TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays and its broadcast outlet The Fan 590 announced today the death of long-time radio voice Tom Cheek. He was 66.
He died at his home in Oldsmar, Fla., Sunday after a lengthy and hard-fought battle with brain cancer.
"It’s difficult to put into words the overwhelming sense of grief and loss shared today by the Blue Jays family, the City of Toronto, the extended community of Major League Baseball and its many fans," said Blue Jays president and CEO Paul Godfrey, in the press release. 
"Tom Cheek (right, in a photo from the team’s web site) has provided the soundtrack for the most important moments in this team’s history, with his choice of words and intonation always perfectly suited for the occasion. He was far more than just an outstanding announcer though. He was a great goodwill ambassador for baseball in Canada. His love for the game, which radiated through his words on the radio, captivated fans across this country and helped to grow the sport from one coast to the other."
"Tom Cheek went into the Blue Jays broadcast booth over 4,500 times with the same enthusiasm and passion as if he were broadcasting his first game. He was the voice of the Jays to all of us," added Nelson Millman, vice-president, general manager and program director of The Fan 590. "Those of us that worked with him and of course the listeners and fans of Blue Jays baseball desperately miss hearing him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Shirley and his family."
A web site, www.tributetotom.com, has been created in Tom’s memory where fans are encouraged to purchase a "Tribute to Tom Tribute Wrist Band" where net proceeds will go to the Canadian Cancer Society. Fans can also send along their wishes to the Cheek family via friends@tributetotom.com.
Tom Cheek had served as the Blue Jays radio play-by-play announcer since the club’s inception. A model of consistency, professionalism and excellence, Tom broadcast over 4,500 games including 4,306 consecutive regular season games (and an additional 41 postseason contests) from the first game in team history on April 7, 1977, through June 3, 2004. He was called away from the booth last summer, first by the sudden passing of his father and later because of his own personal health problems.
On August 29, 2004, he was honoured by the Blue Jays with the club’s highest award for individual achievement, induction into the Level of Excellence. Tom became just the seventh inductee and only the second member of non-uniformed personnel so honoured. The plaque unveiled in on-field ceremonies that day is adorned with his name and the number 4,306 in recognition of his remarkable streak of uninterrupted and dedicated service, believed to be the longest by any broadcaster in all of baseball.
In this past year, Tom was named as one of ten finalists for the Ford C. Frick Award, recognizing baseball broadcasting excellence and carrying with it induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. More recently, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame established the Tom Cheek Media Leadership Award, intended to recognize an individual from the media who has played an important role in promoting Canadian sport in an extraordinary and enduring way. The Hall of Fame named Mr. Cheek as the award’s first recipient.
Tom, who was born on June 13, 1939, in Pensacola, Fla., is survived by his wife Shirley and their three children and seven grandchildren.
