Jack Buck

John Francis Buck (August 21, 1924 – June 18, 2002), born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. Buck received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987.

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Buck was recognizable by his deep, gravelly voice (acquired through years of the heavy smoking which eventually lead to his death) and his distinctive play-by-play calls. Among these were Buck's descriptions of Kirk Gibson's dramatic game-winning pinch hit home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series ("I don't believe what I just saw!"), Ozzie Smith's walk-off home run in Game 5 of the 1985 National League Championship Series ("Go crazy, folks! Go crazy!"), Jack Clark's three-run home run two days later in Game 6 ("Adios! Goodbye! And maybe that's a winner!"), Kirby Puckett's game-winning home run in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series ("And we'll see you tomorrow night!"), and Mark McGwire's single season record-breaking home run in 1998 ("Pardon me while I stand up, and applaud."). On Cardinals broadcasts, he routinely punctuated St. Louis victories with the expression, "That's a winner!"

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Buck's two longtime partners on Cardinals games were fellow Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Caray and former Cardinal Mike Shannon. Buck started broadcasting Cardinals games for KMOX radio in 1954 but he wasn't the team's lead announcer until 1969 when Caray was fired. Oddly enough, 1969 was also the year that Jack Buck divorced his first wife Alyce Larson, and married his second wife, Carole Lintzenich, for whom gave birth to their son Joe in the same year. Incidentally, Buck beat out legendary Los Angeles Lakers announcer Chick Hearn for the Cardinals announcing job.

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A possibly interesting sidebar to the Caray situation is that Caray was an employee of the Cardinals, while Buck was paid by KMOX. In addition to his play-by-play chores, Buck had a regular radio show (called At Your Service) on KMOX for some years.

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August 21: August 21 is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 132 days remaining....

1924: 1924 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar)....

June 18: June 18 is the 169th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (170th in leap years), with 196 days remaining....

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