Warren Sawkiw
| Warren Sawkiw | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Infielder / Utility player | |
| Born: January 19, 1968 Toronto, Ontario, Canada | |
Bats: Switch Throws: Right |
Warren Sawkiw (born January 19, 1968) is a Canadian former professional baseball player and broadcaster. As a player, he was listed at 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) and 185 pounds (84 kg); he threw right-handed and was a switch hitter.[1]
Biography
[edit]Born in Toronto, Ontario, Sawkiw played college baseball for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. In 1988 and 1989, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League and was named a league all-star in 1989.[2][3] He was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 1990 Major League Baseball draft.[4] He went on to play in minor league and independent baseball from 1990 to 1998, appearing in a total of 658 games, compiling a .277 batting average. He was primarily an infielder, but also served as a utility player, appearing at every defensive position including pitcher.[1] He started his professional career in 1990 with the Class A Short Season Niagara Falls Rapids, advanced as far as Triple-A with the Syracuse Chiefs in 1995, and finished his career in baseball with the independent Elmira Pioneers in 1998.[1]
 | This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (July 2020) |
After his retirement from baseball as a player, Sawkiw joined TSN as a colour commentator on Montreal Expos games in 2001 and then Rogers Sportsnet as a studio analyst for the network's baseball coverage in 2003. After long-time Toronto Blue Jays radio broadcaster Tom Cheek was unable to serve as the team's lead radio play-by-play announcer in 2005 due to health issues, Sawkiw joined Jerry Howarth as an analyst on Blue Jays radio broadcasts.[5] Sawkiw continued working in this capacity through the 2006 season, with former Blue Jays catcher and Houston Astros broadcaster Alan Ashby replacing Sawkiw in the broadcast booth in 2007.[6] Sawkiw did color commentary for CBC Sports' coverage of baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics.[7] Sawkiw also served as the announcer for CBC Sports' coverage of baseball at the 2015 Pan American Games.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Warren Sawkiw Minor & Independent Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
- ^ "1988 P & L Promotions Cape Cod League #3 - Warren Sawkiw - Bourne Braves". tcdb.com. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
- ^ "Handler's success heralds local possibilities". Barnstable Patriot. Barnstable, MA. July 27, 1989. p. 8.
- ^ "Baseball Draft". Kingsport Times-News. Kingsport, Tennessee. June 15, 1990. p. 9. Retrieved July 24, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Ulmer, Mike (17 April 2005). "Sawkiw finds his calling". Toronto Sun. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Longley, Rob (25 January 2007). "Sawkiw strikes out". Toronto Sun. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games | Warren Sawkiw". Archived from the original on 2013-03-28. Retrieved 2012-08-17.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)
- 1968 births
- Living people
- Baseball players from Toronto
- Birmingham Barons players
- Bourne Braves players
- Canadian radio sportscasters
- Canadian television sportscasters
- Elmira Pioneers players
- Fayetteville Generals players
- Knoxville Smokies players
- Lakeland Tigers players
- Montreal Expos announcers
- Niagara Falls Rapids players
- Rochester Aces players
- Syracuse Chiefs players
- Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks players
- Toronto Blue Jays announcers
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons baseball players
- Winnipeg Goldeyes players