Episode 13: Buck Martinez

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If you followed Major league Baseball at any point during the past 50 years, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of today’s guest. Join Bernie in welcoming the ever-present John “Buck” Martinez to the program to discuss his life both in and out of the game. You’ll hear about Buck’s early years in Reading, CA, and the influence of his World War II veteran parents, as well as his All-Conference career at Elk Grove High School, his Hall Of Fame career at Sacramento City College and his introduction to the Major Leagues as an original Kansas City Royal. Plus: impressions of a young George Brett; playing for Bobby Cox and Whitey Herzog; a one-inning pitching career, and Buck’s painful and pivotal role in the only 9-2-7-2 double play in Major league history. Later, Buck talks about partnering with Chris Berman for their Emmy Award-winning call of Cal Ripken Jr.’s record-breaking 2131st consecutive game and the challenges of broadcasting Blue Jays home games in Buffalo during the pandemic. In closing, Bernie and Buck discuss Major League Baseball’s length-of-game issues, the Blue Jays second-generation stars and Buck’s famous golf partners.