Howarth, Lott among 2018 Sports Media Canada award winners

Jerry Howarth will receive Sports Media Canada’s 2018 Career Achievement Award: Photo Credit: Jay Stenhouse Photo Imaging

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Two prominent media members that have made outstanding contributions to Toronto Blue Jays coverage over the years will be honoured by Sports Media Canada in their annual awards ceremony that will be held at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel’s Imperial Room on Thursday, November 15.

Long-time Blue Jays radio broadcaster Jerry Howarth will receive the organization’s Career Achievement Award, while John Lott, who writes for The Athletic, will be honoured with the top Sportswriting award.

For 36 seasons, Howarth served as the Blue Jays’ radio play-by-play man – including teaming with Tom Cheek for 23 of those campaigns. During that period, he watched the team evolve from a perennial doormat into an American League East powerhouse. Howarth called more than 5,000 major league games and was in the booth for all six of the Jays’ division titles and seven playoff appearances, as well as the team’s two World Series triumphs in 1992 and 1993.

Lott is the senior baseball writer for The Athletic Toronto. He has masterfully written about the Blue Jays for the National Post, Vice Sports and The Athletic since 2000. The former Centennial College teacher is also a highly respected photographer and co-author, along with Shi Davidi, of the 2013 book, Great Expectations: The Lost Toronto Blue Jays Season.

Other award recipients at the Sports Media Canada’s 23rd annual Achievement Awards luncheon include:

Posthumous Honour Holl: James Christie (The Globe and Mail) and Gilles Tremblay (La Soirée du hockey)

Broadcasting: Scott Oake (Hockey Night in Canada)

Photography: Leah Hennel (Postmedia Calgary)

Sports Executive of the Year: Karen O’Neill (CEO, Canadian Paralympic Committee)

President’s Award: George Gross and Don Goodwin (Co-Founders Sports Media Canada to be honoured posthumously)