Hello, Friends!: Stories from My Life and Blue Jays Baseball
$25.99-
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 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.
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Born in York, Pennsylvania, and raised in San Francisco, California, Jerry Howarth became a Canadian citizen in 1994. He currently lives in Toronto with his wife, Mary.
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Published: March 2019
ISBN: 9781770414983
Dimensions: 5 x 8 in.
Pages: 360
Reviews
“Howarth’s book will entertain baseball aficionados and especially delight Blue Jays fans.” — Publishers Weekly
“Whether it was Blue Jays closer Tom Henke saying ‘Hellllllo, friends!’ when Jerry Howarth walked down the aisle on a team charter, an opposing player near the batting cage, or a 12-year-old self-broadcasting his sandlot game to his buddies, ‘Hello, friends!’ became Howarth’s trade mark. In fact, the two words are greeted with the same warmth and familiarity from coast to coast in Canada.” — Bob Elliott, sports journalist
“There HE goes but here he stays. Fortunately, Jerry and Mary and their boys came north to our country. That was truly a positive for the Blue Jays and baseball fans across Canada from coast to coast.” — Brian Williams, Olympics commentator
“A memoir that will delight those who avidly follow Toronto's team.” — Literary Review of Canada
“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.” — Girl Well Read blog
“The best part about speaking with Howarth and reading about his life – you get to like the guy, more and more, page by page. The stories are absolutely addicting.” — The Observer-Dispatch
“Fans of baseball, and particularly the Toronto Blue Jays, will enjoy this interesting and entertaining book.” — Hamilton Spectator
“Jerry Howarth is a Canadian national treasure and his story is tremendously inspiring. As joyful a person as I’ve ever met, Jerry made friends with millions of baseball fans during his long career and brought his warmth, humor, insights and descriptions into their living rooms. Readers of his story will have a further opportunity to revel in his positive outlook on life as well as countless fascinating memories.” — Eric Nadel, Texas Rangers radio broadcaster
“For four years I was privileged to sit alongside Jerry — master storyteller, consummate professional, exemplary broadcaster. Now fans can pull up a chair and enjoy the excerpts from my partner, mentor, and friend.” — Joe Siddall, Blue Jays broadcaster
“Jerry’s known as one of the great guys in the game of baseball. I miss our daily back and forth talking baseball and life and, of course, ‘The Blue Jays are in flight.’” — John Gibbons, Blue Jays manager
“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.” — Teena in Toronto blog
“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.” — Sports Book Guy blog
“A fascinating look at the luck, pluck, and persistence required to reach heights people spend whole careers never making.” — Santa Clara Magazine