After a long and storied tenure calling games for the Toronto Blue Jays, broadcaster Jerry Howarth has announced his retirement.
Howarth started in professional broadcasting with the Tacoma Twins (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) in 1974, launching a career that would see him reach Toronto in 1981. He went on to call around 7,500 games for the Blue Jays over the next 36 years, becoming a mainstay for the franchise and receiving numerous honors along the way–including the Jack Graney Award from the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012.
On Tuesday, Howarth announced that his run with the team is coming to an end. The longtime broadcaster revealed that he is retiring, and will not return to the airwaves for games in 2018. More from the Toronto Sun:
“I had every intention of continuing my career into the 2018 season but my health and stamina and continuing voice issues dictated otherwise,” Howarth said. “Who knew that I would spend more than half my life in Toronto with my wife, Mary, and our two sons, Ben and Joe, doing what I love to do most, reaching out to friends and fans alike across our great country to talk baseball.
“I am blessed and I am grateful. I thank everyone who has made this journey of mine so rewarding in every way.”
Howarth underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor inside his prostate gland in 2016 and returned to the broadcast booth last season, adding on Tuesday that he has completely recovered from the cancer.
Howarth’s tenure came during many of the Blue Jays’ memorable moments as a franchise, including their back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993, and their recent playoff appearances in 2015 and 2016.