Gary Thorne nominated for MLB Award for golf-like call

By Bobby Blanco

Orioles

October 22, 2015, 6:33am

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Watch out, Jim Nantz - Gary Thorne can call golf, too.

Since 2007, Thorne has been well known for his "Goodbye, home run!" and "Mercy" calls on MASN's Orioles broadcasts. But it is his quiet golf-like TV call of an Adam Jones double that has Thorne nominated for an Esurance MLB Award.

Most baseball fans will remember the Orioles' 8-2 win over the White Sox on April 29 for being played in an empty Camden Yards due to security concerns following the civil unrest in Baltimore. But O's fans who weren't standing outside the center field gate will also recall Thorne calling Jones' seventh inning at-bat as if the center fielder was teeing off at Augusta National's Amen Corner at The Masters.

Thorne's whispered call perfectly complemented the loud crack of Jones' first-pitch swing and the immediate silence from the non-existent crowd. "That Green Jacket is well within reach, Jim," said Thorne to partner analyst, Hall of Famer Jim Palmer, as the ball hit off the base of the wall in center field and Jones reached second base standing up.

The Esurance MLB Awards celebrate the best in Major League Baseball each year, from "Best Rookie" to "Best Fan Catch." They are voted on by the media, front office personnel, retired major leaguers, the Society of American Baseball Research and you, the fans! You can vote for Thorne here and watch his Masters call below. Voting ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 13, and the winners will be announced on the 2015 Esurance MLB Awards show on MLB Network and MLB.com on or around Nov. 20.