Jack Buck
Jack Buck | |
---|---|
![]() Jack Buck in 1987 | |
Born | John Francis Buck August 21, 1924 Holyoke, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Died | June 18, 2002 | (aged 77)
Resting place | Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri |
Alma mater | Ohio State University |
Occupation | Sportscaster |
Years active | 1950–2001 |
Spouses |
|
Children | 8, including Joe |
Military career | |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ | ![]() |
Years of service | 1943–1946 |
Rank | ![]() |
Unit | 9th Infantry Division |
Battles/wars | World War II – European theater |
Awards | ![]() |
John Francis Buck (August 21, 1924 – June 18, 2002) was an American
Early years and military service
This section needs additional citations for verification. (April 2018) |
Buck was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, the third of seven children of Earle and Kathleen Buck.[2] His father was a railroad accountant who commuted weekly to New Jersey. From an early age, Buck dreamed of becoming a sports announcer with his early exposure to sports broadcasting coming from listening to Boston Red Sox baseball games announced by Fred Hoey.[3]
Part of his childhood coincided with the
Buck planned to quit high school in 1941 to take a full-time job in an effort to support his family. Dissuaded by one of his teachers, Buck decided to finish high school, graduating from
Buck served on a 700-foot (210 m) steamer named The Sheadle, where he began as porter and was later promoted to night cook and baker.[8] After performing various other shipping related jobs, Buck attempted to become a "deck watch." A required physical examination revealed Buck was color blind, unable to differentiate between the colors green and brown.[9] Ineligible for the promotion to deck watch, Buck subsequently became eligible for the military draft, and was drafted into the United States Army in June 1943.[8]
After completion of his military service in 1946, Buck enrolled at (and graduated from) Ohio State University. His early sportscasting career included work for the minor league affiliates of the St. Louis Cardinals. In 1954, he was promoted to radio play-by-play of Cardinal games on KXOK radio; the team's radio broadcasts would move in 1955 to KMOX. Buck maintained this position for nearly all of the next 47 years. He was known in St. Louis for his trademark phrase "That's a winner!", which was said after every game that the Cardinals had won.
In addition to his work with the Cardinals, Buck also earned assignments on many national sportscasts, including radio coverage of 18 Super Bowls and 11 World Series. Some of his famous play-by-play calls include the dramatic walk-off home runs hit by Ozzie Smith in Game 5 of the 1985 National League Championship Series, by Kirk Gibson in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, and by Kirby Puckett in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series.
The later part of his career found him working side by side in the Cardinals booth with his son Joe Buck, who also has risen to national sportscasting prominence.
Military service
After graduating from high school, he worked on large shipping boats that traveled the
After completing his basic training in 1943, Buck was designated as an instructor, and assigned the rank of corporal.[10] In addition to his instructor duties, Buck participated in boxing as a form of recreation.[11] In February 1945, Buck shipped out to the European theater of the war, where he was assigned to K Company, 47th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division.[12]
During the night of March 7, 1945, Buck and his compatriots crossed the Ludendorff Bridge at the town of Remagen, Germany.[13] United States forces' successful capture of this bridge led to the Battle of Remagen from March 7–25. On the morning of March 15, Buck was the squad leader of a patrol that came under German fire in the Remagen zone. Wounded in his left forearm and leg by fragmentation, Buck received medical treatment on the battlefield from the only medic K company had at that time, Frank Borghi.[14] He received further medical treatment at the 177th General Army Hospital in Le Mans, France, where he was awarded the Purple Heart. Buck recovered, and rejoined his outfit sometime after German forces had surrendered.[15]
Declining to re-enlist, and turning down requests to enroll in the Officers Training School, Buck joined his compatriots in guard duty of German prisoners of war.[16] Buck received orders to ship home in April 1946, effectively ending his military service.[17]
College
This section needs additional citations for verification. (April 2018) |
After returning to the United States, Buck worked in various industrial-related jobs.[18] When his friend Bill Theil told Buck he needed a roommate to attend Ohio State University with him, Buck decided on the spot to join Theil and enroll at Ohio State in Columbus. The suddenness of Buck's decision meant he had no corresponding paperwork that could be used to formally enroll at the university, so Buck attended classes of his own choosing until he was able to formally enroll.[19]
Buck majored in radio speech and minored in Spanish. He worked several jobs while attending college, including one position at an all-night gas station. He crafted his play-by-play skills broadcasting Ohio State basketball games.
After college, he called games for the
Broadcasting career
This section needs additional citations for verification. (April 2018) |
St. Louis Cardinals
![]() | |
Jack Buck was honored alongside the retired numbers of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2002. |
Buck started broadcasting Cardinals games for
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/Kmox_radio_baseball.jpg/220px-Kmox_radio_baseball.jpg)
After Caray was fired by the Cardinals following the 1969 season, Buck ascended to the team's lead play-by-play role (1969 was also the year that Jack Buck divorced his first wife Alyce Larson—whom he had married in 1948 and had six children with—and married his second wife, Carole Lintzenich, who gave birth to their son Joe Buck in the same year).
Smith corks one into right, down the line! It may go!! ... Go crazy, folks! Go crazy! It's a home run, and the Cardinals have won the game, by the score of 3 to 2, on a home run by the Wizard! Go crazy!
—Jack Buck calling Ozzie Smith's game winning home run off Tom Niedenfuer in game 5 of the 1985 NLCS[20]
Buck teamed with ex-Yankees and Pirates announcer Jim Woods in 1970–71. In 1972, retired Cardinals third baseman Mike Shannon joined Buck in the broadcast booth, beginning a 28-year partnership. On Cardinals broadcasts, Buck routinely punctuated St. Louis victories with the expression, "That's a winner!"
In addition to Joe, Buck has three daughters who worked in broadcasting. Two are from his first marriage - Bonnie Buck, who currently works in television in Los Angeles, and Christine Buck, who started her career at KPLR-TV in St. Louis. From his second marriage is Julie Buck on KYKY 98.1 in St. Louis (she now works at [KTRS-AM 550], also in St. Louis). In addition, Buck's younger brother, Bob Buck was a sportscaster and sports director at KMOX/KMOV-TV in St. Louis.
Buck was well-respected in the St. Louis community, where he lived and regularly volunteered time to host charity events. In addition to his sportscasting work, Buck served as the original host of the KMOX interview/call-in program At Your Service beginning in 1960. His guests on the program included Eleanor Roosevelt.[21]
Buck can be heard calling a (fictional) 1964 Cardinals broadcast in the 1988 film Mississippi Burning,[22] and makes a cameo appearance in a 1998 episode of the television series Arliss. He also lent his voice to R.B.I. Baseball '95.
Football
Jack Buck was also a renowned
In
Buck served as the CBS Radio voice of Monday Night Football (teaming with Hank Stram) for nearly two decades (1978–1984 and again from 1987–1995 after CBS regained the radio rights from NBC). Ironically, in 1970 ABC's Roone Arledge had asked via telephone about Buck's interests in becoming the first television play-by-play announcer for Monday Night Football, but because of personal animosity surrounding his previous stint with the network, Buck would not return their phone call. (The television play-by-play role would go to Keith Jackson instead, and later to Buck's CBS colleague, Frank Gifford.)
In addition to MNF, Buck called numerous playoff games for CBS Radio, including 17 Super Bowls (the most of any announcer). Buck also served as a local radio broadcaster for the football Cardinals in 1980 and 1981, and returned to calling Sunday NFL games for CBS television from 1982 to 1987.
Late in the
Other sports
While much better known for his baseball and football commentary, Jack Buck was also the original voice of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League. Buck was paired with Jay Randolph and Gus Kyle on Blues broadcasts and covered the 1968 Stanley Cup Finals for KMOX radio.
He was succeeded after
Showing his versatility, Buck also hosted the syndicated Top Star Bowling during the early 1960s.
ABC and CBS baseball
In
Despite temporarily losing the Game of the Week package in 1961, ABC still televised several games in prime time (with Buck returning to call the action). This occurred as Roger Maris[26][27] was poised to tie and subsequently break Babe Ruth's regular season home run record of 60.
For a number of years Buck called baseball events nationally for the
I must say about Johnny Bench, folks, if he moved that fast when he played, he would have never hit into a double play. I never saw anybody move that fast in my life.
He is most famous for his coast-to-coast radio call of
This was Buck's call. It begins here with Buck speculating on what might happen if Gibson manages to reach base:
... then you would run for Gibson and have Sax batting. But, we have a big 3–2 pitch coming here from Eckersley. Gibson swings, and a fly ball to deep right field! This is gonna be a home run! Unbelievable! A home run for Gibson! And the Dodgers have won the game, five to four; I don't believe what I just saw!
The last sentence is often remembered and quoted by fans. Buck followed it with,
I don't believe what I just saw! Is this really happening, Bill?
Buck concluded his comments on Gibson's amazing feat with this thought:
One of the most remarkable finishes to any World Series Game ... a one-handed home run by Kirk Gibson! And the Dodgers have won it ... five to four; and I'm stunned, Bill. I have seen a lot of dramatic finishes in a lot of sports, but this one might top almost every other one.
Buck was not intended to be the main play-by-play announcer for CBS baseball telecasts when the network acquired the sport from NBC and ABC. Originally assigned to the network's #2 crew (and therefore, work with Jim Kaat), he was promoted at practically the last minute after Brent Musburger[28] was fired on April Fools' Day of 1990.
After two years of calling baseball telecasts (including the Saturday afternoon Game of the Week, All-Star Game, National League Championship Series, and World Series), Buck was dismissed by CBS. The official reasoning behind Buck's ouster was that he simply had poor chemistry with lead analyst Tim McCarver.[29][30][31]
Buck was soon replaced by Boston Red Sox announcer Sean McDonough. Buck later noted that "CBS never got that baseball play-by-play draws word-pictures. All they knew was that football stars analysts. So they said, 'Let McCarver run the show ... In television, all they want you to do is shut up. I'm not very good at shutting up." Buck was criticized by some for his alleged habit of predicting plays on air.[32]
Buck made controversial statements about singer
The next day, CBS Sports executive producer Ted Shaker spotted Buck in the hotel lobby and told Buck that he was in trouble. The final baseball play that Jack Buck narrated for CBS television was Gene Larkin's game winning bloop single in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series.
The Twins are going to win the World Series! The Twins have won it! It's a base hit! It's a 1–0 10th inning victory!
Final years
This section needs additional citations for verification. (April 2018) |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/Jack_Buck_9-11_Speech.jpg/300px-Jack_Buck_9-11_Speech.jpg)
Over the course of the 1990s, Buck decided to reduce his schedule to calling only Cardinals home games (or 81 games a year unless there was a special occurrence). Health concerns played a factor in this, as Buck suffered from such ailments as
In the final years of his life, Buck became recognized for writing poetry, culminating in national attention for his poem "For America", written after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. One of Buck's final public appearances was on September 17, 2001, at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. It was the first night that Major League Baseball resumed after the terrorist attacks of September 11. Sick with lung cancer and also showing the signs of Parkinson's disease, Buck looked frail and struggled to maintain his composure.[35] He concluded by silencing critics who thought baseball had come back too soon: "I don't know about you, but as for me, the question has already been answered: Should we be here? Yes!"[36]
Death
This section needs additional citations for verification. (April 2018) |
Jack Buck died on June 18, 2002, in St. Louis's
Within two hours of his death, fans were leaving flowers at the base of his bust outside
Buck was interred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in south St. Louis County. His spot on the KMOX Cardinals broadcasts was subsequently filled by former Colorado Rockies announcer Wayne Hagin. Hagin, who went on to the New York Mets after his stint in St. Louis, moved over to television, and his spot was filled by one of Buck's protégés, former Chicago White Sox announcer John Rooney.
Buck's youngest son,
During postseason telecasts, Joe has often paid homage to his father by signing off with "We'll see you tomorrow night!". When the Cardinals won the 2006 World Series, Joe quoted his father again saying, "For the first time since 1982, St. Louis has a World Series winner!", referencing Jack's line when the Cards won in 1982, "And that's a winner! That's a winner! A World Series winner for the Cardinals!". During the 2011 Series, Joe punctuated David Freese's 11th inning walk-off homer for the Cardinals in Game 6 with "We will see you ... tomorrow night!", near similar to the 1991 Puckett home run description, a call he said he did to celebrate his father.[38] When the Cardinals won Game 7, he did not quote his father.[39][38]
Awards and recognition
Buck received the
The
Buck is honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.[41]
A bronze statue of him was erected at the entrance to Busch Memorial Stadium in 1998 (and moved to a new location outside the current Busch Stadium in 2007).
A section of I-64/US-40 in St. Louis is named the Jack Buck Memorial Highway in his honor.
In January, 2014, the Cardinals announced Buck among 22 former players and personnel to be inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum for the inaugural class of 2014.[42]
The Jack Buck Award, presented by the Missouri Athletic Club "in recognition of the enthusiastic and dedicated support of sports in St. Louis", is named in his honor.
See also
References
- Footnotes
- ^ Fallstrom, R.B. (June 19, 2002). "Broadcasting great Buck dies at age 77". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. p. 4B.
- ^ Buck, Rains, and Broeg 1997: 5–8
- ^ Buck, Rains, and Broeg 1997: pp. 1, 5.
- ^ Buck, Rains, and Broeg 1997: pp. 8-9
- ^ a b Buck, Rains, and Broeg 1997: 15
- ^ Buck, Rains, and Broeg 1997: 19–20
- ^ Buck, Rains, and Broeg 1997: pp. 21-24
- ^ a b Buck, Rains, and Broeg 1997: pg. 24
- ^ Buck, Rains, and Broeg 1997: pg. 30
- ^ a b c d Buck, Rains, and Broeg 1997: pg. 33
- ^ Buck, Rains, and Broeg 1997: pg. 38
- ^ Buck, Rains, and Broeg 1997: pg. 40
- ^ Buck, Rains, and Broeg 1997: pg. 41
- ^ Buck, Rains, and Broeg 1997: pp. 42–43.
- ^ Buck, Rains, and Broeg 1997: pp. 44–47
- ^ Buck, Rains, and Broeg 1997: pg. 47
- ^ Buck, Rains, and Broeg 1997: pg. 51
- ^ Buck, Rains, and Broeg 1997: pp. 51-54.
- ^ Buck, Rains, and Broeg 1997: pg. 54–55.
- ^ Garner 2000: pg. 98
- ^ "LISTEN: Jack Buck Introduces First "At Your Service" Program On KMOX". CBS St. Louis. June 13, 2012.
- ^ Thomas, Robert McG. Jr (March 27, 1989). "Sports World Specials; The Ring of Truth". The New York Times.
- ^ "ABC Signs Erskine as TV Color Man". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. April 12, 1960. p. C7.
- ^ "Can't Hide No-Hitter From Fans—Erskine". The Miami News. Associated Press. June 5, 1960. p. 2C.
- ^ "No Major Changes Loom in TV Sports During 1961". Hartford Courant. Associated Press. January 1, 1961.
- ^ Adams, Val (September 19, 1961). "NETWORKS PLAN WIDE U.N. REPORT". The New York Times. p. 71.
- ^ "ABC-TV to Film Tilt 154". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Associated Press. September 19, 1961.
- ^ Rusnak, Jeff (April 6, 1990). "Buck In Brent At Cbs". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
- ^ Buck never could come to terms with emphasis on analysts in televised sports. He always believed that a good play-by-play broadcast is what the people wanted. Archived 2006-07-21 at the Wayback Machine, freeinfosociety.com; accessed April 3, 2018.
- ^ I did get a nice note from Neal Pilson (CBS Sports head). And we did have a helluva World Series last year, didn't we?" One stated reason for the McDonough- for-Buck move was Buck and Tim McCarver didn't mix well on-air, that Buck's radio style didn't allow McCarver enough room. ...[permanent dead link], pqarchiver.com/bostonheral, October 22, 1992.
- ^ The network that three years ago didn't even have a sports department is televising its first World Series. ... When McCarver was paired with Jack during CBS's World Series broadcasts in 1990-91, they weren't great together, primarily because Jack had been trained in radio. ..., newsbank.com, October 18, 1996.
- ^ Buck took a lot of criticism from national audiences, as well. Numerous critics pointed out his tendency of predicting plays on the air. This sometimes led to him making the wrong call, and confusing the listeners Archived 2006-07-21 at the Wayback Machine, freeinfosociety.com; accessed April 3, 2018.
- ^ Vinton, Buck apologize for Wayward Words
- ^ "J. Buck's opens downtown St. Louis restaurant". St. Louis Business Journal. June 19, 2007. Retrieved 2013-01-06.
- ^ Top 10 Motivational Sports Speeches of All Time, nesn.com, February 2010.
- ^ Beattie, John (2 May 2011). "Jack Buck's Post-9/11 Poem 'For America' Fondly Recalled in Wake of Osama Bin Laden's Death (Video)". NESN. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- ^ Sam Farmer (January 27, 2020). "Joe Buck sees familiar tie with father, Jack, as he prepares for Super Bowl broadcast". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
- ^ a b Caesar, Dan (28 October 2011). "Joe Buck honors father in Series call". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- ^ "Cardinals win 2011 World Series". MLB.com. October 28, 2011. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
- ^ "ASA's Top 50 Sportscasters of All Time".
- ^ St. Louis Walk of Fame. "St. Louis Walk of Fame Inductees". stlouiswalkoffame.org. Archived from the original on 31 October 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
- ^ Cardinals Press Release (January 18, 2014). "Cardinals establish Hall of Fame & detail induction process". www.stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- Bibliography
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)
- Jack Buck Ford C. Frick Award biography at the National Baseball Hall of Fame
- MLB.com memorial page
- Jack Buck (1924–2002) Archived 2005-02-22 at the Wayback Machine
- "Jack Buck". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
- Jack Buck Wall of Fame