Blue Jay's voice struggles with brain tumor

TORONTO, June 14 (UPI) -- Toronto Blue Jays radio announcer Tom Cheek, who has called every team game for 27 years, will need further treatment for his brain tumor.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Monday the baseball announcer began to feel ill last week, entered the hospital Friday and underwent surgery Sunday. However, the ball club said the operation was not completely successful.

"Our thoughts are with the entire Cheek family and we hope to see Tom back in the broadcast booth very soon," Blue Jays President Paul Godfrey said in a statement.

Cheek called 4,306 consecutive regular-season games between 1977 and 2004, and another 41 in the playoffs.

He began calling the Jays games when the team first took to the field in 1977 and hadn't missed missed a game until June 3, when his father died.