VOICE OF THE BLUE JAY S STILL NOT 100%

The list of Toronto Blue Jays who have spent time on the disabled list over the first three months of the season is one of the longest in recent memory. Even the team’s longtime radio broadcaster was forced out of action for an extended period. About 4 1/2 months after undergoing successful prostate cancer surgery, Jerry Howarth was back in the booth calling games at the start of the 2017 campaign. However, a virus in late April led to laryngitis and he was forced to miss 21 games. “It took a little while to come back,” Howarth said. “Even now my voice is not 100 per cent.” He has made a few minor changes to get back in top form since returning to his duties a few weeks ago. He has switched to decaffeinated coffee, is drinking more water and has been meeting with specialists at a voice clinic to see if nasal polyps are an issue. Howarth made his first appearance as a Blue Jays broadcaster in 1980. Now 71, Howarth’s memory is as sharp as ever. He can quickly recall game details from decades ago as if they were from the day before.