As a guy who has always had a strange fixation with broadcasting and broadcasters, Buck was always one of my favorites. I didn't grow up in a baseball city, but used to catch KMOX games on the radio late whenever I'd go to my grandparents' house and distinctly remember the CBS days.
The "I don't believe what I just saw" call after Kirk Gibson's World Series '88 homerun has always been a favorite of mine.
There's a big column in Rudy Martzke's column today with Joe Buck talking with his father. It was obviously written before Jack passed away, but it was eerie timing.
"I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine." -- Murray Head, One Night in Bangkok
I didn't know what sort of a sense of humor he had. I just heard a clip of him on a local (Milwaukee) radio station. They had Jack on as a guest a while back, and asked him to re-create his Gibson call. I figured the station was joking, and that they were about to just re-play the original call. Then, on came Jack's voice:
"Eckersley goes into the windup ... here's the pitch ... Gibson pops it up, that'll end it!"
Bob Cohn in the Washington Times wrote an article similar to Martzke's column in Tuesday's edition, www.washtimes.com, that detailed Joe and Jack Buck, but expanded on the larger theme of baseball's great voices growing silent.
Definitely powerful stuff by all guys...and if you can get to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Mr. Tony read excerpts from a great tribute column by Bernie Mikalsz on his radio show today.
I didn't hear much from Jack Buck, but I do remember his poem read in the first game back from the post-Sept. 11th hiatus, and being quite moved.
I also love hearing the Gibson home run call from my treasured "And the Crowd Goes Wild" book-CD compilation.
As a sports fans here in st. louis i am deeply saddened. Many many people recall changing the stations to the game and hearing is voice loud and clear. I for one looked forward to hearing his playcalling as i grew up and he will be deeply missed. Rest in peace.
Truly one of the greats. When I was a youngen I used to turn the lights out on Monday nights and listen to Jack and Hank Stram to MNF. It's cool that the Cardinals are going to display his casket at homeplate. A deserving honor for a most outstanding broadcaster.
"Calling Jebus...come in Jebus... SAVE ME JEBUS!!!"
I am not a has bean! I AM THE BEST WIENER IN ALL THE LAND!
I was born and raised in St. Louis. The Cardinals are in my blood. Like many St. Louisans, if we couldn't make it to the game, we'd turn on the t.v., turn down the sound and turn up the radio to hear Jack call the game.
My favorite Jack Buck memory was his call of Ozzie Smith's home run in 1985: "GO CRAZY, FOLKS! GO CRAZY!" I had never heard someone freak out THAT MUCH over a homerun in my life.
(edited by Papercuts! on 24.6.02 1455) --Jason Baldwin Writer of Stuff About Comic Books
Originally posted by Papercuts! My favorite Jack Buck memory was his call of Ozzie Smith's home run in 1985: "GO CRAZY, FOLKS! GO CRAZY!" I had never heard someone freak out THAT MUCH over a homerun in my life.
(edited by Papercuts! on 24.6.02 1455)
The only thing I can think of would be Russ Hodges (I think) calling the Bobby Thompson HR in 1951. "THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!" Heck, they built a whole episode of M*A*S*H around it.
"I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine." -- Murray Head, One Night in Bangkok
Originally posted by odessastepsThe only thing I can think of would be Russ Hodges (I think) calling the Bobby Thompson HR in 1951. "THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!" Heck, they built a whole episode of M*A*S*H around it.
Yes, that was Russ Hodges. I forgot who was the Dodgers announcer at the time, though, but he was more restrained (and more famous at the time). See, I knew I'd learn something in sportswriting, even though the prof got fired for no-showing...
Originally posted by odessastepsThe only thing I can think of would be Russ Hodges (I think) calling the Bobby Thompson HR in 1951. "THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!" Heck, they built a whole episode of M*A*S*H around it.
Yes, that was Russ Hodges. I forgot who was the Dodgers announcer at the time, though, but he was more restrained (and more famous at the time). See, I knew I'd learn something in sportswriting, even though the prof got fired for no-showing...
I think it was Red Barber, wasn't it? The only reason I remember this is back in my fuzzy memory I remember reading about *his* much less famous call - hell, I can't remember where. One of Larry King's books, maybe? I'll have to see if I can find that. It was a great story.
The correct answer to the Dodger announcer for the Shot Heard Around the World is Detroit Tiger broadcaster Ernie Harwell. In an article I read at the beginning of the season, he talked a little about that game and said the only person who remembers his call of the homerun is his wife. Here's a link to some other Harwell stuff Click Here
edit - link added
(edited by Jimmy O on 26.6.02 1032) Dicky Dunn wrote this? It has to be true. - Dave "Killer" Carlson
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I wonder if the deal is worth that much if the Jays don't overpay for BJ Ryan. Word is it was a 3 year, 30 million dollar offer, and now it's possibly 5 years, 50 million?