Joe Buck makes big admission about his broadcasting future
Jan 14, 2018; Minneapolis, MN, USA; FOX analyst Joe Buck before the NFC Divisional Playoff football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Joe Buck has not called a Major League Baseball game since he left FOX for ESPN last year, but the longtime announcer says that arrangement may not be permanent.
Buck was the voice of the World Series, MLB All-Star Game and more during a run at FOX that lasted more than two decades. ESPN also has a baseball package, but Buck said last year that he turned down the network’s request to call some MLB games and is focusing solely on his job with “Monday Night Football.”
At the time, Buck said he was “ready to move on” from baseball broadcasting and no longer has the itch to do it. That was last November. The 54-year-old’s stance has since changed a bit, as he told Audacy’s “The PBP: Voices of Baseball” podcast this week that he sees himself calling baseball games again at some point.
“I think I will (do baseball again). I’ve never said that before but I just feel like I’m 53, basically 54, I think it’s too early to say nevers at this point in my life,” Buck said. “I think at some point, I’ll get the itch again.”
If and when he does return to the baseball booth, Buck says it would be to do a handful of local broadcast games. He said he is “done” calling World Series games and would rather be in a position where he can represent the fans like his father Jack Buck did with the St. Louis Cardinals.
“I just remember my dad’s thing was two on and nobody out, ‘We need a triple play!’ You don’t say that when you’re doing — We? ‘We’ means John Smoltz and me. ‘We’ means those of us at FOX. There is no ‘we’ in national broadcasting,” Buck said.
ESPN paid a hefty price to bring in Buck, so they would probably be thrilled if he eventually called some MLB games for the network. For at least the foreseeable future, it sounds like Buck will just be an NFL man.
