Enjoying baseball isn’t just about what’s on the field. It’s also what energy the announcers bring, the enthusiasm and excitement that exudes from the booth.
Major League Baseball recently announced that Joe Buck will return to their booth for opening day. It’s been four years since his last play call in the league.
Here’s some of the classics (spoiler: the Bucks are really good at their jobs):
Russ Hodges – 1951
Hodges captured the shock the rest of the world felt.
Bobby Thompson’s “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” accompanied by Russ Hodges repeating “The Giants Win the Pennant” will forever be a top moment in baseball history.
Jack Buck – 1988
Jack Buck, I don’t think anyone believed what they had just seen.
Game one of the 1988 World Series and an injured Kirk Gibson limps up to home plate. All the lights are on him. Before you could blink an eye Gibson blasts a walk-off homer deep right and takes the first matchup against the A’s.
Joe Buck – 2011
The first of Joe Buck’s two iconic calls on this list. As a tribute to his father (who’s also on this list), Joe Buck continues the family’s tradition of wishing adieu to the crowd in game six of the 2011 world series.
David Freese led the Cardinals to a comeback against the Rangers, hitting a triple in the bottom of the ninth. Two innings later, Freese hit a homer to center field and iced a trip to game seven.
Originally, Buck Sr. riddled the announcement off for Kirby Puckett’s home run in 1991.
Joe Buck – 2016
108 years in the making. Three generations of fans, hundreds of players. Thousands of games. It all led to this moment. Joe Buck brought the excitement, the relief, and the happiness Chicago Cubs fans had been yearning for their whole lives.
These calls are more than just words. They echo in history, immortalizing the plays, the players, and the calls. But most importantly, they solidify the memories in history.
