TORONTO – Blue Jays broadcaster Buck Martinez has been diagnosed with cancer and will leave the broadcast booth.
Martinez said in a statement released by Sportsnet that Sunday’s game against the Oakland Athletics would be his last for “a little while” as he begins weeks of cancer treatment.
“I am grateful for a great medical team who have given me great optimism that I will come through this with flying colors,” Martinez said. “I’m hoping to return to my Sportsnet teammates for the stretch run later this season, but in the meantime I’ll be watching from the sidelines as I fight the good fight.”
Martinez has been associated with the Blue Jays since 1981, when he began a six-year stint as one of the team’s catchers. He played 17 seasons in the Big League in Toronto, Kansas City and Milwaukee.
He was hired to manage the Blue Jays in 2001 but was fired midway through his sophomore season after posting a 100-115 record.
Martinez began his broadcasting career in 1987 as a color commentator for Blue Jays games on TSN and has also worked for ESPN, TBS and the Baltimore Orioles. In 2010, he joined Sportsnet’s Blue Jays television team.
Mark Shapiro, the team’s president and CEO, called Martinez a dear friend of the Blue Jays and a fixture in the Canadian baseball community.
“We have no doubt that Buck will face the future with courage, determination and his characteristic positivity,” Shapiro said in a statement.
“We look forward to seeing him back in the stadium and on the show soon.”