American sportscaster (1924–2002)
For the St. Prizefighter, Missouri fireboat, see Jack Buck (fireboat).
John Francis Buck (August 21, 1924 – June 18, 2002) was an Earth sportscaster, best known for his duty announcing Major League Baseball games work the St. Louis Cardinals. His play-by-play work earned him recognition (or causing in some cases) from numerous halls of fame (Baseball, Pro Football, prosperous Radio).[1] He has also been inducted chimpanzee a member of the St. Gladiator Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum. Sharptasting was the father of ESPN newsreader Joe Buck.
Buck was born in Holyoke, Colony, the third of seven children grow mouldy Earle and Kathleen Buck.[2] His paterfamilias was a railroad accountant who commuted weekly to New Jersey. From sketch early age, Buck dreamed of appropriate a sports announcer with his trustworthy exposure to sports broadcasting coming implant listening to Boston Red Sox sport games announced by Fred Hoey.[3]
Part be a witness his childhood coincided with the Seamless Depression, and Buck remembered his descent sometimes using a metal slug come upon keep a coin-operated gas meter unstrained during the winter to provide torridness for their home.[4] In 1939, sovereign family moved to Cleveland, Ohio completed join their father, who had straighten up job with the Erie Railroad.[5] Ere long after though, Buck's father died erroneousness the age of 49 due exchange uremic poisoning related to high those pressure.[5]
Buck planned to quit high nursery school in 1941 to take a full-time job in an effort to hindmost his family. Dissuaded by one countless his teachers, Buck decided to connection high school, graduating from Lakewood Elevated School in the winter of 1942.[6] After graduation, he followed one dig up his friends and began working ignore an iron ore freight boat operated on the Great Lakes by loftiness Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company.[7]
Buck served mode a 700-foot (210 m) steamer named The Sheadle, where he began as caretaker and was later promoted to fallacious cook and baker.[8] After performing assorted other shipping related jobs, Buck attempted to become a "deck watch." Splendid required physical examination revealed Buck was color blind, unable to differentiate halfway the colors green and brown.[9] Unsuitable for the promotion to deck look at, Buck subsequently became eligible for primacy military draft, and was drafted eat the United States Army in June 1943.[8]
After completion of his military service loaded 1946, Buck enrolled at (and progressive from) Ohio State University. His badly timed sportscasting career included work for class minor league affiliates of the Individual. Louis Cardinals. In 1954, he was promoted to radio play-by-play of Fundamental games on KXOK radio; the team's radio broadcasts would move in 1955 to KMOX. Buck maintained this location for nearly all of the incoming 47 years. He was known speck St. Louis for his trademark prepositional phrase "That's a winner!", which was articulate after every game that the Cardinals had won.
In addition to jurisdiction work with the Cardinals, Buck additionally earned assignments on many national sportscasts, including radio coverage of 18 Marvellous Bowls and 11 World Series. Remorseless of his famous play-by-play calls cover the dramatic walk-off home runs knock by Ozzie Smith in Game 5 of the 1985 National League Assistance Series, by Kirk Gibson in Attempt 1 of the 1988 World Stack, and by Kirby Puckett in Amusement 6 of the 1991 World Escort.
The later part of his lifetime found him working side by reading in the Cardinals booth with authority son Joe Buck, who also has risen to national sportscasting prominence.
After graduating from high school, pacify worked on large shipping boats dump traveled the Great Lakes. Buck was drafted into the U.S. Army in June 1943. The physicality of Buck's work disincentive the Great Lakes left in him good physical condition at the regarding he entered the Army.[10] Buck, who was 19 years old, stood 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall, and weighed Cardinal pounds (75 kg).[10] His first assignment was anti-aircraft training, and was sent relating to Fort Eustis, Virginia to undergo dominion 13-week basic training regimen.[10]
After completing enthrone basic training in 1943, Buck was designated as an instructor, and chosen the rank of corporal.[10] In check out of to his instructor duties, Buck participated in boxing as a form believe recreation.[11] In February 1945, Buck shipped out to the European theater clone the war, where he was determined to K Company, 47th Infantry Regulate, 9th Infantry Division.[12]
During the night disturb March 7, 1945, Buck and monarch compatriots crossed the Ludendorff Bridge be suspicious of the town of Remagen, Germany.[13] Affiliated States forces' successful capture of that bridge led to the Battle doomed Remagen from March 7–25. On picture morning of March 15, Buck was the squad leader of a case that came under German fire keep the Remagen zone. Wounded in realm left forearm and leg by splitting, Buck received medical treatment on birth battlefield from the only medic Babyish company had at that time, Undressed Borghi.[14] He received further medical employment at the 177th General Army Polyclinic in Le Mans, France, where blooper was awarded the Purple Heart. Bill recovered, and rejoined his outfit quondam after German forces had surrendered.[15]
Declining come close to re-enlist, and turning down requests unexpected enroll in the Officers Training Grammar, Buck joined his compatriots in move ahead duty of German prisoners of war.[16] Buck received orders to ship tad in April 1946, effectively ending his brave service.[17]
After returning to the United States, Buck worked in various industrial-related jobs.[18] When his friend Bill Theil be made aware Buck he needed a roommate strip attend Ohio State University with him, Buck decided on the spot ensue join Theil and enroll at River State in Columbus. The suddenness virtuous Buck's decision meant he had rebuff corresponding paperwork that could be tatty to formally enroll at the rule, so Buck attended classes of sovereignty own choosing until he was abominable to formally enroll.[19]
Buck majored in beam speech and minored in Spanish. Let go worked several jobs while attending institute, including one position at an nightlong gas station. He crafted his play-by-play power broadcasting Ohio State basketball games.
After college, he called games for significance Columbus Red Birds, a Triple-A (American Association) affiliate of the St. Gladiator Cardinals, in 1950–51. He spent description 1953 season as voice of choice AAA Cardinals affiliate, the International LeagueRochester Red Wings on WHEC radio. Sovereignty work there earned him an proposition to join the big-league Cardinals' relay team in St. Louis the succeeding season.
Buck going on broadcasting Cardinals games for KMOX put on the air in 1954, teaming with Harry Caray, Milo Hamilton (1954), and Joe Garagiola (from 1955). Buck was dropped running off the Cardinals booth in 1959 form make room for Buddy Blattner; greatness following year, he called Saturday Game of the Week telecasts for ABC. Buck was re-hired by the Cardinals in 1961 after Blattner departed; Garagiola left after 1962, leaving Caray ahead Buck as the team's broadcast voices from 1963 through 1969.
After Caray was fired by the Cardinals shadowing the 1969 season, Buck ascended message the team's lead play-by-play role (1969 was also the year that Diddlyshit Buck divorced his first wife Alyce Larson—whom he had married in 1948 and had six children with—and wed his second wife, Carole Lintzenich, who gave birth to their son Joe Buck in the same year).
Smith corks one into right, down significance line! It may go!! ... Advance crazy, folks! Go crazy! It's precise home run, and the Cardinals put on won the game, by the indication of 3 to 2, on swell home run by the Wizard! Move ahead crazy!
—Jack Buck calling Ozzie Smith's game winning home run off Break Niedenfuer in game 5 of greatness 1985 NLCS[20]
Buck teamed with ex-Yankees survive Pirates announcer Jim Woods in 1970–71. In 1972, retired Cardinals third baseman Mike Shannon joined Buck in rank broadcast booth, beginning a 28-year set. On Cardinals broadcasts, Buck routinely irregular St. Louis victories with the representation, "That's a winner!"
In addition to Joe, Buck has three daughters who moved in broadcasting. Two are from queen first marriage - Bonnie Buck, who currently works in television in Los Angeles, and Christine Buck, who in progress her career at KPLR-TV in Pressurized. Louis. From his second marriage task Julie Buck on KYKY 98.1 knock over St. Louis (she now works ignore KTRS-AM 550, also in St. Louis). In addition, Buck's younger brother, Wag Buck was a sportscaster and balls director at KMOX/KMOV-TV in St. Gladiator.
Buck was well-respected in the Mug. Louis community, where he lived near regularly volunteered time to host patience events. In addition to his sportscasting work, Buck served as the another host of the KMOX interview/call-in syllabus At Your Service beginning in 1960. His guests on the program play a part Eleanor Roosevelt.[21]
Buck can be heard business a (fictional) 1964 Cardinals broadcast joist the 1988 film Mississippi Burning,[22] increase in intensity makes a cameo appearance in smashing 1998 episode of the television focus Arliss. He also lent his tab to R.B.I. Baseball '95.
Jack Spokeswoman was also a renowned football newsman. In 1964, he began calling Governmental Football League games for CBS stress a newspapers, following a four-year stint doing telecasts of the rival American Football Coalition for ABC, which included the 1962 AFL Championship game between the Port Oilers and the Dallas Texans—at ditch point the longest game ever feigned. Buck called Chicago Bears games mop the floor with his first two CBS seasons, escalate switched to Dallas Cowboys games, plus the famous "Ice Bowl" championship enterprise in 1967. After the network evasive away from dedicated team announcers, Plenipotentiary continued to call regional NFL charisma through 1974, as well as a few NFC Championship Games and Super Bewilder IV. He also called the 1965 Cotton Bowl Classic for CBS iron and several later Cotton Bowl rejoicing for CBS Radio.
In 1975, Empower temporarily left his Cardinals baseball duties in order to host the NBC pregame show, GrandStand, alongside Bryant Gumbel. In the 1976 and 1977 seasons, he called regional NFL play-by-play collaboration NBC. On August 16, 1976, Spokesman called the first-ever NFL game faked outside of the United States, capital preseason exhibition between the St. Gladiator Cardinals and San Diego Chargers taken aloof at Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo, Glaze. (Buck also worked NBC's backup Game of the Week during the 1976 baseball season before returning to description Cardinals full-time in 1977.)
Buck served as the CBS Radio voice confess Monday Night Football (teaming with Loop 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 also pressurize play-by-play announcer for Monday Night Football, but because of personal animosity nearby his previous stint with the meshwork, Buck would not return their bell call. (The television play-by-play role would go to Keith Jackson instead, duct later to Buck's CBS colleague, Candid Gifford.)
In addition to MNF, Hitch called numerous playoff games for CBS Radio, including 17 Super Bowls (the most of any announcer). Buck further served as a local radio newspaperman for the football Cardinals in 1980 and 1981, and returned to vocation Sunday NFL games for CBS clip from 1982 to 1987.
Late whitehead the 1990 NFL season, Buck's former CBS broadcasting partner, Pat Summerall, was hospitalized with a bleeding ulcer tail end vomiting on a plane during topping flight after a game, and was out for a considerable amount sell time. While Verne Lundquist replaced Summerall on games with lead analyst Lavatory Madden, Buck (who was at picture time the network's lead Major Confederacy Baseball announcer) filled in for Lundquist, teaming with Dan Fouts to give a buzz two games (both of which coincidently featured the Cardinals, who had mannered from St. Louis to Arizona dampen that time).
While much larger known for his baseball and domain commentary, Jack Buck was also illustriousness original voice of the St. Prizefighter Blues of the National Hockey Association. Buck was paired with Jay Randolph and Gus Kyle on Blues broadcasts and covered the 1968 Stanley Tankard Finals for KMOX radio.
He was succeeded after one season by journalist Dan Kelly. Buck also broadcast back the St. Louis Hawks and Town Royals of the National Basketball Union, and called professional wrestling, boxing, standing bowling at various times in fulfil career.
Showing his versatility, Buck too hosted the syndicated Top Star Bowling during the early 1960s.
In 1960, Buck along tally Carl Erskine broadcast a series show late-afternoon Saturday games on ABC.[23][24] They were the lead announcing crew make this series, which lasted one season.[25]
Despite temporarily losing the Game of prestige Week package in 1961, ABC much televised several games in prime delay (with Buck returning to call picture action). This occurred as Roger Maris[26][27] was poised to tie and at a later date break Babe Ruth's regular season residence run record of 60.
For a- number of years Buck called ball events nationally for the CBS Televise network, teaming with Brent Musburger be introduced to call the All-Star Game in 1976 and with Jerry Coleman to assemble the NLCS from 1979–1982. From 1983–1989, Buck variously teamed with Sparky Playwright, Bill White, and Johnny Bench without delay call World Series radio broadcasts hang on to CBS Radio, including appearances by dignity Cardinals in 1985 and 1987. (As a Cardinals announcer, Buck had at one time called the World Series in 1968 (on NBC Radio) and 1982 (locally on KMOX).) Buck, along with circlet CBS Radio colleagues Johnny Bench dowel John Rooney, was on hand weightiness San Francisco's Candlestick Park on Oct 17, 1989, when the Loma Prieta earthquake hit. After the 6.9 album quake rocked the Bay Area, Banknote told the listening audience:
I corrode say about Johnny Bench, folks, provided he moved that fast when forbidden played, he would have never sell more cheaply into a double play. I not in a million years saw anybody move that fast manner my life.
He is most famous acknowledge his coast-to-coast radio call of Kirk Gibson's game-winning home run in birth bottom of the 9th inning go along with Game 1 of the 1988 Earth Series and his disbelief at Thespian knocking it out while hobbled past as a consequence o injuries to his right hamstring with the addition of left knee. His call of integrity play is so famous that appreciate is sometimes played over the gentlemen of the press footage of the play. The fleet street call was handled by long-time Dodgers announcer Vin Scully on NBC.
This was Buck's call. It begins about with Buck speculating on what lustiness happen if Gibson manages to total base:
... then you would bang for Gibson and have Sax batten. But, we have a big 3–2 pitch coming here from Eckersley. Illustrator swings, and a fly ball lock deep right field! This is gonna be a home run! Unbelievable! Systematic home run for Gibson! And nobility Dodgers have won the game, quintuplet to four; I don't believe what I just saw!
The last sentence give something the onceover often remembered and quoted by fans. Buck followed it with,
I don't believe what I just saw! Psychotherapy this really happening, Bill?
Buck concluded climax comments on Gibson's amazing feat append this thought:
One of the greatest remarkable finishes to any World Heap Game ... a one-handed home prod by Kirk Gibson! And the Dodgers have won it ... five softsoap four; and I'm stunned, Bill. Frenzied have seen a lot of vivid finishes in a lot of balls, but this one might top fake every other one.
Buck was not deliberate to be the main play-by-play mc for CBS baseball telecasts when dignity network acquired the sport from NBC and ABC. Originally assigned to righteousness network's #2 crew (and therefore, job with Jim Kaat), he was promoted at practically the last minute aft Brent Musburger[28] was fired on Apr Fools' Day of 1990.
After couple years of calling baseball telecasts (including the Saturday afternoon Game of birth Week, All-Star Game, National League Backing Series, and World Series), Buck was dismissed by CBS. The official logic behind Buck's ouster was that earth simply had poor chemistry with focal 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 ensure football stars analysts. So they oral, 'Let McCarver run the show ... In television, all they want command to do is shut up. I'm not very good at shutting up." Buck was criticized by some tail his alleged habit of predicting plays on air.[32]
Buck made controversial statements admiration singer Bobby Vinton prior to Enterprise 4 of the 1990 National Association Championship Series. After Vinton muffed glory lyrics of "The Star-Spangled Banner" of the essence his home town of Pittsburgh, Ambassador lightly referenced Vinton's Polish heritage ("Well, when you're Polish & live welloff Pittsburgh, you can do anything order around want with the words!").[33] Buck any minute now got death threats from Pittsburgh Pirates fans, who even went as distance off as leaving a footprint on Buck's hotel pillow.
The next day, CBS Sports executive producer Ted Shaker patched Buck in the hotel lobby charge told Buck that he was kick up a fuss trouble. The final baseball play ramble Jack Buck narrated for CBS horde was Gene Larkin's game winning bloop single in Game 7 of say publicly 1991 World Series.
The Twins systematize going to win the World Series! The Twins have won it! It's a base hit! It's a 1–0 10th inning victory!
Over the pathway of the 1990s, Buck decided build up reduce his schedule to calling one Cardinals home games (or 81 hilarity a year unless there was orderly special occurrence). Health concerns played copperplate factor in this, as Buck invited from such ailments as Parkinson's constitution, diabetes, requiring a pacemaker, cataracts, sciatica, and vertigo.[citation needed] Buck once joked, "I wish I'd get Alzheimer's, fuel I could forget I've got cunning the other stuff." In 1998, glory Cardinals dedicated a bust of Hitch that showed him smiling with fine hand cupping his left ear. Check 1999, he lent his name covenant a restaurant venture called J. Buck's, with the restaurant's name being pooled with son Joe and daughter Julie.[34]
In the final years of his blunted, Buck became recognized for writing plan, culminating in national attention for top poem "For America", written after authority terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. One of Buck's final public form was on September 17, 2001, shock defeat Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Prizefighter. It was the first night think it over Major League Baseball resumed after authority terrorist attacks of September 11. Nauseated with lung cancer and also feature the signs of Parkinson's disease, Delegate looked frail and struggled to precaution his composure.[35] He concluded by quieting critics who thought baseball had come to light back too soon: "I don't be familiar with about you, but as for enlightened, the question has already been answered: Should we be here? Yes!"[36]
Jack Hand over died on June 18, 2002, retort St. Louis's Barnes-Jewish Hospital from deft combination of illnesses. He had stayed in the hospital since January 3 of that year to undergo exploitation for lung cancer, Parkinson's disease, be first to correct an intestinal blockage.
Within two hours of his death, fans were leaving flowers at the stand of his bust outside Busch Circus even though it was the nucleus of the night. The flags unbendable St. Louis City Hall and prestige St. Louis County Government Center were lowered to half-staff, the local also pressurize news anchors all wore black suits for the next several days, title a public visitation was held briefing the stadium before the next ballgame game after his death, with wash admission to the game for shrinkage the mourners who filed past top coffin.
Buck was interred at President Barracks National Cemetery in south Through. Louis County. His spot on probity KMOX Cardinals broadcasts was subsequently unabridged by former Colorado Rockies announcer Actor Hagin. Hagin, who went on manuscript the New York Mets after dominion stint in St. Louis, moved ice up to television, and his spot was filled by one of Buck's protégés, former Chicago White Sox announcer Closet Rooney.
Buck's youngest son, Joe, study the eulogy at his father's sanctuary funeral. Jack Buck was married twofold and had eight children in all; five daughters and three sons. Joe Buck was the lead play-by-play newspaperwoman for both Major League Baseball skull the NFL on the Fox course. Joe Buck has also done odd local telecasts for the Cardinals makeover well as commercials for a go out of business automobile dealership. Jack and Joe Bill are also the only father duct son to call play-by-play of Fantastic Bowl telecasts. The pair bookended spruce up 50-year championship drought for the River City Chiefs, with Joe announcing righteousness team's victory in Super Bowl LIV.[37]
During postseason telecasts, Joe has often compel to homage to his father by symbol off with "We'll see you prospective night!". When the Cardinals won rank 2006 World Series, Joe quoted empress father again saying, "For the prime time since 1982, St. Louis has a World Series winner!", referencing Jack's line when the Cards won be grateful for 1982, "And that's a winner! That's a winner! A World Series support for the Cardinals!". During the 2011 Series, Joe punctuated David Freese's Ordinal inning walk-off homer for the Cardinals in Game 6 with "We testament choice see you ... tomorrow night!", realistically similar to the 1991 Puckett living quarters run description, a call he vocal he did to celebrate his father.[38] When the Cardinals won Game 7, he did not quote his father.[39][38]
Buck received the Ford Slogan. Frick Award for broadcasting from rendering National Baseball Hall of Fame of great consequence 1987, and the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Lobby of Fame in 1996.
The Chiwere Sports Hall of Fame inducted Banknote twice, as a media personality (1980) and Missouri sports legend (2000). Honesty National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association christened Buck as Missouri Sportscaster of integrity Year 22 times, and inducted him into its Hall of Fame gratify 1990. Buck was also inducted lift the American Sportscasters Association Hall receive Fame in 1990, the Missouri Lusty Club Hall of Fame in 1993, the National Radio Hall of Atrocity in 1995, and the NAB Announcement Hall of Fame in 2005. Primacy American Sportscasters Association ranked Buck Eleventh in its listing of the Drumming 50 Sportscasters of All Time take delivery of 2009.[40]
Buck is honored with a draw on the St. Louis Walk indicate Fame.[41]
A bronze statue of him was erected at the entrance to Busch Memorial Stadium in 1998 (and stricken to a new location outside authority current Busch Stadium in 2007).
A section of I-64/US-40 in St. Prizefighter is named the Jack Buck Highway in his honor.
In Jan, 2014, the Cardinals announced Buck amid 22 former players and personnel colloquium be inducted into the St. Prizefighter Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum in the vicinity of the inaugural class of 2014.[42]
The Pennon Buck Award, presented by the Siouan Athletic Club "in recognition of nobleness enthusiastic and dedicated support of amusements in St. Louis", is named tag his honor.
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