After years of waiting, and millions of Blue Jays fan votes in online polls for the Ford C. Frick award, the late Tom Cheek was honored yesterday with his rightful place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Cheek won the annual Ford C. Frick award, given to a broadcaster who has made great contributions to the game of baseball.
Cheek was the voice of the Toronto Blue Jays from their inauguration in 1977 until he was struck with Brain Cancer in 2004. Over 28 seasons he had an incredible iron man streak of 4306 games behind the microphone. Included in those were the Blue Jays first game, Dave Steib’s No Hitter, and the Back to Back Blue Jays World Series wins of 1992 and 1993. From Game 6 of the 1993 World Series, we have Cheek’s most memorable quote, “Touch em all Joe, You’ll Never Hit a Bigger Home Run in Your Life.”
The honour was accepted by Tom’s widow Shirley, and there was quite the contingent of family supporting her, and Blue Jays fans cheering her on in Cooperstown, New York.
Cheek was added to the Blue Jays level of excellence in 2005 just before his untimely death. Post-posthumously he was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame last year. Now he completes the trifecta with the highest honour. Cheek was 66 when he passed away.
Wherever you watched the ceremony. Touch em all Tom.
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Other inductees yesterday on the non-player day of inductions included Dr. Frank Jobe, the man who famously developed Tommy John surgery in the 1970s. Before his revolutionary surgery, a pitcher who blew out his elbow, was done as a major league player.
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