ref> He received the 2013 award on December 5, 2012.<ref name="2013frickwinner">{{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}}</ref><ref name="hof">{{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}}</ref>

==Memorable calls==
*On October 2, [[1991 Toronto Blue Jays season|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!<ref>Smith, Curt. ''Voices of the Game''. Fireside Publishing, 1992. {{ISBN|0-671-73848-8}}</ref>}}

*On October 24, [[1992 Toronto Blue Jays season|1992]], Cheek called the Blue Jays' first [[1992 World Series|World Series]] championship:

{{quote|[[Mike Timlin|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!<ref>{{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}}</ref>}}

*On October 23, [[1993 Toronto Blue Jays season|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!'''<ref name="2013frickwinner" />}}

==Bibliography==
* {{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}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[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}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheek, Tom}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:2005 deaths]]
[[Category:American radio sports commentators]]
[[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:Sportspeople from Pensacola, Florida]]
[[Category:Toronto Blue Jays announcers]]
[[Category:United States Air Force airmen]]
[[Category:Grahm Junior College alumni]]