Tom Cheek, longtime voice of Blue Jays, dead
Cheek did not miss a single broadcast in 27 1/2 seasons. He died at his Florida home after a battle with brain cancer.
Tom Cheek, the longtime Toronto Blue Jays announcer, has died at the age of 66. Cheek did not miss a single broadcast in 27 1/2 seasons, a streak encompassing 4,306 regular-season games plus 41 playoff tilts.
He was on hand from the Jays' first game on April 7, 1977, until June 3, 2004, because of his father's death.
Ten days after his father died, Cheek underwent an operation to remove a brain tumour.
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"The two most important parts of my life are family and baseball," Cheek said in a March 2005 press release. "I am blessed with a wonderful family and I am definitely looking forward to this year's Jays season."
Cheek died at his Florida home after a battle with brain cancer. Funeral details have not yet been announced.