Gary Thorne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gary Thorne
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Thorne in 2015
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Gary Francis Thorne
June 9, 1948 |
| Nationality | American |
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| Occupation | Sportscaster |
| Years active | 1977–present |
Gary Francis Thorne, born on June 9, 1948, is a well-known American sportscaster. He is famous for his exciting play-by-play announcing. This means he describes the action of a game as it happens. He has worked for many big sports networks. These include ESPN, ABC, and MASN. He has covered many sports, like baseball, hockey, and college football.
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His Early Life
Gary Thorne grew up in Old Town, Maine. He finished high school there in 1966. After high school, he went to the University of Maine. He graduated in 1970. Later, he studied law at the University of Maine School of Law and Georgetown Law School. While studying, he worked as a sportscaster and a disc jockey. After law school, he became an assistant district attorney. He also joined the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Gary Thorne's Sports Career
Gary Thorne has had a long and exciting career in sports broadcasting. He has called games for many different teams and leagues.
Calling Baseball Games
In 1985, Gary Thorne started announcing for the New York Mets baseball team. He worked on their radio broadcasts for four years. He was even there for Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. This was a very famous game between the Mets and the Boston Red Sox.
From 2007 to 2019, Thorne was the main TV announcer for the Baltimore Orioles. He worked for the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN). He became famous for his special calls. When a player hit a home run, he would shout, "Goodbye! Home run!" If something amazing happened, he would say, "Mercy!" He would end Orioles games by saying "Adieu" if they lost. If they won, he would say "Adieu-Adieu."
In 2020, the Orioles decided not to continue his contract. This was during the changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He left MASN in January 2021. After that, he sometimes filled in for other announcers. He called games for the New York Mets in 2021 and 2022.
Baseball on the Big Stage
Gary Thorne also worked on national baseball broadcasts. In 1989, he became a backup announcer for ABC's Thursday Night Baseball. He also reported from the field during the 1989 World Series. He was at Candlestick Park in San Francisco when a big earthquake hit in 1989.
From 1996 to 2003, Thorne called the World Series for MLB International. These broadcasts were shown in over 200 countries. He worked with Ken Singleton during this time. He even called a famous play in 1999. This was when Robin Ventura hit a "Grand Slam Single" for the New York Mets. Thorne's call was: "Robin Ventura...the Mets win... 4-3! There will be a Game 6!"
In 2008, Thorne became the main announcer for ESPN Radio's Sunday Night Baseball. He worked with Dave Campbell. He also called games for the College World Series every June. In August, he announces games for the Little League World Series on ESPN. You might also know his voice from video games. He was the play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball 2K9 through Major League Baseball 2K13.
He also hosted the National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.
Calling Hockey Games
Gary Thorne started his hockey announcing career in 1977. He called games for the University of Maine's hockey team on local radio. From 1987 to 1993, he was the voice of the New Jersey Devils in the NHL.
In March 2014, Thorne even called some high school hockey games in Minnesota. He said it was "great fun" to see the kids play. He also filled in for the Los Angeles Kings during the 2016–17 NHL season.
Hockey on the National Stage
From 1992 to 2004, Thorne was a main announcer for ESPN and ABC. He called many big playoff games. He usually worked with Bill Clement. They were also the commentators for several EA Sports' NHL 07 through NHL 14 video games. They called the Stanley Cup Finals for ESPN. This included famous wins for the New York Rangers in 1994 and the Detroit Red Wings in 1997.
When ESPN stopped showing NHL games in 2005, Thorne started calling baseball and college football. He also became the lead announcer for the Frozen Four. This is the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship. He worked with Bill Clement and Darren Pang for these games.
When ESPN and ABC got the NHL rights back in 2021, many fans hoped Thorne and Clement would return. Thorne said he would "love to talk to them about it." However, they were not chosen for the new broadcast team.
Other Sports He Covered
Gary Thorne has announced other sports too. He called college football games for ABC in 2004 and 2005. In 2011, he joined CBS Sports Network to announce more college football games. He also announced PBA Bowling events for ESPN in 2011–12.
You might also recognize his voice from World Wrestling Entertainment. He was the narrator for the WrestleMania Rewind show on the WWE Network. This show looks back at famous matches from WrestleMania events.
