Buck Martinez, a longtime fixture on Sportsnet’s Toronto Blue Jays broadcasts, has captured the 2023 Jack Graney Award from the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
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The St. Marys, Ont.-based shrine, which announced the winner Tuesday, presents this award annually to a member of the media who has made significant contributions to baseball in Canada through their life’s work.
“When people talk about the Toronto Blue Jays, one of the first names they will mention is Buck Martinez,” said Jeremy Diamond, chair of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s board of directors. “He started as a catcher with the club in 1981 and later managed the team, but he’s best known as an insightful, respected and beloved analyst on the team’s TV broadcasts. Over the past three decades, Buck has taught so many of us so much about the game. We are proud to honour him with this award.”
Martinez, who played 1,049 major-league games with the Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals, began his broadcasting career covering the All-Star Game, the American League Championship Series and the World Series for the Telemedia Radio Network in 1982 while still an active player.
Martinez also managed the Blue Jays for parts of two seasons in 2001 and 2002. He has been part of the Sportsnet television broadcast for the past 14 seasons.
“I was very surprised and happy to hear from the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame that I have been named the 2023 Jack Graney Award winner,” Martinez said.
“There are many great names on the list of past winners, many who I have worked with or alongside for many years. Two names on the list that mean the most to me, giving me a great deal of pleasure to join them are Tom Cheek and Len Bramson (of TBS Sports). Without their support and direction I would not have had the wonderful career in broadcasting that I have enjoyed.”
Details about the presentation of the 2023 Jack Graney Award will be announced in the coming months.
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