Jerry Howarth retiring (effective immediately)

Post #1 » by **YogiStewart** » Tue Feb 13, 2018 2:11 pm

woah.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/blue-jays-broadcaster-jerry-howarth-retires-36-seasons/

Skin Blues · Post #2 » by **Skin Blues** » Tue Feb 13, 2018 2:18 pm

wow, didn't expect to read this, though I guess with the innings-splitting they've been doing it's more of an issue than I realized. One of the few Jays announcers I enjoy listening to, and has been doing it longer than I've been alive. I was in Dunedin last year for Spring Training, and seeing him walk around and say hi to all the concessions workers was really neat. Hope his health is good enough to enjoy some years away from the game.

Post #3 » by **YogiStewart** » Tue Feb 13, 2018 2:22 pm

Skin Blues wrote:wow, didn't expect to read this, though I guess with the innings-splitting they've been doing it's more of an issue than I realized. One of the few Jays announcers I enjoy listening to, and has been doing it longer than I've been alive. I was in Dunedin last year for Spring Training, and seeing him walk around and say hi to all the concessions workers was really neat. Hope his health is good enough to enjoy some years away from the game.

he had those voice issues and he hasn't sounded the same for a few years.

it's the end of an era. a real shame.
Wilner's knowledge is very good, but his home run yell is not what i dig.
oh well...

Skin Blues · Post #4 » by **Skin Blues** » Tue Feb 13, 2018 2:24 pm

YogiStewart wrote:he had those voice issues and he hasn't sounded the same for a few years.

it's the end of an era. a real shame.
Wilner's knowledge is very good, but his home run yell is not what i dig.
oh well...

He's sounded more than fine to me, but I understand it can't be easy to fight through it.

And if Wilner takes over full-time I might have to find a new team to listen to. He's like the guy you hand the mic to when the first 5 options call in sick. I'm positive they'll find a suitable replacement without resorting to him.

SharoneWright · Post #5 » by **SharoneWright** » Tue Feb 13, 2018 3:44 pm

Cheek and Howarth; the voices of my childhood. An end of an era indeed.

Jerry has to be one of the nicest and classiest people associated with baseball.

Wishing him health and happiness.

Lateral Quicks · Post #6 » by **Lateral Quicks** » Tue Feb 13, 2018 3:48 pm

Wow, that came out of left field. What a shame his voice issues are forcing him to retire - you get the sense it's heartbreaking for him to step away.

I've always loved listening to Jerry (I grew up with Tom and Jerry on the radio). Just a great voice, and so much knowledge of the game's history. I know some listeners didn't always appreciate the amount of trivia and statistics he brought to the broadcast, but that was right up my alley. Listening to the games on the radio will never be the same. His many catch phrases ("Call it two, a double play", "There she goes", "The Blue Jays take flight", etc) won't soon be forgotten.

He's always come across as a stand-up guy on the radio. I know he coaches high school basketball in the off-season. I understand he was always distant with his coworkers, and a poster on these boards once PM'd me that he had a very different - and worse - persona away from the microphone. I never believed that - it would be pretty hard to act differently for 3+ hours a day, 162+ days a year, for 36 years.

I wish him well and hopefully his health permits him to guest broadcast from time to time.

SharoneWright · Post #7 » by **SharoneWright** » Tue Feb 13, 2018 3:52 pm

Lateral Quicks wrote:Wow, that came out of left field. What a shame his voice issues are forcing him to retire - you get the sense it's heartbreaking for him to step away.

I've always loved listening to Jerry (I grew up with Tom and Jerry on the radio). Just a great voice, and so much knowledge of the game's history. I know some listeners didn't always appreciate the amount of trivia and statistics he brought to the broadcast, but that was right up my alley. Listening to the games on the radio will never be the same. His many catch phrases ("Call it two, a double play", "There she goes", "The Blue Jays take flight", etc) won't soon be forgotten.

He's always come across as a stand-up guy on the radio. I know he coaches high school basketball in the off-season. I understand he was always distant with his coworkers, and a poster on these boards once PM'd me that he had a very different - and worse - persona away from the microphone. I never believed that - it would be pretty hard to act differently for 3+ hours a day, 162+ days a year, for 36 years.

I wish him well and hopefully his health permits him to guest broadcast from time to time.

"hooking,,, hooking,,,, foul!" :nod:

bluerap23 · Post #8 » by **bluerap23** » Tue Feb 13, 2018 7:55 pm

Highly moral human being. Would not use the word Indians when we played Cleveland for the past 20 years (way before political correctness was at the forefront).

batman54 · Post #9 » by **batman54** » Wed Feb 14, 2018 12:31 am

What a great radio broadcaster Jerry has been.
Such a shame to be forced out by health. So many baseball men stay on seemingly forever.
Hopefully whatever is going on isn't more serious than we know.
Hopefully he's invited to the booth once in a while, or can so something else for the Jays occasionally.

Hoopstarr · Post #10 » by **Hoopstarr** » Wed Feb 14, 2018 2:50 am

Gentle man with a gentle voice. He was a soothing balm for many summer days.

I gotta say, I was never a fan of one thing he did: "there she goes!" Specifically that it was his only call for a homer. So when you use it for something as momentous as The Bat Flip it just feels ordinary.

And ugh, Mike Wilner.

Scott Hall · Post #11 » by **Scott Hall** » Wed Feb 14, 2018 2:39 pm

Man...

Bautista's tenure ending on a thud
Roy Halladay tragically dying
Greg Zaun sex/perv scandal
Jerry Howarth abruptly retiring
The team looking directionless not committed to rebuilding or competing
Hopefully Josh Donaldson doesn't end up leaving for nothing

Depressing times in Jays land

duppyy · Post #12 » by **duppyy** » Wed Feb 14, 2018 7:04 pm

Scott Hall wrote:Man...

Bautista's tenure ending on a thud
Roy Halladay tragically dying
Greg Zaun sex/perv scandal
Jerry Howarth abruptly retiring
The team looking directionless not committed to rebuilding or competing
Hopefully Josh Donaldson doesn't end up leaving for nothing

Depressing times in Jays land

If this were a Disney movie Jays would be winning the World Series after all these things.

batman54 · Post #13 » by **batman54** » Tue Feb 20, 2018 6:31 pm

Has there been any confirmation on a replacement?
Please, not Wilner.
Please, not Wilner.
Please, not Wilner.
Please, not Wilner.

C Court · Post #14 » by **C Court** » Tue Feb 20, 2018 10:02 pm

The NIGHTMARE scenario for Jays fans........

Lateral Quicks · Post #15 » by **Lateral Quicks** » Tue Feb 20, 2018 10:24 pm

Put me on the anti-Wilner bandwagon. He's fine in the smarty pants call-in show host role, but doesn't have the chops for a full-time play-by-play gig.

I have no idea who is good and available. Shulman strikes me as a pipe-dream - he probably makes way too much money and wouldn't have the same exposure in the radio booth full-time. They did audition the Buffalo announcer a little bit the last couple years so perhaps that's the direction they're going. There must be all kinds of talent available in the minor leagues and even the college level.

torontoaces04 · Post #16 » by **torontoaces04** » Wed Feb 21, 2018 11:23 pm

Straight to the big times?!?

SharoneWright · Post #17 » by **SharoneWright** » Thu Feb 22, 2018 4:39 am

Lateral Quicks wrote:Put me on the anti-Wilner bandwagon. He's fine in the smarty pants call-in show host role, but doesn't have the chops for a full-time play-by-play gig.

I have no idea who is good and available. Shulman strikes me as a pipe-dream - he probably makes way too much money and wouldn't have the same exposure in the radio booth full-time. They did audition the Buffalo announcer a little bit the last couple years so perhaps that's the direction they're going. There must be all kinds of talent available in the minor leagues and even the college level.

I'm gonna get flamed, but I like the heat....

I'd strongly consider Jamie Campbell. Dude was actually fine for TV but was saddled with bad PBP guys and made a couple stupid/juvenile comments (I forget them now) he got dinged for. Anyway, he's seems to have his act together, he's a baseball trivia geek, he's paid his dues, and I think would work well (as a non-player himself, like Jerry) alongside a true baseball colour guy (PLEASE no more Siddal).

Post #18 » by **JaysRule15** » Mon Feb 26, 2018 12:19 am

I'd take Jamie Campbell all day over Wilner.

C Court · Post #19 » by **C Court** » Mon Feb 26, 2018 3:55 am

Jamie over Wilner all day long. Plus he’s an Oakville guy!

SharoneWright · Post #20 » by **SharoneWright** » Wed Feb 28, 2018 4:18 pm

Siddall out of the booth!! Woot!!

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/joe-siddall-joins-blue-jays-central-tv-analyst-sportsnet/

“Since joining the radio broadcast team in 2014, Joe has become one of the industry’s leading analysts,” said Rob Corte, Vice President, Sportsnet & NHL Production.

said no one ever. and that's why we are reducing his time on the air.

(seems like the nicest guy, just offers ZERO insight. parrots whatever Jerry says. talks about pitch location 100 times a game. I turn off the radio once he starts talking a stream of empty calories)