Northern Ontario Blue Jays announcer calls first World Series

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Tim Langton, the public address announcer for Toronto Blue Jays home games for two decades, is currently calling his first World Series, an experience he describes as “surreal.”

A native of northern Ontario, Langton’s journey to the broadcast booth began in his hometown of Kirkland Lake.

“I figured if I don’t get a job, I’ll join the military. My brother had already done it,” he said.

“So I thought, man, this might be something to do. But I wound up being told of a job at, CJKL, a little radio station up in Kirkland Lake and it was news, and I said, don’t send anybody else. This is my job.”

Forging a career in broadcasting

After securing that first part-time radio role as a teenager, Langton honed his craft at radio stations across the province, including Sudbury, North Bay, Barrie and Midland.

His career path eventually led him to the audio department of what was then called the Sky Dome, where he diligently moved his way up to the coveted PA announcer role. This position transformed him from a casual observer into a dedicated student of the game.

“I was a very casual fan before I started the job, but you can’t help but becoming a fan,” he said.

“I knew how to play the game. I knew the basic rules, but I know so much more about baseball now than I ever have.”

The art of announcing

Langton brings a distinct character and energy to his role, a style he developed to engage fans during less successful seasons.

“The team wasn’t as good as it is now, and there wasn’t as many fans,” he said.

“So, it was a challenge and that’s sort of where I started taking things a step further and into sort of a character sort of vein where, I’m a little louder and a little, little gruffer than I am normally. So that’s you’ve got a base level of, of energy and then you just take it up a little bit.”

To maintain accuracy during the fast-paced action, he relies on an old-school method.

“For example, an intentional walk. You can introduce a batter and look down and look up,” he said.

“He’s standing at first base because he was intentionally walked and we’ve got a new batter, and I almost miss announcing him.”

Surreal World Series moment

The excitement of the World Series brought a wave of nerves for the veteran announcer, especially with the global audience.

“I started realizing, I mean, this is not just Sportsnet, this is all over the world. So, it was a little freaky,” he said.

“I settled down and got through it and everything’s fine.”

As only the third PA announcer in Blue Jays history, Langton has become a point of pride for his community, with many from his past reaching out to share in his success.

“I have heard from people I haven’t heard from in a while expressing that, you’re making us proud,” he said.

“You’re from Kirkland Lake or look where you are and again, it’s sometimes you need other people to help you appreciate exactly what you’ve got.”

Reflecting on the team’s incredible run, he added, “It really hasn’t landed yet. Here we are after all these years and coming close, and it’s almost unbelievable.”

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