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Hello, Friends!: Stories from My Life and Blue Jays Baseball
An honest memoir about life, family, and baseball from the longtime, legendary Toronto Blue Jays radio broadcaster.
For 36 years, Jerry Howarth ushered in eternal hope each spring and thrived in the drive of each fall as the voice of the Toronto Blue Jays. In 1982, the lifelong avid sports fan joined Tom Cheek as full-time play-by-play radio announcer for the Blue Jays, and for the next 23 years, "Tom and Jerry" were the voices of the franchise. Jerry became part of the fabric of a nation and a team, covering historic moments like the rise of the Blue Jays through the 1980s that culminated in back-to-back World Series Championships in 1992 and 1993. His Hall of Fame-worthy broadcasting career has been nothing short of legendary. When Jerry retired in February 2018, the tributes poured in and made one thing perfectly Toronto baseball would never be the same.
Howarth brings together thoughts on life, family, work, and baseball. Featuring stories about everyone from Dave Stieb, Jack Morris, Duane Ward, Roberto Alomar, and Joe Carter to John Gibbons, Edwin Encarnacion, Josh Donaldson, and the late Roy Halladay, Hello, Friends! is a must-read for sports fans everywhere.
For 36 years, Jerry Howarth ushered in eternal hope each spring and thrived in the drive of each fall as the voice of the Toronto Blue Jays. In 1982, the lifelong avid sports fan joined Tom Cheek as full-time play-by-play radio announcer for the Blue Jays, and for the next 23 years, "Tom and Jerry" were the voices of the franchise. Jerry became part of the fabric of a nation and a team, covering historic moments like the rise of the Blue Jays through the 1980s that culminated in back-to-back World Series Championships in 1992 and 1993. His Hall of Fame-worthy broadcasting career has been nothing short of legendary. When Jerry retired in February 2018, the tributes poured in and made one thing perfectly Toronto baseball would never be the same.
Howarth brings together thoughts on life, family, work, and baseball. Featuring stories about everyone from Dave Stieb, Jack Morris, Duane Ward, Roberto Alomar, and Joe Carter to John Gibbons, Edwin Encarnacion, Josh Donaldson, and the late Roy Halladay, Hello, Friends! is a must-read for sports fans everywhere.
367 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 5, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
June 26, 2019
What a wonderful book for baseball fans to enjoy, Blue Jays fans in particular. If you were lucky enough you got to wile away the hours listening to 'Tom and Jerry' call the Jays on the radio through the heydays of the 80's and the 90's. Jerry Howarth has been one of the voices of the Blue Jays since the early days. This book tells you the fascinating story of Jerry's life from his beginnings through his entire career. You get incredible memories and stories that just amaze a reader.
As an avid fan of the Jays who listened to the radio broadcasts every single game for years in the 80's, this book was a trip down memory lane. More than just common memories, this book provides the reader with baseball facts and tidbits never before seen anywhere else. Jerry Howarth experienced things no one else did in baseball and he shares them with the world in this book. A tremendous book that will take a prized place on my bookshelf and should be on every baseball fan's bookshelf too.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mr. N
As an avid fan of the Jays who listened to the radio broadcasts every single game for years in the 80's, this book was a trip down memory lane. More than just common memories, this book provides the reader with baseball facts and tidbits never before seen anywhere else. Jerry Howarth experienced things no one else did in baseball and he shares them with the world in this book. A tremendous book that will take a prized place on my bookshelf and should be on every baseball fan's bookshelf too.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mr. N
January 19, 2019
When a broadcaster does the games for one team for a long time, that person will have a vast collection of stories to share. That is the case for Jerry Howarth, who was a radio broadcaster for the Toronto Blue Jays from 1982 to 2017. He shares many of those stories and some about himself as well in this memoir.
As one might imagine, a person who has had the same job for 36 years will have a wide variety of stories to tell. Of course, he shares his recollections on famous moments in Blue Jays history, such as Joe Carter’s walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series and the famous bat flip by Jose Bautista in the 2015 American League Division Series against the Texas Rangers. However, what makes the book a little different from other collections of stories like this are all the personal connections Howarth had with so many Blue Jays players and personnel over the years.
Some of these stories will be sad, such as the death of Howarth’s long time broadcast partner, Tom Cheek. His telling of the last half inning Cheek called for the Blue Jays will make the toughest of readers generate at least a sniffle. But many, many more of them are uplifting and tell about the successes and positive accomplishments of the subject, especially if it was a player. Howarth rarely has a bad thing to say about anyone in this book.
The most interesting part of the book turned out to be the beginning as he tells his tale of how he sent tapes of college games he broadcast and his jobs in sports outside of broadcasting. He worked for a few years for the Utah Jazz before starting his broadcasting career doing the games of the AAA Tacoma Twins. While this read much like any other memoir, it was good material and advice for readers who may wish to pursue this profession. The rest of the book with its storytelling is much like any other collection of stories, fictional as well as non-fictional – some good, some not so good (either very short or just telling the reader “Hey, I talked once to so-and-so).
Overall, this book is one that Blue Jays fans will certainly enjoy and fans of other teams may like as well. If nothing else, Howarth can say he has shared a treasure trove of stories that many generations of Blue Jays fans will pass along from generation to generation.
I wish to thank ECW Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
As one might imagine, a person who has had the same job for 36 years will have a wide variety of stories to tell. Of course, he shares his recollections on famous moments in Blue Jays history, such as Joe Carter’s walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series and the famous bat flip by Jose Bautista in the 2015 American League Division Series against the Texas Rangers. However, what makes the book a little different from other collections of stories like this are all the personal connections Howarth had with so many Blue Jays players and personnel over the years.
Some of these stories will be sad, such as the death of Howarth’s long time broadcast partner, Tom Cheek. His telling of the last half inning Cheek called for the Blue Jays will make the toughest of readers generate at least a sniffle. But many, many more of them are uplifting and tell about the successes and positive accomplishments of the subject, especially if it was a player. Howarth rarely has a bad thing to say about anyone in this book.
The most interesting part of the book turned out to be the beginning as he tells his tale of how he sent tapes of college games he broadcast and his jobs in sports outside of broadcasting. He worked for a few years for the Utah Jazz before starting his broadcasting career doing the games of the AAA Tacoma Twins. While this read much like any other memoir, it was good material and advice for readers who may wish to pursue this profession. The rest of the book with its storytelling is much like any other collection of stories, fictional as well as non-fictional – some good, some not so good (either very short or just telling the reader “Hey, I talked once to so-and-so).
Overall, this book is one that Blue Jays fans will certainly enjoy and fans of other teams may like as well. If nothing else, Howarth can say he has shared a treasure trove of stories that many generations of Blue Jays fans will pass along from generation to generation.
I wish to thank ECW Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
January 5, 2019
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
For 36 years, Jerry Howarth ushered in eternal hope each spring and thrived in the drive of each fall as the voice of the Toronto Blue Jays. In 1982, the lifelong avid sports fan joined Tom Cheek as full-time play-by-play radio announcer for the Blue Jays, and for the next 23 years, “Tom and Jerry” were the voices of the franchise. Jerry became part of the fabric of a nation and a team, covering historic moments like the rise of the Blue Jays through the 1980s that culminated in back-to-back World Series Championships in 1992 and 1993. His Hall of Fame–worthy broadcasting career has been nothing short of legendary. When Jerry retired in February 2018, the tributes poured in and made one thing perfectly clear: Toronto baseball would never be the same.
Howarth brings together thoughts on life, family, work, and baseball. Featuring stories about everyone from Dave Stieb, Jack Morris, Duane Ward, Roberto Alomar, and Joe Carter to John Gibbons, Edwin Encarnacion, Josh Donaldson, and the late Roy Halladay, Hello, Friends! is a must-read for sports fans everywhere.
I am a recent convert to baseball - and, in particular, the Toronto Blue Jays - so I was very interested to have a read of this book.
A memoir of Jerry Howarth, the man who spent 36 years being the voice of the Toronto Blue Jays on the radio, this book is a pretty standard biography - where he grew up, how he got involved in radio, famous names, memorable events etc. It was fascinating reading for a newbie, with lots of information I hadn't known previously. But I am not sure how interesting it would be for a long-term die-hard fan. It could be just a little light on for depth.
Paul
ARH
For 36 years, Jerry Howarth ushered in eternal hope each spring and thrived in the drive of each fall as the voice of the Toronto Blue Jays. In 1982, the lifelong avid sports fan joined Tom Cheek as full-time play-by-play radio announcer for the Blue Jays, and for the next 23 years, “Tom and Jerry” were the voices of the franchise. Jerry became part of the fabric of a nation and a team, covering historic moments like the rise of the Blue Jays through the 1980s that culminated in back-to-back World Series Championships in 1992 and 1993. His Hall of Fame–worthy broadcasting career has been nothing short of legendary. When Jerry retired in February 2018, the tributes poured in and made one thing perfectly clear: Toronto baseball would never be the same.
Howarth brings together thoughts on life, family, work, and baseball. Featuring stories about everyone from Dave Stieb, Jack Morris, Duane Ward, Roberto Alomar, and Joe Carter to John Gibbons, Edwin Encarnacion, Josh Donaldson, and the late Roy Halladay, Hello, Friends! is a must-read for sports fans everywhere.
I am a recent convert to baseball - and, in particular, the Toronto Blue Jays - so I was very interested to have a read of this book.
A memoir of Jerry Howarth, the man who spent 36 years being the voice of the Toronto Blue Jays on the radio, this book is a pretty standard biography - where he grew up, how he got involved in radio, famous names, memorable events etc. It was fascinating reading for a newbie, with lots of information I hadn't known previously. But I am not sure how interesting it would be for a long-term die-hard fan. It could be just a little light on for depth.
Paul
ARH
October 14, 2021
Although I enjoyed some of the stories Jerry had to tell I did find that the book jumped around a lot. It felt like he wanted to include everyone he could think of and as a result the stories were often too short or not fleshed out enough to be interesting. It felt like a surface level look at Jays players and not the in depth behind the scenes experience I was looking for. As a huge Jays fan it was worth the read but I was left wishing it provided more in-depth stories rather than jumping from minor thought to minor thought.
April 20, 2019
A well-known comedian/actor whose love of baseball is legendary included his impressions of some Yankees legends in one of his books. The guy loved Mickey Mantle, despite his flaws. He did not like Joe Dimaggio, because of his. Perhaps this was because he knew the former well enough to see past the negatives and could focus on his good points. The latter, his only encounters were negative ones.
Jerry Howarth's new book, “Hello, Friends!” takes the approach that the aforementioned author took with Mr. Mantle – EVERYONE(*) must have some redeeming qualities. A brusque alcoholic? “Well, I hear he's getting treatment for his addiction and his anger management issues.” A manager lying about his military service history? “He's apologized and doesn't do that any more.” etc. etc.
Mr. Howarth ALSO intermingles his own life story in between the tales of his encounters with the personalities of baseball and the games he has witnessed. Occasionally, the transition comes off a little awkward, but most of the time, working along a timeline, it makes perfect sense as to how / why the author switches his subject between “baseball” and “Howarth family life”.
A decent read. The book may have been a bit more interesting had the author not constantly had to find the good in everyone he ever met – BUT, I have to admit, if I were involved in baseball, I wouldn't be sharing my stories with someone who was simply going to use them to skewer me in some tell-all book!!
RATING: 3 1/2 Stars, rounded up to 4 Stars where partial stars are not permitted.
(*) Congratulations, Mike Mussina. Unlike Will Rogers who famously “never met a man he didn't like,” YOU were the only person mentioned in this entire book for which the author didn't have a good word. Perhaps because you never played for the Blue Jays?
Jerry Howarth's new book, “Hello, Friends!” takes the approach that the aforementioned author took with Mr. Mantle – EVERYONE(*) must have some redeeming qualities. A brusque alcoholic? “Well, I hear he's getting treatment for his addiction and his anger management issues.” A manager lying about his military service history? “He's apologized and doesn't do that any more.” etc. etc.
Mr. Howarth ALSO intermingles his own life story in between the tales of his encounters with the personalities of baseball and the games he has witnessed. Occasionally, the transition comes off a little awkward, but most of the time, working along a timeline, it makes perfect sense as to how / why the author switches his subject between “baseball” and “Howarth family life”.
A decent read. The book may have been a bit more interesting had the author not constantly had to find the good in everyone he ever met – BUT, I have to admit, if I were involved in baseball, I wouldn't be sharing my stories with someone who was simply going to use them to skewer me in some tell-all book!!
RATING: 3 1/2 Stars, rounded up to 4 Stars where partial stars are not permitted.
(*) Congratulations, Mike Mussina. Unlike Will Rogers who famously “never met a man he didn't like,” YOU were the only person mentioned in this entire book for which the author didn't have a good word. Perhaps because you never played for the Blue Jays?
July 7, 2025
I have been a baseball fan since my mom used to pile us all in the station wagon and take us over to Detroit on "Family Night" to watch the Tigers play. There was no Blue Jays team at that time and with the Tigers just across the river, that was my team. When Toronto got an American League franchise in 1976, they played their first game, but I was living in Belleville, Ontario and was rooting for the Montreal Expos, who joined the major leagues in 1969. When I moved back to Windsor, Ontario in 1982, I switched my allegiance to the Toronto Blue Jays and have been rooting for them ever since. When I saw Hello, Friends! I knew I wanted to read and/or listen to it. I enjoyed the book a lot. It brought back great memories of the players and highlights I had watched over the years, especially the back to back World Series wins. The beginning of the book shared Jerry Howarth's career as he moved through the ranks of being an announcer, sportscaster, sports show host, analyst and PR person. If you are a baseball fan, especially a Blue Jays fan, then I recommend this one. Listening to it was enjoyable especially as Jerry Howarth narrates his own story. It is like sitting down and talking to him.
April 21, 2019
Blue Jays baseball on the radio and Tom And Jerry are the fabric of my early days as a baseball fan. Tom and Jerry taught me the game that I really knew nothing about when I started watching around 1989.
My hope for this book was a warm, heart warming story of the the man behind the mic since the 80s. One of a handful that has seen the good, bad and ugly of the Toronto Blue Jays. What the book was, was a chronicle of Jerry Howarth’s time with the Blue Jays and small, intimate snippets of the players and personnel that made the team who and what it was through the years. The peek behind the curtain that I had hoped for wasn’t there but some fond memories of years and names gone by were.
If you’ve been a fan of baseball and particularly the Blue Jays, this one is one for your collection and it’s great for a walk down memory lane as the days turn from spring to summer.
(I received my copy of this book from ECW at no charge for an honest review).
My hope for this book was a warm, heart warming story of the the man behind the mic since the 80s. One of a handful that has seen the good, bad and ugly of the Toronto Blue Jays. What the book was, was a chronicle of Jerry Howarth’s time with the Blue Jays and small, intimate snippets of the players and personnel that made the team who and what it was through the years. The peek behind the curtain that I had hoped for wasn’t there but some fond memories of years and names gone by were.
If you’ve been a fan of baseball and particularly the Blue Jays, this one is one for your collection and it’s great for a walk down memory lane as the days turn from spring to summer.
(I received my copy of this book from ECW at no charge for an honest review).
March 5, 2021
It kills me to say this, but Jerry short-changes this book. He spends too much time trying to write bits about every player of note in Jays’ history and not near enough time on any one singular story.
He’s a good writer and probably could write the definitive chronicle of this often-frustrating franchise...but this ain’t it.
He’s a good writer and probably could write the definitive chronicle of this often-frustrating franchise...but this ain’t it.
August 3, 2025
Solid read for a jays fan. Pretty run-of-the-mill team overview with some fun little insights here and there. Nothing groundbreaking or too in-depth.
February 28, 2019
Thanks for the ARC copy of this book from ECW Press.... This book is an In depth look on and off the field at the game of Baseball through the commentators and players points of view.....Jerry worked hard in the early stages of his Career by recording games, and then playing back commentary's on the tapes..
A good daily routine is essential for Jerry in Order to be a fine broadcastor, he broadcasts approx 162 games per season and before each game does a lot of preparation and research from his players list and pre and post games interviews with some of the players.Jerry likes to make people feel that they our at an actual baseball game wherever they might be listening to the radio and T.V. Basically there our two key factors talent and dedication that make or break a players career . Also we should try to remember that the players our real people to and we should not get upset if they do not play well,they should be appreciated for who they really are..despite troubles with addiction etc
Tom Henke is one of his fave Blue Jays he has 4 children one of who was born with Down's syndrome, every year he has a charity golf classic to raise money for Si learning centre.
Carlos Delgardo was the only player to have an RBI Recordof 30 home runs in ten straight seasons.
1998 was the Blue Jays last full season at the Ex. 1992 Cito Gasto first African American manager to win that yrs series.
1993 series produced 4 future Hall of famers players
1994 Same year world series cancelled due to baseball srike Jerry became a Canadian Citizen with his family.
One of the players Charlie O Brien having been hit several times in conventional mask by foul tips , this was enough for him to develop a new catchers mask, he worked in conjunction with Van Velden Mask Inc , Hamilton Ontario which was approved by MLB in 1996.
Since 1997 Blue Jays wear Red uniforms on Canada day.
2005 Skydome renamed Rogers Centre (I like the name Skydome better !!)
2013 Japanese player Munenori Kawaski (Moonie) Played with the Jays for 3 yrs
VIP GUESTS IN RADIO BOOTH CONVERSATIONS WITH JERRY.
Robert Duvall
Meat Loaf
Alice Cooper
Former U.S.A President Richard Nixon
Toronto Radio Personalitys Erin Davis /Mike Cooper
Howie Mandell
Bryan Adams
Sometimes Wives/Girlfriend of players will promote Food Drives.
"Next Pitch" Jerry uses these words almost daily to motivate himself .
Tom Cheek was broadcasting partner for 27 yrs (Tom and Jerry !!)
Jerry coached basketball for 25 yrs, 1n 2000, he was inducted into Sports Hall of Fame...2015 he was given the Order of St Michael from St Mike's High School.
2016 diagonosed with stage 1 prostate cancer.
This was an interesting book for me to read as i do not normally read books about sports ! I think it is amazing how much knowledge Jerry retained over the yrs.. This copy had no photos in it, (although l think the finished book does.) Nicely produced book clearly set out and divided into good sections ..Very clear print which stands out well on the bright white paper ...
A good daily routine is essential for Jerry in Order to be a fine broadcastor, he broadcasts approx 162 games per season and before each game does a lot of preparation and research from his players list and pre and post games interviews with some of the players.Jerry likes to make people feel that they our at an actual baseball game wherever they might be listening to the radio and T.V. Basically there our two key factors talent and dedication that make or break a players career . Also we should try to remember that the players our real people to and we should not get upset if they do not play well,they should be appreciated for who they really are..despite troubles with addiction etc
Tom Henke is one of his fave Blue Jays he has 4 children one of who was born with Down's syndrome, every year he has a charity golf classic to raise money for Si learning centre.
Carlos Delgardo was the only player to have an RBI Recordof 30 home runs in ten straight seasons.
1998 was the Blue Jays last full season at the Ex. 1992 Cito Gasto first African American manager to win that yrs series.
1993 series produced 4 future Hall of famers players
1994 Same year world series cancelled due to baseball srike Jerry became a Canadian Citizen with his family.
One of the players Charlie O Brien having been hit several times in conventional mask by foul tips , this was enough for him to develop a new catchers mask, he worked in conjunction with Van Velden Mask Inc , Hamilton Ontario which was approved by MLB in 1996.
Since 1997 Blue Jays wear Red uniforms on Canada day.
2005 Skydome renamed Rogers Centre (I like the name Skydome better !!)
2013 Japanese player Munenori Kawaski (Moonie) Played with the Jays for 3 yrs
VIP GUESTS IN RADIO BOOTH CONVERSATIONS WITH JERRY.
Robert Duvall
Meat Loaf
Alice Cooper
Former U.S.A President Richard Nixon
Toronto Radio Personalitys Erin Davis /Mike Cooper
Howie Mandell
Bryan Adams
Sometimes Wives/Girlfriend of players will promote Food Drives.
"Next Pitch" Jerry uses these words almost daily to motivate himself .
Tom Cheek was broadcasting partner for 27 yrs (Tom and Jerry !!)
Jerry coached basketball for 25 yrs, 1n 2000, he was inducted into Sports Hall of Fame...2015 he was given the Order of St Michael from St Mike's High School.
2016 diagonosed with stage 1 prostate cancer.
This was an interesting book for me to read as i do not normally read books about sports ! I think it is amazing how much knowledge Jerry retained over the yrs.. This copy had no photos in it, (although l think the finished book does.) Nicely produced book clearly set out and divided into good sections ..Very clear print which stands out well on the bright white paper ...
December 4, 2018
A special thank you to Edelweiss and ECW Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Jerry Howarth has been the voice of the Toronto Blue Jays for 36 years. He has covered historic moments, like the rise of the Blue Jays through the 1980s that resulted in back-to-back World Series Championships in 1992 and 1993, and worked with the best in sports. His remarkable broadcasting career is legendary, evident in the tributes that poured in when he retired this past February.
In this book, Howarth brings together anecdotal stories about baseball, life, family, and work. Baseball fans will enjoy reading about pivotal players such as Dave Stieb, Duane Ward, Roberto Alomar, Joe Carter, the late Roy Halladay, and more recently, John Gibbons, Edwin Encarnacion, Josh Donaldson, and Canada's own Superman, Kevin Pillar.
Jerry, you are a national treasure and Canadians are so grateful that you chose our country to call home. Congratulations on your broadcasting legacy and your well-deserved retirement. Your kindness, integrity, and impeccable work ethic are evident in these wonderful stories.
Told in short, digestible parts, Howarth delights sports enthusiasts (especially Blue Jays fans) with tales from his time both on and off the field. Hello, Friends! is a must-have for any sports fan.
Jerry Howarth has been the voice of the Toronto Blue Jays for 36 years. He has covered historic moments, like the rise of the Blue Jays through the 1980s that resulted in back-to-back World Series Championships in 1992 and 1993, and worked with the best in sports. His remarkable broadcasting career is legendary, evident in the tributes that poured in when he retired this past February.
In this book, Howarth brings together anecdotal stories about baseball, life, family, and work. Baseball fans will enjoy reading about pivotal players such as Dave Stieb, Duane Ward, Roberto Alomar, Joe Carter, the late Roy Halladay, and more recently, John Gibbons, Edwin Encarnacion, Josh Donaldson, and Canada's own Superman, Kevin Pillar.
Jerry, you are a national treasure and Canadians are so grateful that you chose our country to call home. Congratulations on your broadcasting legacy and your well-deserved retirement. Your kindness, integrity, and impeccable work ethic are evident in these wonderful stories.
Told in short, digestible parts, Howarth delights sports enthusiasts (especially Blue Jays fans) with tales from his time both on and off the field. Hello, Friends! is a must-have for any sports fan.
February 8, 2019
Hello, Friends
Stories From My Life and
Blue Jays Baseball
Jerry Howarth
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ECW Press
Though now retired (2017), the long-time play-by-play voice for the Toronto Blue Jays still has much to say. Hello, Friends is a rambling collection of anecdotal shorts in which Jerry Howarth recollects many of the memorable people, places, and events that shaped his life and career.
Born in York, Pennsylvania, Howarth recounts his circuitous route through childhood, teenage, and young adult years to what became a 36-year radio career with the club. Honest and forthcoming, Howarth pens what should be, could be, a fascinating story. Unfortunately, I found much of that potential lost in a struggle to make connections, to immerse myself in the sight, sounds, scent, and the ever-important need to emotionally connect with Howarth’s journey.
Stories From My Life and
Blue Jays Baseball
Jerry Howarth
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ECW Press
Though now retired (2017), the long-time play-by-play voice for the Toronto Blue Jays still has much to say. Hello, Friends is a rambling collection of anecdotal shorts in which Jerry Howarth recollects many of the memorable people, places, and events that shaped his life and career.
Born in York, Pennsylvania, Howarth recounts his circuitous route through childhood, teenage, and young adult years to what became a 36-year radio career with the club. Honest and forthcoming, Howarth pens what should be, could be, a fascinating story. Unfortunately, I found much of that potential lost in a struggle to make connections, to immerse myself in the sight, sounds, scent, and the ever-important need to emotionally connect with Howarth’s journey.
April 13, 2021
Jerry Howarth was the voice of the Toronto Blue Jays for 37 years. He kept me company for thousands of hours on late night drives and weekend afternoons. Other than my parents I probably heard his voice more than anybody's growing up. Jerry retired a couple years ago and this is his memoir of his time at the mic in Toronto. You know how baseball announcers time their little on-air anecdotes to perfectly fit between slow pitches? Well, this book reads like a thousand of those anecdotes. Perfect for Toronto Blue Jays fans.
November 27, 2019
As a jays fan, I thought it would contain more insight. Too much recounting of names, draft dates, statistics. Little cerebral thought from the author, especially the last 2/3 of the book.
September 1, 2019
Well done Jerry Howarth! Not just Blue Jays fans, but all fans of baseball will enjoy reading about the birth of the Jays from 1977 to current day.
Jerry is a nice guy, a 'gentleman' described by many who know him and oh boy, a heck of a lot of people do from players to management to fans' moms and dads to players families. He is likable, personable, easy to get on with, easy to chat with and tell your story to.
Brought up on the west coast, from an early age Jerry was into all sports and so wanted to get into on air journalism via a broadcast booth. He tried, tried again, persevered, and through pluck and persistence and going about it all in a polite, respectful way he scored the big time with his first Blue Jays broadcast season in 1982 beginning the broadcasts with the familiar, 'Hello friends!' Now retired, Jerry gave us the games until 1917, his last season. His kind of stellar delivery and superb broadcasting of lives ball games, along with his partner the late Tom Cheek are one of a kind and sorely missed.
This book takes an ardent Jays fan back to the beginning; we meet up with all the major and a handful of minor but important players in Jays history. We re-live key moments in the game, clinchers, groaners, mostly upbeat history-making moments. For one thing Jerry Howarth is is an upbeat, glass half full, inspiring, cheerful and happy person. He brought an essence of the game on air we could easily imagine--the blue of the sky seen from the seats in the Dome, the special jersey colours on featured days, quirky game socks a player might sport, the crack of the bat, the hit, the homer, the slide into home plate and, especially, the cheers!
Jerry easily and conversationally shares bits of his life as a child, student, first sports jobs, family life and faith, and a lot of Jays memories that had me smiling throughout: 1992 and 1993 World Series wins, pennant race wins, funny player stories along with some sad that we fans know, may have forgotten and are reminded.
Jerry has coached basketball at a local Toronto school for years and he and his family became Canadian citizens a number of years ago. Giving back to the community and especially the large sports family is something a great bunch of athletes love to do.
Tom and Jerry were the voice of the Jays on radio for a millions of us keen and constant fans, always welcome in our homes, cars and backyards, like old friends. Times they do change but Hello Friends brings back a bunch of great years and times with our Blue Jays.
Jerry is a nice guy, a 'gentleman' described by many who know him and oh boy, a heck of a lot of people do from players to management to fans' moms and dads to players families. He is likable, personable, easy to get on with, easy to chat with and tell your story to.
Brought up on the west coast, from an early age Jerry was into all sports and so wanted to get into on air journalism via a broadcast booth. He tried, tried again, persevered, and through pluck and persistence and going about it all in a polite, respectful way he scored the big time with his first Blue Jays broadcast season in 1982 beginning the broadcasts with the familiar, 'Hello friends!' Now retired, Jerry gave us the games until 1917, his last season. His kind of stellar delivery and superb broadcasting of lives ball games, along with his partner the late Tom Cheek are one of a kind and sorely missed.
This book takes an ardent Jays fan back to the beginning; we meet up with all the major and a handful of minor but important players in Jays history. We re-live key moments in the game, clinchers, groaners, mostly upbeat history-making moments. For one thing Jerry Howarth is is an upbeat, glass half full, inspiring, cheerful and happy person. He brought an essence of the game on air we could easily imagine--the blue of the sky seen from the seats in the Dome, the special jersey colours on featured days, quirky game socks a player might sport, the crack of the bat, the hit, the homer, the slide into home plate and, especially, the cheers!
Jerry easily and conversationally shares bits of his life as a child, student, first sports jobs, family life and faith, and a lot of Jays memories that had me smiling throughout: 1992 and 1993 World Series wins, pennant race wins, funny player stories along with some sad that we fans know, may have forgotten and are reminded.
Jerry has coached basketball at a local Toronto school for years and he and his family became Canadian citizens a number of years ago. Giving back to the community and especially the large sports family is something a great bunch of athletes love to do.
Tom and Jerry were the voice of the Jays on radio for a millions of us keen and constant fans, always welcome in our homes, cars and backyards, like old friends. Times they do change but Hello Friends brings back a bunch of great years and times with our Blue Jays.
December 15, 2018
Jerry Howarth is a former sportscaster. He was born in the U.S. and became a Canadian citizen in 1994. He is best known as the radio play-by-play voice of the Toronto Blue Jays from 1981 through the 2017 season.
Howarth started his career in Toronto where he worked part of the 1981 Blue Jays season as a commentator. In 1982, he joined Tom Cheek as his full-time play-by-play partner. For the next 23 years, "Tom and Jerry" would be the radio voices of the Blue Jays (Cheek passed away in 2005).
Howarth had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2016 and had surgery to remove a small tumor. He retired from broadcasting in February 2018 due to health reasons.
This book is Howarth's story of his life. He starts off by telling us about his childhood and education. It was interesting to learn that he had gone to university to study law but his love of sports was so great that he quit school to give broadcasting a try. Obviously it has worked out for him!
He shares stories of the Toronto Blue Jays and managers who have been on the team over the years right up to today's line-up including Dave Stieb, Jack Morris, Duane Ward, Roberto Alomar, Joe Carter, John Gibbons, Edwin Encarnacion, Josh Donaldson and the late Roy Halladay. He also shares stories about players and managers from other teams.
If you are a baseball fan, you'll like this book. If you are a big-time Blue Jays fan, you'll probably love it. I liked it as it was interesting and nice to hear about the various players from Howarth's personal experience and friendships.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2018/12...
Howarth started his career in Toronto where he worked part of the 1981 Blue Jays season as a commentator. In 1982, he joined Tom Cheek as his full-time play-by-play partner. For the next 23 years, "Tom and Jerry" would be the radio voices of the Blue Jays (Cheek passed away in 2005).
Howarth had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2016 and had surgery to remove a small tumor. He retired from broadcasting in February 2018 due to health reasons.
This book is Howarth's story of his life. He starts off by telling us about his childhood and education. It was interesting to learn that he had gone to university to study law but his love of sports was so great that he quit school to give broadcasting a try. Obviously it has worked out for him!
He shares stories of the Toronto Blue Jays and managers who have been on the team over the years right up to today's line-up including Dave Stieb, Jack Morris, Duane Ward, Roberto Alomar, Joe Carter, John Gibbons, Edwin Encarnacion, Josh Donaldson and the late Roy Halladay. He also shares stories about players and managers from other teams.
If you are a baseball fan, you'll like this book. If you are a big-time Blue Jays fan, you'll probably love it. I liked it as it was interesting and nice to hear about the various players from Howarth's personal experience and friendships.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2018/12...
March 24, 2019
This book is great for people who love baseball and the Blue Jays. There were many stories from Howarth's early childhood through his retirement. His stories from his days as a major league broadcaster are not only about Blue Jays players, but players from other teams as well so don’t think this book is only about the Jays. Howarth's unique stories really showcase what the league is really like, how the players are behind the scenes, and interesting statistics about the players and the league itself. I personally found the stories about the players and their lives rather fascinating.
I would recommend this book for people who either know a fair amount of players in the league (either past or present) or people who want to learn more about the world of major league baseball from a behind the scenes perspective. As a casual Blue Jays fan only, I personally had some trouble understanding the connections between some of Howarth's stories as I was not familiar with some of the situations and people he was discussing (to be honest I received an Advanced Reading Copy and I don't know what stories made it to final print). Overall though, this book was an interesting read that I would recommend to baseball fans.
I would recommend this book for people who either know a fair amount of players in the league (either past or present) or people who want to learn more about the world of major league baseball from a behind the scenes perspective. As a casual Blue Jays fan only, I personally had some trouble understanding the connections between some of Howarth's stories as I was not familiar with some of the situations and people he was discussing (to be honest I received an Advanced Reading Copy and I don't know what stories made it to final print). Overall though, this book was an interesting read that I would recommend to baseball fans.
April 12, 2019
This book is great for people who love baseball and the Blue Jays. There were many stories from Howarth's early childhood through his retirement. His stories from his days as a major league broadcaster are not only about Blue Jays players, but players from other teams as well so don’t think this book is only about the Jays. Howarth's unique stories really showcase what the league is really like, how the players are behind the scenes, and interesting statistics about the players and the league itself. I personally found the stories about the players and their lives rather fascinating.
I would recommend this book for people who either know a fair amount of players in the league (either past or present) or people who want to learn more about the world of major league baseball from a behind the scenes perspective. As a casual Blue Jays fan only, I personally had some trouble understanding the connections between some of Howarth's stories as I was not familiar with some of the situations and people he was discussing (to be honest I received an Advanced Reading Copy and I don't know what stories made it to final print). Overall though, this book was an interesting read that I would recommend to baseball fan
I would recommend this book for people who either know a fair amount of players in the league (either past or present) or people who want to learn more about the world of major league baseball from a behind the scenes perspective. As a casual Blue Jays fan only, I personally had some trouble understanding the connections between some of Howarth's stories as I was not familiar with some of the situations and people he was discussing (to be honest I received an Advanced Reading Copy and I don't know what stories made it to final print). Overall though, this book was an interesting read that I would recommend to baseball fan
November 1, 2019
A decent memoir by a decent man. Lots of fun and heart-felt anecdotes and interesting stories for baseball fans - and Blue Jays fans in particular. Two things bothered me about this book. It needed a solid edit. Structurally, Jerry told his story episodically about people and events. Most got a paragraph or two, some less, others more. However, Jerry would suddenly change the person discussed in the next paragraph under a different person's heading. That was a bit jarring because it did not follow the convention of leaving a space between paragraphs to indicate a major shift of topic. The other thing that bothered me a bit was Jerry's tendency to highlight the Christianity of individual people (and often himself). I get that, but it wasn't counter-balanced with notations on the faith (or lack of faith) of anyone else. I found that odd for someone who has a well-earned reputation for balance. A good editor would have caught that omission. Those quibbles aside, I'd say it's a must-read (and an easy read) for Jays fans.
December 21, 2019
This will appeal to diehard Blue Jays fans who have been there from the beginning. Casual fans not so much.
There was a little jumping around that seemed disjointed.
Jerry obviously does not lack confidence. I found it interesting that he couldnt come up with a single bad thing to say about practically anyone. He did gloss over his comments about Jose Reyes. He presented it as if he just was a little too harsh with his criticism of Reyes' play, whereas in reality the controversy at the time was Howarth's comments about Reyes playing Streetball or GhettoBall....something along those lines. It was akin to a "You People' moment which was the controversy.
I was surprised to see some passages word for word from Wikipedia, and I will assume that Jerry or some readers subsequently edited Wikipedia for some players and inserted Howarths verbatim comments.
Many of the recreated conversations were awkward, just in the wording. i doubt if any of the conversations occurred exactly as presented. Nobody really talks that way.
There was a little jumping around that seemed disjointed.
Jerry obviously does not lack confidence. I found it interesting that he couldnt come up with a single bad thing to say about practically anyone. He did gloss over his comments about Jose Reyes. He presented it as if he just was a little too harsh with his criticism of Reyes' play, whereas in reality the controversy at the time was Howarth's comments about Reyes playing Streetball or GhettoBall....something along those lines. It was akin to a "You People' moment which was the controversy.
I was surprised to see some passages word for word from Wikipedia, and I will assume that Jerry or some readers subsequently edited Wikipedia for some players and inserted Howarths verbatim comments.
Many of the recreated conversations were awkward, just in the wording. i doubt if any of the conversations occurred exactly as presented. Nobody really talks that way.
July 27, 2020
Kind of a chronological history of the Toronto Blue Jays from the early 80's to the present as told by longtime announcer Jerry Howarth. I loved how he talked about a bunch of players such as Tony Fernandez, Jesse Barfield, George Bell, Lloyd Moseby, Damaso Garcia, Dave Stieb, Jimmy Key, Joe Carter, Roberto Alomar, Paul Molitor, Rickey Henderson, John Olerued, Dave Winfield, Jack Morris, Juan Guzman, Tom Henke, Carlos Delgado, Shawn Green, Roy Halliday, Roger Clemens, Pat Hentegen, Jose Bautista, Russell Martin, and many many more. But individual games and playoff series weren't discussed as much as maybe I would hope. What was the heartbreak like of the 1985 ALCS? What was the 1989 ALCS like? How did Rickey Henderson rattle them that year, only to help them in 1993? I wanted more on the 1992 and 1993 years, where they won World Series. This is a good book for Blue Jay fans, an average book for MLB fans. Howarth does seem like a very nice person and of course, a great announcer.
June 14, 2021
If you have a love for baseball, this is a book for you. Canadian broadcast icon Jerry Howarth took me on a historical journey of the Toronto Blue Jays coinciding with his 35 years in the radio booth -- with a couple of years on TV -- as the voice of the Jays. His story goes way beyond Toronto. If offers a personal perspective of players, coaches and managers who came and went from and to virtually every other team. The book is filled with descriptions of notable events and plays and a wide variety of vignettes about his experiences and rich exposure to the game of baseball. In an honest assessment, Jerry Howarth profiles a great many players who wore a Blue Jays uniform, relaying their personal stories and backgrounds and delving into what makes them tick. All his stories will bump your funny bone, tug at you heartstrings and prompt you to nod your head when he shares his philosophy on life from lessons learned from baseball. He shows his writing skill in a well written saga. I came away with the viewpoint that Jerry Howarth was the perfect one to write this book. Few others would be as well suited. There was so much to share. I recommend this book without hesitation or qualification.
July 18, 2023
I grew up a baseball fan in Southern Ontario, and as a result, the voice of Jerry is synonymous with the game for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I enjoyed it as much for Jerry's positive outlook on life, his wisdom, and his grace as I did for anything to do with mere sport. I really appreciated his insight into so many players and baseball personnel that he has encountered over the years and his professionalism and dedication to covering the game shone through every page.
I would highly reccomend the audiobook for this one, as it was narrated by the man himself. Not usually much of an audiobook guy but really appreciated hearing Jerry in his own words and the voice inflections and tone that could only be fully appreciated in an audio format. I read parts of the book on paper and just heard his legendary voice anyway, so I figured I'd just cut to the chase!
I would highly reccomend the audiobook for this one, as it was narrated by the man himself. Not usually much of an audiobook guy but really appreciated hearing Jerry in his own words and the voice inflections and tone that could only be fully appreciated in an audio format. I read parts of the book on paper and just heard his legendary voice anyway, so I figured I'd just cut to the chase!
February 8, 2019
Hello Friends! is a great book for baseball fans, especially fans of the Blue Jays. It is also an inspirational story for people thinking of a career in sports broadcasting.
Jerry included interesting facts about his life and how he got his start in sports broadcasting and found his own style. I was surprised to find out that he attended law school and was in the military.
He also has many behind-the-scenes stories of players, managers, coaches and baseball executives. I enjoyed the personal stories of the Jays players and the team’s journey from a new franchise to winning the World Series in ’92 and ’93. Thanks ECW Press for a copy of Hello Friends!.
Jerry included interesting facts about his life and how he got his start in sports broadcasting and found his own style. I was surprised to find out that he attended law school and was in the military.
He also has many behind-the-scenes stories of players, managers, coaches and baseball executives. I enjoyed the personal stories of the Jays players and the team’s journey from a new franchise to winning the World Series in ’92 and ’93. Thanks ECW Press for a copy of Hello Friends!.
July 26, 2019
Honest, which I would expect. Jerry dives into his personal life, which is a good read, and 1/3 into the book finally talks about players and each Blue Jays season. I'd love to see even more stories about other players (eg. RA Dickey), and expand on the ones he discusses (eg. Roger Clemens). Excellent personal story a la Jose Reyes, and also the touching moment with Tom Cheek's final broadcast with Jerry and Warren. Definately a good read for old and even new Jays fans since it covers the entire team history and adequately portrays a variety of topics.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2020
The reader learns more about Jerry Howarth and his life leading up to when he became one of the radio broadcasters for the Toronto Blue Jays. The majority of the book is a chronological history of the Toronto Blue Jays and the people who played for the team. This is not a "tell all" by any means, but the book reflects its author. I could picture Jerry at the microphone talking about each of the (mainly) men who worked in various capacities for the team. It was an enjoyable read for this fan of the Toronto Blue Jays.
May 31, 2019
A breezy collection of memories that span almost the entirety of Toronto Blue Jays history.
Howarth opens with some autobiographical chapters before rolling out a who's who of the Blue Jays organization from the early 80s to 2018. He calls out dozens of players and gives a quick story about each one before moving right on to the next one in an almost stream-of-consciousness manner. A great stroll down memory lane for Jays fans.
Howarth opens with some autobiographical chapters before rolling out a who's who of the Blue Jays organization from the early 80s to 2018. He calls out dozens of players and gives a quick story about each one before moving right on to the next one in an almost stream-of-consciousness manner. A great stroll down memory lane for Jays fans.
July 1, 2019
This is a good book any Blue Jays fan will enjoy. It has some nice memories for us nostalgic people. It suffers from a routine where Jerry mentions a person, says how much he liked them and gives a quick personal story. This repeats over and over and becomes somewhat predictable and tedious. However you’ll find yourself smiling at memories you’ve shared with Jerry as a Jays fan so it’s worth it just for that alone.
January 7, 2020
I LOVED IT! If you are a Jays fan, if you are a baseball fan, you need to read this. I was so fortunate to meet Jerry at his book signing when I got this for my dad (and read it before I gifted it to him). The words in the pages match the voice on the radio match the man himself. He’s truly a beautiful soul and one of the kindest people I have met. I had a very serendipitous encounter with Jerry that day, and it will stand out as one of my favourite memories. Thank you Jerry.
September 17, 2021
Kindly, Christian color man Howarth, the epitome of noblesse oblige, zips through his own life to get to those of others, namely, the Blue Jays rosters of 1982-2017. Like the amiably nasal offerings with which he filled time on his radio broadcasts, the concentration is on the kindly. With few exceptions (Mike Mussina, Jim Fregosi, Jose Reyes), Howarth never met a man with a bat he didn't like. This is not a tell-all; it's a God bless all.
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