Tom Cheek vs. Dan Shulman

shack · Mar 31, 2020

Clearly the top two broadcasters in Jays' history. Who would you rate a better play by play man?

Both great, both knowledgeable, both with great voices.

I give Cheek the edge in baseball knowledge and strategy, and his vocal skills generated more excitement. He also got to call games during the Jays ascension and eventual WS. It was a more electric time.

Shulman, I think is more intelligent and more well spoken. He also has a better sense of humour and does not take himself as seriously. Plus he is a local boy who made it big time in the States but did not forget his roots and came back home.

I give a slight nod to Shulman, the hometown boy. I suspect more will pick Cheek, mainly because of the time in which he worked.

No sense asking about colour commentary. No one touches Jerry.

unassuming · Mar 31, 2020

Baseball-Cheek

Shulman can call any sport

underground · Mar 31, 2020

Tom Cheek was less calculatingly bombastic. I find Shulman screaming during big plays to be out of character. It is forced and seems cheesy. Mike Wilner obviously worships Shulman and his yelling seems fake
as well. And does it too often.

mike000 · Mar 31, 2020

Wilner is a jackass. He comes across as a conceited individual. He feels he is radios godsend. I still remember Early Wynne and his famous call. Theres a line drive into the gap, he slides into second with a stand up double lol.

black booty lover · Mar 31, 2020

underground said:
Tom Cheek was less calculatingly bombastic. I find Shulman screaming during big plays to be out of character. It is forced and seems cheesy. Mike Wilner obviously worships Shulman and his yelling seems fake
as well. And does it too often.

Wilner actually worships Cheek. He was the one that championed him getting the Ford C Frick award. Every year Wilner visits Tom Cheeks grave. (I think in spring training when he's down in Florida)

black booty lover · Mar 31, 2020

They both great. This might sound weird, but Tom's voice sounded better on the radio then Dan's, but Dan was great on both radio and T.V. I can tell you when he left Sunday Night Baseball, it wasn't nearly as fun to watch. I really miss Dan on Sunday night baseball. I really miss Tom and Jerry on the radio, especially for nostalgia reasons. Up until the late 80's, there were only two Jay''s games televised a week, so you had to listen to the rest on Radio. As a kid almost every night, those two would be on in room as I hung on to every word. Just something so soothing listening to them call a game with the ambient noise in the background. God I miss being a kid....*sigh*

Insidious Von · Mar 31, 2020

Cant compare the two, they are so different.

Tom Cheek was folksy almost an English Jean Beliveau. Shulman has that smooth bass baritone working for him and he's more erudite. Him and Buck do the WS for the International market, its better than any of the Americans.

Sid's joking extends to the baseball crew, Jamie Kennedy threatened to punch him in the schnoz, on air. Kevin Barker must think his shit smells of lilacs, he's the only one who doesn't get the joke.

black booty lover · Mar 31, 2020

Insidious Von said:
Cant compare the two, they are so different.

Tom Cheek was folksy almost an English Jean Beliveau. Shulman has that smooth bass baritone working for him and he's more erudite. Him and Buck do the WS for the International market, its better than any of the Americans.

Sid's joking extends to the baseball crew, Jamie Kennedy threatened to punch him in the schnoz, on air. Kevin Barker must think his shit smells of lilacs, he's the only one who doesn't get the joke.

I'm probably one of the least most critical people when it comes to sports personalities. Barker is terrible on Baseball Central at noon as well as Blue Jays Baseball. I was surprised that actually wasn't bad as a colour guy when doing radio. I thought he was going to suck ass seeing as he so bad doing the other baseball related media stuff. He'd been on his ass if his wife wasn't Hazel Mae, who also is a ditz but of course in this day and age, we just have to have female representation to be politically correct, despite most of them being dry as fuck. But I digress, there's really only one person I can't listen to call a game, and that's Rob Folds. It was fucking torture when he was the main guy for a few years there. He still gets the odd call up when the other guys take time off, and I have to listen to on the radio as I just can't listen to him.

shack · Mar 31, 2020

black booty lover said:
I that's Rob Folds..

Hope I'm right because I didn't actually check but I believe it is Faulds. He's pretty bland.

Different sport but the blandest of the bland is Craig Simpson.

shack · Mar 31, 2020

black booty lover said:
They both great. This might sound weird, but Tom's voice sounded better on the radio then Dan's, but Dan was great on both radio and T.V. I can tell you when he left Sunday Night Baseball, it wasn't nearly as fun to watch. I really miss Dan on Sunday night baseball. I really miss Tom and Jerry on the radio, especially for nostalgia reasons. Up until the late 80's, there were only two Jay''s games televised a week, so you had to listen to the rest on Radio. As a kid almost every night, those two would be on in room as I hung on to every word. Just something so soothing listening to them call a game with the ambient noise in the background. God I miss being a kid....*sigh*

Considering modern TV with superslomo, hi-def, camera angles, zoom, they made the games exciting to listen just on the radio. You felt like you were there.

The few times I watched Sunday Night Baseball, I thought guys like Schilling and Kruk were buffoons and Shulman was miles above them. It sounded to me like it was painful for him to do.

shack · Mar 31, 2020

Back in the ooold days, I likedTony Kubek as a colour man. You also had Don Chevrier and Fergie Olver.

black booty lover · Mar 31, 2020

shack said:
Hope I'm right because I didn't actually check but I believe it is Faulds. He's pretty bland.

Different sport but the blandest of the bland is Craig Simpson.

My number 2 worst play by play guy in sports is Chris Cuthbert. Like Nails on a chalk board.

scouser1 · Apr 2, 2020

Shulman's range of knowledge across many sports, his ability to do play by play for them and that smooth voice is why I am a big fan of his.

Dawgger · Apr 2, 2020

had no problems listening to Cheek and enjoy Shulman. One was radio the other TV, not sure if that changes anything. Certainly would not turn off the device if either was doing the play by play.

The Oracle · Apr 2, 2020

shack said:
Back in the ooold days, I likedTony Kubek as a colour man. You also had Don Chevrier and Fergie Olver.

There was just something about watching Kubek and Garagiola doing the Saturday afternoon games on I think NBC in the 70's.

Those two just seemed to be in sync with one another.

And what's with ex catchers being so good at being broadcasters. I guess wearing the tools of ignorance gives them special insight.

shack · Apr 2, 2020

The Oracle said:
There was just something about watching Kubek and Garagiola doing the Saturday afternoon games on I think NBC in the 70's.

Those two just seemed to be in sync with one another.

And what's with ex catchers being so good at being broadcasters. I guess wearing the tools of ignorance gives them special insight.

Not only broadcasters but I believe a disproportionate number become managers.

Of all the positions, the catcher is involved in more aspects of the defense than any other. Calling the pitches, knowing batter tendencies, positioning of the infielders, is it going to be a bunt, a steal, a hit and run etc. They have to be students of the game.

black booty lover · Apr 2, 2020

Kubek was awful.

black booty lover · Apr 2, 2020

mike000 said:
, he slides into second with a stand up double lol.

I remember watching a Leafs game with my Dad in the 80's one time, and Dick Beddoes was calling the game. It was the second period and three quick goals were scored between the two teams. A few minutes goes by and Beddoes goes "there have been no goals scored in the second period, except for the 3 that you just saw".

The Oracle · Apr 2, 2020

black booty lover said:
I remember watching a Leafs game with my Dad in the 80's one time, and Dick Beddoes was calling the game. It was the second period and three quick goals were scored between the two teams. A few minutes goes by and Beddoes goes "there have been no goals scored in the second period, except for the 3 that you just saw".

Dick Beddoes I remember famously said Wayne Gretzgy couldn't be a third line centre on the 19__ Leafs!

This is when Gretzgy first was talked about coming to the NHL. And I can't remember what Leaf team he mentioned.

I'd say he missed the mark on that one.

blueray · Apr 4, 2020

I liked Cheek, he was good.
Dan Shulman is on a different level, really. He’s a broadcaster that only comes around once in a while. World class He is, and we are fortunate to have him doing some home
Jays games.

Tom Cheek vs. Dan Shulman

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