Is this the final year of Buck and Pat?
By Cam Lewis
4 years agoJonah, known as yyzsportsmedia on Twitter, posted a 2019 Toronto Media Summer Update on Monday. In this post was a wealth of information from the always-reliable and well-connected Jonah, but the most interesting thing to me was a line at the end regarding the Blue Jays’ long-time in-game tandem.
Rogers has a new head of media, which includes the Jays and Sportsnet. This is great news for fans. Someone who understands the modern landscape, the importance of engagement and the younger demographic. The playbook in corporate America, 90 days to make assessments then 90 days to implement changes and assemble the new team. The clock starts after labor day.Is this the last year for Buck and Pat? I am told it may very well be. Who replaces them? Hmmmmmm….
This seems a little out of the blue, right? But according to BK on Twitter, Buck and Pat’s contracts are set to expire at the end of the season. Back in September of 2014, Buck and Pat, who have been calling Jays games together since 2010, were inked to five-year extensions. As Jonah suggests, we’ll likely hear in September as to whether Rogers decides to stick with their veteran in-game crew or if they’re going to move in a different direction.
Dan Shulman has been back in the mix doing occasional Jays broadcasts for the past few years and I imagine he would be the No. 1 choice for Rogers if they were going to make a change. That said, Shulman is paid incredibly well by ESPN, so affording him might not be feasible. I really dig the idea of Shulman doing play-by-play, which allows Buck to slide into a commentary role, where he thrives much more than he does calling the game.
A lot of people can’t stand Buck and Pat, but I don’t mind them. The messing up of names, the obsession with the size of player’s hands, and the hatred of the shift, among other things, can be agitating, but I still find Buck and Pat to be endearing. Maybe that’s because I’ve been listening to them since I was a teenager and I’m just used to them being the voice of summer. Regardless, this is something we’ll be keeping an eye on.
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