BOSTON -- It’s the news Blue Jays fans have been waiting to hear: Buck is back.
During Friday night’s game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, Sportsnet announced that Buck Martinez, the Blue Jays’ longtime player, manager and now broadcaster, will return to the booth when Toronto opens a series against the Cardinals at Rogers Centre on Tuesday.
Martinez, 73, stepped away from broadcasting in April to undergo cancer treatment.
“I will be watching from the sidelines as I fight the good fight,” Martinez said at the time. Now that he’s returning, so are his trademark calls that have become synonymous with Canada’s team.
Martinez played 17 seasons in the Major Leagues, finishing his career in Toronto from 1981-86. He returned to the organization as manager in 2001, which lasted until midway through the ’02 season. He has been a broadcaster with Sportsnet for 12 years.