Gary Thorne

Lore & Background

Thorne grew up in Old Town, Maine, graduating from Old Town High School in 1966. After graduating from the University of Maine in 1970 and the University of Maine School of Law in 1973 (while paying tuition as a sportscaster/disc jockey), Thorne became Penobscot County assistant district attorney. He also joined the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1986, Thorne began a four-year stint as a radio announcer for the New York Mets. He was present in the booth at Shea Stadium, along with Bob Murphy, for the sixth game of the 1986 World Series between the Mets and Boston Red Sox. Thorne served as the TV play-by-play announcer for the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network's Baltimore Orioles games from 2007 through the 2020 season. He is known for his signature calls of 'Goodbye! Home run!' and 'Mercy!' Thorne closed his Orioles broadcasts with 'Adieu' if the Orioles lost or 'Adieu-Adieu' if they won. The Orioles removed Thorne from the broadcast booth in the midst of a contract disagreement during the 2020 season, with the team invoking the right not to pick up his contract through the schedule changes brought about by COVID-19. Thorne was let go by MASN entirely on January 23, 2021. From July 16–18, 2021, Thorne filled in for Gary Cohen on play-by-play for the SNY broadcast of the New York Mets' series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. On September 23, 2022, Thorne filled in for Wayne Randazzo on radio for a WCBS broadcast of a game between the Mets and the Oakland Athletics. In 1989, 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 Loma Prieta earthquake hit on October 17, 1989. In 1995, Thorne called the first two games of the American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners on NBC/The Baseball Network with Tommy Hutton. From 1996 until 2003, Thorne served as the play-by-play man for the World Series produced by MLB International, airing in over 200 countries around the world, as well as on the American Forces Network. During

In Their Own Story

A young fan grips a controller tightly, eyes fixed on the pixelated diamond where the Texas Rangers are facing off against their rivals. Suddenly, a familiar voice booms through the speakers: 'He's got it! He's got it!' It is Gary Thorne, his voice crackling with excitement as if he were standing right in the stands at the Metrodome. In that moment, the line between the real game and the virtual one blurs, creating a memory that feels just as real as any championship parade.

Reader's Guide

Gary Thorne is a versatile sportscaster known for his work in baseball, hockey, and football. He served as the lead play-by-play announcer for the Baltimore Orioles on MASN from 2007 to 2020, and has called games for ESPN, ABC, and MLB International. He also announced NHL games for the New Jersey Devils and on national broadcasts, and has worked college football, the College World Series, and the Little League World Series. He is the play-by-play announcer for MLB 2K9 through MLB 2K13 video games.

Did You Know?

• Thorne was present at Candlestick Park during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake while working for ABC Sports.
• He called Robin Ventura's 'Grand Slam Single' for MLB International in the 1999 NLCS.
• Thorne served as master of ceremonies for the National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.
• He filled in for Gary Cohen on SNY Mets broadcasts in July 2021 and for Wayne Randazzo on WCBS radio in September 2022.