John Albert (Buck) Martinez, a cancer survivor, catcher, manager and broadcaster for parts of five decades with the Toronto Blue Jays, was inducted into the club’s new Hall of Excellence on Saturday.
As part of their 50th season celebrations, the Blue Jays unveiled the section to honour the franchise’s greatest contributors. The 11 honourees from the former Level of Excellence were enshrined in the hall, located on the concourse behind right field at Rogers Centre.
The 77-year-old Martinez was honoured before the Blue Jays’ matinee against the Seattle Mariners. His popularity across Canada exploded during his lengthy stint as a team broadcaster, a position he retired from last winter.
“Today blew me away,” Martinez said. “I didn’t have any grasp of the magnitude of today.”
Martinez added he was also blown away when newcomer Brett Bateman stopped him underneath the stands to congratulate him, saying he knew what Martinez meant to the Blue Jays and their fan base.
He also told a story of visiting England in July. Martinez was having a beer with a friend when a group of ladies walked by. They circled back to say hello because they recognized his voice.
He made a point of saying how much Canadians meant to him.
“First thing they tell you is where they’re from,” Martinez said. “They say I’m from New Brunswick. I’m from Calgary. I came in from Winnipeg. They’re so proud that they came this far to watch the Blue Jays, and that’s the impact the Blue Jays have had on this entire country.”
Martinez joins Jose Bautista, Paul Beeston, George Bell, Joe Carter, Tom Cheek, Carlos Delgado, Tony Fernandez, Cito Gaston, Pat Gillick, Roy Halladay and Dave Stieb in the hall.
The Level of Excellence will remain on the fascia within the ballpark bowl through the remainder of the season. It will be relocated next year within the stadium’s bowl, where the names will remain visible to fans.
The Toronto Blue Jays opened their new Hall of Excellence at Rogers Centre Saturday. CBC Toronto was there for the unveiling.
The Californian, who now lives in Florida, flew north to Toronto on a plane with Gaston and Bautista. Delgado, Bell, Carter, Stieb, Beeston and Gillick helped open the new hall and take in Martinez’s ceremony.
“He was an awesome teammate,” Stieb said at a morning media availability. “He was especially special for me because, as you know, I was quite a battler out there. I would lose my emotions at times, and Buck just had a knack for calming me down and keeping me focused on the task at hand.”
Building on the legacy of the Level of Excellence, the hall will provide a space to honour players, coaches, managers, builders and broadcasters – past, present and future – to bring generations of fans closer to the people who shaped the Blue Jays, the team said.
Martinez was a Blue Jays catcher (1981-1986) and manager (2001-2002) who enjoyed two stints as a team broadcaster (1987-2000, 2010-2025). The fan favourite was diagnosed with head and neck cancer in April 2022 and lung cancer in May 2025.
He went 100-115 before being let go as Toronto’s manager in May 2002. As a catcher, he was constantly asked about a play in game at Seattle on July 9, 1985.
In the bottom of the third inning, Martinez tagged out Phil Bradley on a throw from right-fielder Jesse Barfield. But Martinez broke his leg and dislocated his ankle in the violent collision at the plate.
Still, a seated Martinez tried to throw out advancing runner Gorman Thomas at third. But his toss sailed into left field, where George Bell threw a strike back to the injured catcher for a memorable 9-2-7-2 double play.
“I picked up the end of the stretcher to help carry him off the field,” Bell said. “He was yelling at me in pain. It turns out his 1/8broken 3/8 leg and ankle were rubbing against me.”
“It was an incredible play,” Stieb added. “To have your leg broken and still have the wherewithal to try to throw somebody out was unbelievable.” Martinez retired as a player in 1986 after a 17-year Major League Baseball career with the Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers.
Called over 4,000 Blue Jays games
His broadcasting career began in 1982 while still an active player for the Blue Jays. Martinez started by covering playoff games and the all-star game for the Telemedia Radio Network.
He began his television broadcasting career in 1987 as a colour analyst and went on to call over 4,000 Blue Jays games over his career.
His final appearance in the broadcast booth came last fall when he called the World Series with longtime broadcast partner Dan Shulman on Sportsnet. The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Blue Jays in the deciding seventh game.
Martinez has also provided commentary for ESPN, XM Radio, TBS, The Baseball Network, TSN, and MLB International over his career.
In 2023, he was awarded the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Jack Graney Award for his significant contributions to baseball in Canada.
