Veteran Blue Jays broadcaster Jerry Howarth has announced he won't be back for the 2018 season.
The 71-year-old was behind the microphone for 36 seasons calling the Jays games, including back-to-back World Series wins.
For the past 4 seasons Windsor native and former Tiger Joe Siddall has been next to Jerry doing colour commentary.
Siddall says that first season in Dunedin, Florida Howarth gave him what he calls "Jerry 101:"
"He basically stood down the right field line with me for about 20 or 30 minutes and we talked boradcasting, we talked broadcasting tricks. When to come in and out with your comments and how things were going to work and remember I had never done this before"
He says Howarth was always incredibly well prepared for the broadcasts.
"If anyone's ever been in our broadcast booth they will see notes everywhere" explains Siddall, "Jerry's got notes from the preparation and the detail, the attention to detail that he spends is just fantastic. And I think it comes out in the broadcast"
Siddall says Howarth has had health issues the past few years icluding a fight against prostate cancer.
"Jerry just informed me last week that he's been battling his voice and his throat this off season, probably in the 80% range. But he was planning on going to speing training to give it a go and he felt that with he and I together we could again make that broadcast sing. But it just got to a point I think where he thought it's maybe better off now to take care of himself "
Siddall says he's heading down to the Jays Spring Training in a week or so, but has no idea what the plan is for the broadcast.
He says he'll be continuing the colour commentary this season as far as he knows.