Gary Thorne
Encyclopedia
Gary Thorne is a play-by-play announcer
for ESPN
and ABC
, working Major League Baseball
, College football
and Frozen Four hockey contests. He is also the television play-by-play voice of the Baltimore Orioles
. He is best known for his work on ESPN's coverage of the NHL
.
in 1970, University of Maine School of Law
in 1973, and Georgetown Law School
in 1976 (while paying tuition as a sportscaster/disc jockey
), Thorne became Penobscot County
assistant district attorney
and joined the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court
. But eventually, Thorne found courtrooms dull when compared to broadcasting.
Thorne's son-in-law, Damian DiGiulian, is a former assistant coach
for the University of Vermont
hockey team; Maine (Thorne's alma mater
) and Vermont are rivals in the Hockey East
conference of Division I hockey. DiGiulian is now a color commentator for ESPNU's college hockey broadcasts.
to name himself a co-owner.
In , Thorne began a four year stint as a radio announcer for the New York Mets
. Thorne was present in the booth at Shea Stadium
along with Bob Murphy
for the now famous sixth game of the 1986 World Series
between the Mets
and Boston Red Sox
. Thorne was one of the first people to criticize the Red Sox for leaving ill-fated Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner
out in the 10th inning over Dave Stapleton.
Thorne was asked to call Maine hockey games during winter months until 1987 (simultaneously with his work for the Mets in the summer from 1985) when the lure of doing play-by-play in the NHL became too strong for Thorne to ignore. From 1987–1993, Thorne served as the play-by-play voice of the New Jersey Devils
of the NHL
. Thorne missed several Mets games in the 1988 season
due to Devils
playoff games. He was replaced after that Mets season by Gary Cohen
. Thorne spent the following season with the Chicago White Sox
.
Also in , Thorne was named a backup play-by-play announcer (behind Al Michaels
and replacing Gary Bender
in this particular capacity) for ABC
's coverage of Thursday Night Baseball
telecasts with Joe Morgan
. Thorne also served as a field reporter for the World Series
and covered the World Series Trophy
presentation for ABC. Like his ABC Sports colleagues, Al Michaels, Jim Palmer
, Tim McCarver
, and Joe Morgan, Thorne was at San Francisco's Candlestick Park when the infamous Loma Prieta earthquake hit on October 17, .
From until , Gary Thorne served as the play-by-play man for the World Series
on Armed Forces Radio
/Major League Baseball International-TV.
He has been the play-by-play TV announcer for the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network
's Baltimore Orioles
games since 2007
. He is known for his signature calls of "Goodbye! Home run!" and "Mercy!"
In , Thorne was named the lead play-by-play announcer for ESPN Radio's Sunday Night Baseball
coverage. He teams with color commentator Dave Campbell to call a majority of the network's Sunday Night games, although occasionally other commitments will cause him to miss a broadcast, with other ESPN announcers (such as Dan Shulman
, who preceded Thorne as the primary Sunday night voice) filling in for him that week. Thorne also works on one of ESPN Radio's postseason Division Series
crews each year, and called the 2008 All-Star Game
for non-U.S. viewers via MLB International television. Thorne officially replaced Dave O'Brien on the MLB International broadcasts of the All-Star Game
, ALCS
(even-numbered years), NLCS
(odd-numbered years), and the World Series
in 2010
.
Thorne's voice is heard in Pepsi
commercials featuring New York Yankees
' Johnny Damon
, the Minnesota Twins
' Joe Mauer
and MLB umpire Laz Díaz
. In addition he announces various games of the College World Series
every year during the month of June. He also is a play-by-play TV announcer for the Little League World Series
on ESPN during the month of August. Thorne is also the play-by-play announcer of the video game Major League Baseball 2K9
, Major League Baseball 2K10
and Major League Baseball 2K11
.
, Maine
radio and television stations.
Thorne rose to prominence in Maine broadcasting, when he began calling play-by-play for the University of Maine's hockey games for Bangor radio station WABI. As the voice of the Black Bears, he quickly became one of the most recognizable radio voices in the state.
From 1992 through 2004, Thorne called NHL
play-by-play for games on ESPN
, ESPN2
and (beginning 1999) ABC
, including many of the latter-round playoff games. He was almost always paired along with analyst Bill Clement during these ESPN
-produced telecasts. NBC
enlisted Thorne to call the hockey tournament
with John Davidson during the 2002 Winter Olympics
in Salt Lake City. He is the announcer on EA Sports' NHL 09
, NHL 10
, NHL 11
and NHL 12
video games alongside Bill Clement.
In 2005 when ESPN dropped out of the bidding for NHL hockey games, Gary Thorne began doing play-by-play for baseball
and college football on ESPN. He also picked up duties as the lead play-by-play announcer for the Frozen Four.
Thorne and Clement called every Stanley Cup win from 1993
through 2004
, except for 1995
; Mike Emrick
and John Davidson were the broadcast team for the clinching game of that Finals series (which was aired on Fox).
Thorne was named to call the play-by-play of Team USA's
games in the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
for the NHL Network alongside Dave Starman. However, shortly before the tournament started, he was replaced by JP Dellacamera
for personal reasons. Thorne returned to the NHL Network in 2011 to call Team USA's games in the 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
.
of the Capital One Bowl
.
In 2011 Thorne joined CBS Sports Network as a play-by-play man for college football and has been paired with Randy Cross
as color analyst.
In September 2002, Thorne reportedly talked of dissension in the Mets clubhouse between manager Bobby Valentine
and the team's players. "There are a lot of guys down there (in the dugout) who don't like him," a New York Daily News columnist quotes Thorne as having said. "They don't like playing for him. And if there has ever been a Teflon manager, he's it. Nothing seems to stick. He's never responsible for anything."
In April 2007, in reference to Curt Schilling
's famed bloody sock during the 2004 MLB playoffs, Thorne said during a broadcast of a Red Sox
–Orioles
game that Boston backup catcher Doug Mirabelli
admitted it was a hoax. "It was painted," Thorne said. "Doug Mirabelli confessed up to it after. It was all for PR." Thorne later said that Mirabelli had only been joking. "He said one thing, and I heard something else. I reported what I heard and what I honestly felt was said," Thorne said. "Having talked with him today, there's no doubt in my mind that's not what he said, that's not what he meant. He explained that it was in the context of the sarcasm and the jabbing that goes on in the clubhouse. "I took it as something serious, and it wasn't," Thorne said. Mirabelli confirmed the story, saying, "He knows that I believe 100 percent that I thought the sock had blood on it. It never crossed my mind that there wasn't blood on that sock. If he misinterpreted something said inside the clubhouse, it's unfortunate." Mirabelli said he spoke with Thorne in the Boston clubhouse about six months after the 2004 playoffs. "As he was walking away he asked, 'How about the bloody sock?' I said, 'Yeah, we got a lot of publicity out of that,' and that was all he can recall me saying," Mirabelli said. "He said he assumed what I meant was that the sock was fake and that it was just a publicity stunt. That by no means is what I meant. There was never a doubt in mind there was blood on the sock."
Announcer
An announcer is a presenter who makes "announcements" in an audio medium or a physical location.-Television and other media:Some announcers work in television production , radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in...
for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, working Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, College football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
and Frozen Four hockey contests. He is also the television play-by-play voice of the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. He is best known for his work on ESPN's coverage of the NHL
ESPN National Hockey Night
ESPN National Hockey Night was ESPN's weekly television broadcasts of National Hockey League regular season games and coverage of playoff games, broadcast from 1992 to 2004...
.
Background
After graduating from the University of MaineUniversity of Maine
The University of Maine is a public research university located in Orono, Maine, United States. The university was established in 1865 as a land grant college and is referred to as the flagship university of the University of Maine System...
in 1970, University of Maine School of Law
University of Maine School of Law
The University of Maine School of Law is located in Portland, Maine and is Maine's only law school. It is a freestanding institution within the University of Maine System. In practice, it is administered as a unit of the University of Southern Maine, which provides the law school's support staff...
in 1973, and Georgetown Law School
Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center is the law school of Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C.. Established in 1870, the Law Center offers J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees in law...
in 1976 (while paying tuition as a sportscaster/disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
), Thorne became Penobscot County
Penobscot County, Maine
Penobscot County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. For U.S. Census statistical purposes, it is part of the Bangor, Maine, New England County Metropolitan Area . As of 2010, the population was 153,923...
assistant district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
and joined the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
. But eventually, Thorne found courtrooms dull when compared to broadcasting.
Thorne's son-in-law, Damian DiGiulian, is a former assistant coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
for the University of Vermont
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
hockey team; Maine (Thorne's alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
) and Vermont are rivals in the Hockey East
Hockey East
Hockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference....
conference of Division I hockey. DiGiulian is now a color commentator for ESPNU's college hockey broadcasts.
Baseball
By 1984, Thorne had enough leverage with baseball's Triple-A Maine GuidesMaine Guides
The Maine Guides were an American minor league baseball franchise that played in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, between 1984 and 1988. The Triple-A International League club was named for a classification of registered hunting and wilderness guides in the state called Maine Guides for its first four...
to name himself a co-owner.
In , Thorne began a four year stint as a radio announcer for the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. Thorne was present in the booth at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
along with Bob Murphy
Bob Murphy (announcer)
Robert Allan Murphy was an American sportscaster who spent 50 years doing play-by-play of Major League Baseball games on television and radio. The Oklahoman was best known for announcing the New York Mets, from their inception in 1962 until his retirement in 2003...
for the now famous sixth game of the 1986 World Series
1986 World Series
The 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
between the Mets
1986 New York Mets season
The 1986 New York Mets season was the Mets' 25th season in the National League. They began the season looking to equal or improve upon their 98–64 record from 1985 and to try to win the National League East Division. They finished the season with a 108–54 record, cruising to the division title...
and Boston Red Sox
1986 Boston Red Sox season
The 1986 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing 1st in the American League East with a record of 95 wins and 66 losses.-Offseason:...
. Thorne was one of the first people to criticize the Red Sox for leaving ill-fated Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner
Bill Buckner
William Joseph Buckner is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. Despite winning a batting crown in , representing the Chicago Cubs at the All-Star Game the following season and accumulating over 2,700 hits in his twenty-year career, he is best remembered for a fielding error during Game 6...
out in the 10th inning over Dave Stapleton.
Thorne was asked to call Maine hockey games during winter months until 1987 (simultaneously with his work for the Mets in the summer from 1985) when the lure of doing play-by-play in the NHL became too strong for Thorne to ignore. From 1987–1993, Thorne served as the play-by-play voice of the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
of the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. Thorne missed several Mets games in the 1988 season
1988 New York Mets season
The New York Mets' 1988 season was the 27th regular season for the Mets. They went 100-60 and finished 1st in the NL East. They were managed by Davey Johnson. They played home games at Shea Stadium.-Offseason:...
due to Devils
1987–88 New Jersey Devils season
The 1987–88 New Jersey Devils season was the team's sixth season in the National Hockey League since the franchise relocated to New Jersey. The Devils finished fourth in the Patrick Division with a record of 38 wins, 36 losses, and 6 ties for 82 points, garnering the first winning record in the...
playoff games. He was replaced after that Mets season by Gary Cohen
Gary Cohen
Gary Cohen is an American sportscaster, best known as a radio and television play-by-play announcer for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball....
. Thorne spent the following season with the Chicago White Sox
1989 Chicago White Sox season
The 1989 Chicago White Sox season was the White Sox's 90th season. They finished with a record 69-92, good enough for 7th place in the American League West, 29.5 games behind of the 1st place Oakland Athletics.-Potential move to Florida:...
.
Also in , Thorne was named a backup play-by-play announcer (behind Al Michaels
Al Michaels
Alan Richard "Al" Michaels is an American television sportscaster. Now employed by NBC Sports after nearly three decades with ABC Sports, Michaels is one of the most prominent members of his profession...
and replacing Gary Bender
Gary Bender
Gary Bender is a retired American sportscaster and 2008 inductee in to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. He officially retired, April 13, 2011, from Fox Sports Arizona network after 18 years calling the NBA Phoenix Suns games.-Early career:...
in this particular capacity) for ABC
ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports division has been merged with ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...
's coverage of Thursday Night Baseball
Thursday Night Baseball
Thursday Night Baseball is the title of a presentation of Major League Baseball on cable and satellite channel MLB Network, that premiered on April 9, 2009. Longtime NBC Sports broadcaster Bob Costas is one of the play-by-play voices of the broadcasts. Matt Vasgersian also does play-by-play on some...
telecasts with Joe Morgan
Joe Morgan
Joe Leonard Morgan is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. He won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the...
. Thorne also served as a field reporter for the World Series
1989 World Series
†: Game 3 was originally slated for October 17 at 5:35 pm; however, it was postponed when an earthquake occurred at 5:04 pm.-Game 1:Saturday, October 14, 1989 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California...
and covered the World Series Trophy
World Series Trophy
The Commissioner's Trophy is presented each year by the Commissioner of Baseball to the Major League Baseball team that wins the World Series. Recent trophy designs contain flags representing each team in North America's top two leagues, the National League and the American League...
presentation for ABC. Like his ABC Sports colleagues, Al Michaels, Jim Palmer
Jim Palmer
James Alvin "Jim" Palmer , nicknamed "Cakes", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in .As of 2008, Palmer and his wife Susan have homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and...
, Tim McCarver
Tim McCarver
James Timothy "Tim" McCarver is an American former Major League Baseball catcher, and a current sportscaster in residence for Fox Sports.-Playing career:...
, and Joe Morgan, Thorne was at San Francisco's Candlestick Park when the infamous Loma Prieta earthquake hit on October 17, .
From until , Gary Thorne served as the play-by-play man for the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
on Armed Forces Radio
American Forces Network
The American Forces Network is the brand name used by the United States Armed Forces American Forces Radio and Television Service for its entertainment and command internal information networks worldwide...
/Major League Baseball International-TV.
He has been the play-by-play TV announcer for the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network
Mid-Atlantic Sports Network
Mid-Atlantic Sports Network is a regional sports network owned by two Major League Baseball franchises—the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals -- and televises every available game of both teams, live and in high-definition...
's Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
games since 2007
2007 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles' 2007 season involved the Orioles finishing with a record of 69 wins and 93 losses and fourth place in the AL East. On June 18, 2007 manager Sam Perlozzo was fired and replaced with bullpen coach Dave Trembley as interim manager. Trembley was named full-time manager on August...
. He is known for his signature calls of "Goodbye! Home run!" and "Mercy!"
In , Thorne was named the lead play-by-play announcer for ESPN Radio's Sunday Night Baseball
Sunday Night Baseball
Sunday Night Baseball is the Major League Baseball exclusive game of the week that is televised Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN during the regular season...
coverage. He teams with color commentator Dave Campbell to call a majority of the network's Sunday Night games, although occasionally other commitments will cause him to miss a broadcast, with other ESPN announcers (such as Dan Shulman
Dan Shulman
Daniel "Dan" Shulman is a Canadian sportscaster, currently employed with the American network ESPN as well as Canadian network TSN....
, who preceded Thorne as the primary Sunday night voice) filling in for him that week. Thorne also works on one of ESPN Radio's postseason Division Series
Division Series
In baseball, the Division Series is the official name for the first round of the Major League Baseball playoffs. Currently, a total of four series are played in this opening round, two each for both the American League and the National League.-1981 season:...
crews each year, and called the 2008 All-Star Game
2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 79th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, home of the New York Yankees, on...
for non-U.S. viewers via MLB International television. Thorne officially replaced Dave O'Brien on the MLB International broadcasts of the All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
, ALCS
American League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...
(even-numbered years), NLCS
National League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Championship Series is a round in the postseason that determines who wins the National League pennant and advances to Major League Baseball's championship, the World Series, facing the winner of the American League Championship Series. The reigning...
(odd-numbered years), and the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
in 2010
2010 Major League Baseball season
The 2010 Major League Baseball season began Sunday, April 4, when the Boston Red Sox defeated their long-time rivals, the 2009 World Series champion New York Yankees at Fenway Park, 9–7; the regular season ended on October 3. The 2010 All-Star Game was played on July 13 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim...
.
Thorne's voice is heard in Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
commercials featuring New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
' Johnny Damon
Johnny Damon
Johnny David Damon is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter. From 2000–2008, he was third among active players in runs and seventh in hits and stolen bases . He is currently second among active leaders in triples , five behind Carl Crawford...
, the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
' Joe Mauer
Joe Mauer
Joseph Patrick Mauer is a Major League Baseball catcher for the Minnesota Twins. He is the only catcher in Major League history to win three batting titles...
and MLB umpire Laz Díaz
Laz Díaz
Lazaro Antonio Díaz is an umpire in Major League Baseball. He joined the American League's full-time staff in 1999, and has worked in both major leagues since 2000....
. In addition he announces various games of the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
every year during the month of June. He also is a play-by-play TV announcer for the Little League World Series
Little League World Series
The Little League Baseball World Series is a baseball tournament for children aged 11 to 13 years old. It was originally called the National Little League Tournament and was later renamed for the World Series in Major League Baseball. It was first held in 1947 and is held every August in South...
on ESPN during the month of August. Thorne is also the play-by-play announcer of the video game Major League Baseball 2K9
Major League Baseball 2K9
Major League Baseball 2K9 or, in short, MLB 2K9, is a MLB licensed baseball simulation video game published by 2K Sports. The game was developed for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable and Wii...
, Major League Baseball 2K10
Major League Baseball 2K10
Major League Baseball 2K10 or, in short, MLB 2K10, is a MLB licensed baseball simulation video game published by 2K Sports. MLB 2K10 was available for PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii and Nintendo DS...
and Major League Baseball 2K11
Major League Baseball 2K11
Major League Baseball 2K11 or, in short, MLB 2K11, is an MLB licensed baseball simulation video game published by 2K Sports. MLB 2K11 is available for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, and Wii.-Commentators:The commentary is delivered by...
.
Hockey
In 1977, Thorne called hockey games for AugustaAugusta, Maine
Augusta is the capital of the US state of Maine, county seat of Kennebec County, and center of population for Maine. The city's population was 19,136 at the 2010 census, making it the third-smallest state capital after Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
radio and television stations.
Thorne rose to prominence in Maine broadcasting, when he began calling play-by-play for the University of Maine's hockey games for Bangor radio station WABI. As the voice of the Black Bears, he quickly became one of the most recognizable radio voices in the state.
From 1992 through 2004, Thorne called NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
play-by-play for games on ESPN
ESPN National Hockey Night
ESPN National Hockey Night was ESPN's weekly television broadcasts of National Hockey League regular season games and coverage of playoff games, broadcast from 1992 to 2004...
, ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
and (beginning 1999) ABC
The NHL on ABC
The NHL on ABC is a former TV show that televised National Hockey League games on the American Broadcasting Company and was produced by ABC's corporate sibling ESPN.-Before the 1992–93 NHL season:...
, including many of the latter-round playoff games. He was almost always paired along with analyst Bill Clement during these ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
-produced telecasts. NBC
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
enlisted Thorne to call the hockey tournament
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:...
with John Davidson during the 2002 Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
in Salt Lake City. He is the announcer on EA Sports' NHL 09
NHL 09
NHL 09 is the 18th video game in the NHL series released by EA Sports. NHL 09 was first released in North America for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 on September 10, 2008, and on September 25, 2008 Australia, and September 26, 2008 in Europe. It was released for Microsoft Windows on October 22, 2008...
, NHL 10
NHL 10
NHL 10 is a video game in the NHL series developed and released by EA Canada and published by EA Sports, and is the 19th game in the series. The game debuted at Hockey Fest '09, a three-day interactive festival celebrating the sport of hockey and the Los Angeles Kings, which took place in downtown...
, NHL 11
NHL 11
NHL 11 is an ice hockey video game celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the NHL series. The game was developed by EA Canada, published by EA Sports, and released in North America on September 7, 2010, with all other regions receiving the game within two weeks...
and NHL 12
NHL 12
NHL 12 is an ice hockey video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. The game was released between September 8–13, 2011, in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and North America. The game was featured in the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo . Steven Stamkos was announced as the...
video games alongside Bill Clement.
In 2005 when ESPN dropped out of the bidding for NHL hockey games, Gary Thorne began doing play-by-play for baseball
ESPN Major League Baseball
ESPN Major League Baseball is a promotion of Major League Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2, with simulcasts on ESPNHD or ESPN2HD. ESPN's MLB coverage debuted on April 9, 1990 with three Opening Day telecasts. ESPN Major League Baseball is guaranteed to remain on air until 2013.The title is derived from...
and college football on ESPN. He also picked up duties as the lead play-by-play announcer for the Frozen Four.
Thorne and Clement called every Stanley Cup win from 1993
1993 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1993 Stanley Cup Final series was contested by the Los Angeles Kings and the Montreal Canadiens to decide the NHL championship for the 1992–93 season. It was the first appearance in the Final for the Kings, and the 34th for Montreal, their first since the 1989 Final. The Canadiens won the...
through 2004
2004 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2004 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the National Hockey League champion for the 2003–04 season. As a culmination of the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Western Conference champion Calgary Flames...
, except for 1995
1995 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1995 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the New Jersey Devils and the Detroit Red Wings. This was the first of nine consecutive finals with American franchises exclusively. New Jersey was making the franchise's first-ever appearance in the Final, while Detroit returned...
; Mike Emrick
Mike Emrick
Michael "Doc" Emrick, is an American sports commentator noted mostly for his work in ice hockey. Emrick is currently the lead announcer for NHL national telecasts on both NBC and Versus...
and John Davidson were the broadcast team for the clinching game of that Finals series (which was aired on Fox).
Thorne was named to call the play-by-play of Team USA's
USA Hockey
USA Hockey is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for amateur ice hockey in the United States and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. The organization is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has...
games in the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2010 IIHF World U20 Championship, commonly referred to as the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships , was the 34th edition of World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. The tournament was hosted in Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, from December 26, 2009 to January 5, 2010...
for the NHL Network alongside Dave Starman. However, shortly before the tournament started, he was replaced by JP Dellacamera
JP Dellacamera
John Paul Dellacamera , known as JP , is an American sportscaster for Major League Soccer with the Philadelphia Union and the Fox Soccer Channel.-Soccer:...
for personal reasons. Thorne returned to the NHL Network in 2011 to call Team USA's games in the 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2011 IIHF World U20 Championship, commonly referred to as the 2011 World Junior Hockey Championships , was the 2011 edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was hosted by the United States. The games were played in Western New York, at HSBC Arena in Buffalo and Niagara...
.
Football
He has also called ABC's coverageCollege Football on ABC
ESPN College Football on ABC presented by Kay Jewelers is a presentation of the American Broadcasting Company's regular season American college football television package...
of the Capital One Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
.
In 2011 Thorne joined CBS Sports Network as a play-by-play man for college football and has been paired with Randy Cross
Randy Cross
Randall "Randy" Laureat Cross , is a football analyst and former NFL offensive lineman. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in July 2011.-High school years:...
as color analyst.
Bobby Valentine
In September 2002, Thorne reportedly talked of dissension in the Mets clubhouse between manager Bobby Valentine
Bobby Valentine
Robert John "Bobby V" Valentine is an American professional baseball manager and former player who is currently the manager of the Boston Red Sox. He previously managed the Texas Rangers and New York Mets as well as the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan...
and the team's players. "There are a lot of guys down there (in the dugout) who don't like him," a New York Daily News columnist quotes Thorne as having said. "They don't like playing for him. And if there has ever been a Teflon manager, he's it. Nothing seems to stick. He's never responsible for anything."
Curt Schilling
In April 2007, in reference to Curt Schilling
Curt Schilling
Curtis Montague "Curt" Schilling is a former American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in and won World Series championships in with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in and with the Boston Red Sox. Schilling retired with a...
's famed bloody sock during the 2004 MLB playoffs, Thorne said during a broadcast of a Red Sox
2007 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox' 2007 season began with the Boston, Massachusetts-based Major League Baseball team trying to rebound after a disappointing 2006 season, in which they finished third in the American League East behind the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays, and missed the postseason for...
–Orioles
2007 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles' 2007 season involved the Orioles finishing with a record of 69 wins and 93 losses and fourth place in the AL East. On June 18, 2007 manager Sam Perlozzo was fired and replaced with bullpen coach Dave Trembley as interim manager. Trembley was named full-time manager on August...
game that Boston backup catcher Doug Mirabelli
Doug Mirabelli
Douglas Anthony Mirabelli is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He played for the San Francisco Giants , Texas Rangers , Boston Red Sox , and San Diego Padres before returning to the Red Sox to end his eleven year career...
admitted it was a hoax. "It was painted," Thorne said. "Doug Mirabelli confessed up to it after. It was all for PR." Thorne later said that Mirabelli had only been joking. "He said one thing, and I heard something else. I reported what I heard and what I honestly felt was said," Thorne said. "Having talked with him today, there's no doubt in my mind that's not what he said, that's not what he meant. He explained that it was in the context of the sarcasm and the jabbing that goes on in the clubhouse. "I took it as something serious, and it wasn't," Thorne said. Mirabelli confirmed the story, saying, "He knows that I believe 100 percent that I thought the sock had blood on it. It never crossed my mind that there wasn't blood on that sock. If he misinterpreted something said inside the clubhouse, it's unfortunate." Mirabelli said he spoke with Thorne in the Boston clubhouse about six months after the 2004 playoffs. "As he was walking away he asked, 'How about the bloody sock?' I said, 'Yeah, we got a lot of publicity out of that,' and that was all he can recall me saying," Mirabelli said. "He said he assumed what I meant was that the sock was fake and that it was just a publicity stunt. That by no means is what I meant. There was never a doubt in mind there was blood on the sock."
Career timeline
- 1977-1986: University of MaineUniversity of MaineThe University of Maine is a public research university located in Orono, Maine, United States. The university was established in 1865 as a land grant college and is referred to as the flagship university of the University of Maine System...
Hockey Play-by-Play - 1985–1988: New York MetsNew York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
Radio Play-by-Play - 1987–1993: New Jersey DevilsNew Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
TV Play-by-Play - 1988–1992: SportsChannel AmericaSportsChannel AmericaSportsChannel America was a cable television network operated by Cablevision. It was the country's first regional sports network, and thus an important ancestor to many of the United States' regional sports outlets, especially Fox Sports Net and Comcast SportsNet. SportsChannel New York was the...
's Hockey Play-by-Play - 1989: Chicago White SoxChicago White SoxThe Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
Play-by-Play - 1989: Major League Baseball on ABC Play-by-Play
- 1990–present: ESPN Major League BaseballESPN Major League BaseballESPN Major League Baseball is a promotion of Major League Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2, with simulcasts on ESPNHD or ESPN2HD. ESPN's MLB coverage debuted on April 9, 1990 with three Opening Day telecasts. ESPN Major League Baseball is guaranteed to remain on air until 2013.The title is derived from...
Play-by-Play - 1994–2002: New York Mets TV Play-by-Play
- 1992–2004: ESPN National Hockey NightESPN National Hockey NightESPN National Hockey Night was ESPN's weekly television broadcasts of National Hockey League regular season games and coverage of playoff games, broadcast from 1992 to 2004...
Lead Play-by-Play - 1993–1994, 2000–2004: NHL on ABCThe NHL on ABCThe NHL on ABC is a former TV show that televised National Hockey League games on the American Broadcasting Company and was produced by ABC's corporate sibling ESPN.-Before the 1992–93 NHL season:...
Lead Play-by-Play - 2007–present: Baltimore OriolesBaltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
Lead Play-by-Play on MASN - 2008–2009: Major League Baseball on ESPN Radio Lead Play-by-Play
- 2009–present EA NHL head announcer in game.
- 2011 MLB 2K11 head announcer in game.