Voice of the Jays passes away
Don Chevrier, a popular sports announcer best known as the original television voice of the Toronto Blue Jays, died on Monday. He was 69.
Chevrier, who was born in Toronto but lived in Palm Harbor, Fla., suffered from a blood disorder and was recently admitted to hospital before being released a few days later.
A legendary figure in Canadian broadcasting circles, Chevrier amazed colleagues and television viewers alike with his unique voice and encyclopaedic knowledge of sports.
“I first met him when I began my career in the early 1970s and the thing that immediately struck me about Chevy was his voice. That voice of his was just incredible,” current CBC Sports broadcaster Steve Armitage told CBCSports.ca.
In a memo to staff issued this afternoon, CBC Sports head Steve Moore said “I worked with Don on the 1991 Canada Cup of Hockey for CTV. He was a consummate pro, and one of the great storytellers in our industry.”
More at cbc.ca
Photo: Steve Nesius/Canadian Press
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What can I say that already hasn’t been said? Don Chevrier was a model to all sports announcers and journalists. I grew up watching “Chevy” on TV. He did everything he could and did it with the utmost professionalism and commitment. Viewers who tuned in saw a dynamic show with polish and professionalism, dedicated to revealing an important truth about the spirituality in contemporary Canadian society. His absence in the Canadiana sports environment shall be greatly missed.
I grew up watching this guy.
Gonna be sad and strange growing old not watching him.
When the Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers battled for the pennant in 1987, Chevrier and Tony Kubek took us through 10 of the most exciting games in baseball. Jays lost the so-called series and lost the division to Detroit. Jimmy Key pitched the last game and lost 1 to 0. In fact, as I recall, all 10 games were decided by one run.
When the last game ended, and so did the Jays fantastic season, Chevrier and Kubeck sat facing the camera to summarize the game. Their disappointment was palapable and rightly so, these two enjoyed baseball and particularly Blue Jays baseball from the fan’s POV. That’s what made them two of the best voices in TV sports. It’s a pity Chevrier wasn’t hired to replace Dan Shulman, he was the man.