Editing Tom Cheek (section)

==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>