As Buck Martinez returned to work this Tuesday after a battle with cancer, the entire Rogers Centre rose up.
The long-time play-by-play announcer for the Toronto Blue Jays is still a fan favourite. The old Buck played catcher in MLB from 1968 to 1986 before that.
He played for the Toronto Blue Jays, the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Kansas City Royals during the course of 17 MLB seasons.
He continued to devote his time to the Blue Jays when he retired by working as an internal member of the team’s media.
Buck Martinez Has What Kind Of Cancer?
On April 17, Buck Martinez made the devastating initial announcement of his cancer diagnosis as he left his booth to begin treatment.
Through its main media website, Blue Jays provided confirmation of the information and even transmitted Buck’s moving statement.
The Blue Jays fan has been quiet about his condition since word of it spread to all MLB fans and personnel.
He has kept the specifics of his cancer a secret from the fans up to this point in order to save them worry. Thankfully, after some time in the hospital, he has now totally recovered.
Dan Shulman tweeted on June 29 that Buck and his wife were going back home to heal.
The adored Buck even rang a gong in the hospital before going home for rehabilitation.
Buck Martinez, a Blue Jays announcer, overcomes his illness and returns to work in good health.
The pride of the Blue Jays is back on the ground after spending over a month at his house going through rehab and recovering from his cancer treatment.
As an announcer at his booth, he will carry on now that he is cancer-free. As fans gathered placards to welcome him back, according to CBC, Rogers Centre greeted him warmly.
The Jays athletes even tipped their caps in honour of the returning stadium legend. The audience rose as one to give him a standing ovation once he finished speaking and congratulated the Blue Jays fans.
As Buck returned and the Blue Jays defeated the St. Louis Cardinals by a score of 10 last night, the game night grew rather emotional and joyful.
This former Blue Jays manager will continue in his role for a few more years now that he is back.
Buck Martinez and wife Arlene have a son, creating a little family.
Family members provided Buck Martinez with excellent support throughout the challenging days of his cancer diagnosis and treatment.
His family consists of his longtime partner Arlene and their son Casey, who is their only child.
Toronto selected Casey Martinez in the 47th round of the 2000 First-Year Player Draft. He did not, however, play baseball as long as his MLB hero father did.
Florida’s New Port Richey is home to the Martinez family. Arlene and Casey are not as accessible to the media and general public as Buck is.
In any case, they are Buck’s staunchest supporters both in front of and behind the camera.