Where's Buck?

GoJaysGo · Post #1 » by **GoJaysGo** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 8:58 pm

Hello,

I'm a huge fan of Buck Martinez and I am wondering where he has been the last week or so. I paid $15 extra on mlb.tv just so I could hear Buck, even on away games. Sorry if this has been answered, but I searched and could not find it on these forums and on the internet in general. All I could find is that He's "away" this week.

Is he sick, is there family problems? Is it a vacation? What announcer takes a vacation in the middle of a baseball season. And does anyone know when he will be back?

Thank You.

BigLeagueChew · Post #2 » by **BigLeagueChew** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 9:01 pm

Vacation, he should be back next series

GoJaysGo · Post #3 » by **GoJaysGo** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 9:02 pm

But isn't that a little weird? A Teacher wouldn't take a vacation during the school year. How does a broadcaster leave the booth during the season? But thanks for the info.

BigLeagueChew · Post #4 » by **BigLeagueChew** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 9:20 pm

Yeah I thought it was weird he decided to take a vacation against Strasburg and Harper earlier this week and the Phillies this weekend. You can bet he still watched the games wherever he was though.

I guess compared to other sports, baseball is a longer season so the time off is needed for them. Season being 7+ months, longer if they make the playoffs.

Years ago the Jays being covered by other networks(TSN,CBC) however now it seems the broadcasting contract is with Sportsnet only.

SharoneWright · Post #5 » by **SharoneWright** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 9:32 pm

Tyrone Slothrop · Post #6 » by **Tyrone Slothrop** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 10:43 pm

GoJaysGo wrote:Hello,

I'm a huge fan of Buck Martinez

First time these words have been seen on these boards???

GoJaysGo · Post #7 » by **GoJaysGo** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 11:18 pm

I watch almost all the games via MLB.TV and I never understand why people don't like Buck. Maybe its Nostalgia from the old days with Dan Shulman, but I have no complaints at all about Buck. In fact, I just don't enjoy the games as much without him. And its not as though there are no broadcasters I don't like. Last season, when I didn't pay the extra $15 to hear the Jays feed on away games, I was tortured to hear the Chicago White Sox guy. Has anyone heard that guy? "He Gone!" "Can of Corn" and some other terrible things.

BigLeagueChew · Post #8 » by **BigLeagueChew** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 1:56 am

GoJaysGo wrote:I watch almost all the games via MLB.TV and I never understand why people don't like Buck. Maybe its Nostalgia from the old days with Dan Shulman, but I have no complaints at all about Buck. In fact, I just don't enjoy the games as much without him. And its not as though there are no broadcasters I don't like. Last season, when I didn't pay the extra $15 to hear the Jays feed on away games, I was tortured to hear the Chicago White Sox guy. Has anyone heard that guy? "He Gone!" "Can of Corn" and some other terrible things.

You can put it on the booooaaard....YES!

I liked Dan Shulman and Buck Martinez back in the 90's. The only part I don't like about Buck is his play by play is awful, he's better suited in Tabler's role I think.

I look forward to the Jays competing again, and the possible return of Dan Shulman, although unlikely.

tiger7 · Post #9 » by **tiger7** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 3:05 am

I don't mind Buck at all I just hate when he butchers players names and he doesn't correct himself or anybody else.

Post #10 » by **spykelee** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 3:22 am

GoJaysGo wrote:Hello,

I'm a huge fan of Buck Martinez

I paid $15 extra on mlb.tv just so I could hear Buck, even on away games.

Hamyltowne · Post #11 » by **Hamyltowne** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 3:31 am

spykelee wrote:
GoJaysGo wrote:Hello,

I'm a huge fan of Buck Martinez

I paid $15 extra on mlb.tv just so I could hear Buck, even on away games.

I couldn't believe it, myself.

Hamyltowne · Post #12 » by **Hamyltowne** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 3:35 am

GoJaysGo wrote:I watch almost all the games via MLB.TV and I never understand why people don't like Buck.... I just don't enjoy the games as much without him.

Warning: You are not going to find much simpatico on this board.

gei · Post #13 » by **gei** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 4:25 am

Agree - I think Buck is great as well. Bear in mind the realgm crowd tends to complain about a lot of things that the vast majority of fans have no issues with (ie buck, swirsky, pizza pizza promotion in raptors games, etc). Most people I know generally like buck as well.

Post #14 » by **spykelee** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 5:49 am

Buck has one of the absolute worst voices I have ever heard. I cannot understand how a guy with his voice is an on air talent. Tabby is annoying and generic and all that good stuff, but at his core, he has a nice voice, and a smooth delivery. These are the 2 most important factors in broadcasting imo. Seems strange that it would be secondary to knowledge I know, but this is the cold hard truth of broadcasting. Buck has a horrific grinding voice, and that goes along with terrible delivery. He often posses "questions" to Tabby that he has already answered. This is not the role of the play by play guy.

Couple those two things with how he constantly bungles players names, and at times, seems unaware of the rules of the game, and this guy should be nowhere near my TV. And that's the other thing, how in the world is Buck on TV? This guy looks like he's been a chain smoker since infancy. Talk about a face for radio...

Hamyltowne · Post #15 » by **Hamyltowne** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 6:44 am

spykelee wrote:Buck has one of the absolute worst voices I have ever heard.

I stick by my description: Buck Martinez's laugh sounds like a dolphin about to die of suffocation.

And, to the OP, some required reading: http://www.buckblunders.com/

Post #16 » by **spykelee** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 7:38 am

Hamyltowne wrote:
spykelee wrote:Buck has one of the absolute worst voices I have ever heard.

I stick by my description: Buck Martinez's laugh sounds like a dolphin about to die of suffocation.

And, to the OP, some required reading: http://www.buckblunders.com/

great site!! I've only read a couple of games and I'm laughing my ass of. But all these ontop of his actual broadcasting attributes... I just can't fathom how anyone loves and would actually go out of there way to pay to listen too this guy. Though, his incompetence is pretty entertaining I suppose.

Santoki · Post #17 » by **Santoki** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 1:45 pm

Hamyltowne wrote:
spykelee wrote:Buck has one of the absolute worst voices I have ever heard.

I stick by my description: Buck Martinez's laugh sounds like a dolphin about to die of suffocation.

And, to the OP, some required reading: http://www.buckblunders.com/

Ok, I audibly laughed at this one:

"Buck Blunder 12 - Buck Martinez called Marcus Stroman, Buck Stroman."

Attonitus · Post #18 » by **Attonitus** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 2:58 pm

I am not the biggest Buck fan and I wouldn't shell out .15 cents extra to hear him but I disagree that he has a bad voice, my issue is more with how many times he **** up during a broadcast. I feel like that that peppy voice with a bit of linger on the end of sentences lends itself to play by play. I would compare him to a guy like Matt Devlin, strong voice but makes far too many mistakes to be considered good at what he is doing.

I watched the dodgers vs. sox after the jays game yesterday and that was one of the worst commentators I have ever heard, if the alternative is a montotone robot, I will take Buck any day.

Post #19 » by **spykelee** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 3:56 pm

Attonitus wrote:I am not the biggest Buck fan and I wouldn't shell out .15 cents extra to hear him but I disagree that he has a bad voice, my issue is more with how many times he **** up during a broadcast. I feel like that that peppy voice with a bit of linger on the end of sentences lends itself to play by play. I would compare him to a guy like Matt Devlin, strong voice but makes far too many mistakes to be considered good at what he is doing.

I watched the dodgers vs. sox after the jays game yesterday and that was one of the worst commentators I have ever heard, if the alternative is a montotone robot, I will take Buck any day.

Assuming you watched the Dodger feed of that game you'd be slamming Vin Scully. One of, if not the most legendary broadcaster in all of sports. His 63 seasons with the dodgers are the longest of any broadcaster with a single club in professional sports history...

The guy is monotone, but he's also 85 or so years old. One of the things that makes him so legendary is that he calls Dodgers games by himself. I'm not sure how long that's been going on for, but it's an impressive feat nonetheless. I could see why somebody looking from the outside wouldn't like Scully, infact, some people who know him don't really like his style, but his knowledge of every player on every team, and his ability behind the mic from a broadcasting standpoint is second to none. Buck couldn't hold Vin Scully's coffee's jock strap.

GoJaysGo · Post #20 » by **GoJaysGo** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 7:42 pm

I'm not sure how to post quotes, but to the one person who essentially said Buck was too ugly for TV, what does that really have to do with anything. Besides, 90% of the game we don't actually see Buck or Pat.

I will say that sometimes Buck can be a little repetitive, mentioning one thing in the 3rd inning and than mentioning it again in the 8th, and Pat might bring it up a 3rd time, but its not too big of a deal to me.

When Buck first started calling the games I felt it was a little awkward because I was so used to him being the color guy. But after a month or two, I wouldn't have it any other way. Maybe paying the extra $15 to hear Buck every game sounds a little crazy, especially since there are some good announcers out there (I like Gary Thorn of Baltimore for example), but I have no regrets and feel it was worth every "Buck".

Hoping he's back for tonight's game!