What happened to Buck Martinez

What happened to Buck Martinez
What happened to Buck Martinez

Longtime Toronto Blue Jays broadcaster Buck Martinez disappeared from the broadcast booth after being diagnosed with cancer.

In a statement released to Sportsnet, Martinez said Sunday’s game against the Oakland Athletics would be his last in “a while” as he begins several weeks of cancer treatment.

Martinez, 73, said he is approaching his Sportsnet playmates for a Jays stretch later this season.

The veteran broadcaster’s association with the Blue Jays dates back to 1981, when he began a five-year stint as one of the team’s catchers. Martinez enjoyed a 17-year Major League Baseball career that also included stops with the Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers.

He was hired as manager of the Blue Jays in 2001, but was fired midway through his second season with the team after posting a 100–115 record.

Blessed with a silky voice and smooth delivery, Martinez first stepped behind the microphone in 1987 as a color commentator for Jays games on TSN.

He also helped organize games for ESPN, TBS and the Baltimore Orioles before joining the Sportsnet Blue Jays television team in 2010.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on April 17, 2022.