logo
Buck Martinez blown away by Blue Jays’ Hall of Excellence ceremony: ‘Did a hell of a job with it’
alt
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Thomas Hall
Aug 29, 2026, 18:30 EDTUpdated: Aug 29, 2026, 18:24 EDT
Comments
TORONTO — 45 years ago, Buck Martinez arrived knowing nothing about the Blue Jays organization. The franchise, after all, wasn’t even 10 years old back then. Now, celebrating its 50th season, he’s become an integral part of Canadian baseball history — as a former player, manager and broadcaster — and rightfully owns a place inside Rogers Centre’s new Hall of Excellence.

Saturday’s pre-game celebration, not a retirement send-off, was long overdue and, most importantly, done the right way. From start to finish, you could feel the care and appreciation that had been poured by all into the planning of this event.
The Blue Jays have created a precedent for hitting the nail on the head with these kinds of moments in recent years, and this latest one certainly didn’t disappoint. They pulled out all the stops, including an oversized catcher’s mask and microphone with a display of Buck Martinez’s name positioned at second base in front of a podium and a few dozen empty chairs.
But they wouldn’t stay empty for long.
Before Martinez made his grand entrance to the field, his wife, Arlene, their son, Casey, and their three grandchildren awaited his arrival, as did the wives of the late Tony Fernandez and Tom Cheek. Then, former members of the soon-to-be-relocated Level of Excellence walked out from the Blue Jays’ dugout, all of whom made up the first 11 members of the Hall of Excellence, to join them.
They were each introduced in the order they were initially inducted, travelling through the years, beginning with George Bell and Dave Stieb in 1996 and finishing with José Bautista in 2023. Then it was Martinez’s turn to walk the golden carpet.
It felt like a member of the Royal Family was in town when Martinez popped out of the dugout — which he had done countless times back during his days as the club’s manager from 2001-02. He waved to the roaring sell-out crowd as he came onto the field, and the fans, to their credit, didn’t pause their applause until he took his seat next to Arlene.
“Today blew me away,” Buck said of the ceremony.
Soon after, everyone turned to the jumbotron for a video of celebratory messages from past and current players as well as Martinez’s former Sportsnet broadcast partners, Dan Shulman and Pat Tabler. Following its conclusion, the man of the hour was overcome with emotion as a few tears ran down his face. You could see how much this day meant to him.
Then it was time to unveil the Hall of Excellence’s newest member.
“I just didn’t have any grasp for the magnitude of today, but it was awesome. The Blue Jays did a hell of a job with it,” he remarked.
Between the gifts — George Springer and Ernie Clement stormed the field with a customized Swing and a Drive golf cart — and gestures presented to Martinez, everything was top-notch during the pre-game celebration. The team even had him throw out the ceremonial first pitch, with none other than current manager John Schneider jumping back behind home plate to catch.
Martinez was blown away by how many friends and family showed up for him. Every member already inducted into the Level of Excellence — Bell, Stieb, Joe Carter, Cito Gaston, Pat Gillick, Paul Beeston, Carlos Delgado and Bautista — that could attend was in the building.
More than anything, though, having his wife, son and grandchildren in attendance meant more than anything to Buck. The legendary announcer, whose career spanned across four decades, admitted none of this would’ve been possible without their unconditional support.
The fans, too, have always been part of his why.
“I never really thought that I was that important, and I still don’t think I was that important,” Martinez said, still surprised by the overwhelming appreciation he’s received from baseball fans across the country. The nickname “Mr. Blue Jay” has gotten any easier to grasp over the years.
The Hall of Excellence itself now includes 12 members, with Martinez becoming the latest inductee. It’s divided into two categories: one for players and managers, the other for builders and broadcasters.
Martinez, of course, applies to both. Among the players already inducted are Delgado and Roy Halladay, both of whom he managed during his brief stint as the franchise’s skipper. Now they’ll be enshrined in Blue Jays history together forever.
“He pencilled me in 162 times in a row in 2001,” said Delgado. “So we had a good relationship [back then].
“[I’m] so happy to see him getting into the Hall of Excellence.”
Delgado, in particular, developed a special close-to-home bond with Martinez over the years. They regularly shared stories about Puerto Rico since Martinez spent six seasons in Winter Ball there early in his playing career.
“I remember in 2001 when we were starting the season in San Juan against the Rangers, so I know how happy he was… and for me, as a Puerto Rican,” Delgado said.
While Halladay’s family wasn’t able to attend Saturday’s celebration, Martinez, as you might expect, made sure to highlight the impact that ‘Doc’ had on him and the “little bit of impact” he hopes he had on the two-time Cy Young winner when their paths crossed.
But it didn’t matter who you were or what your stature was. Martinez always had a way of leaving an unforgettable moment or nugget of information with every interaction. Whether it was with a player, coach, broadcaster or any one of the countless fans he’s been stopped by on the street or in hotel lobbies.
Just ask Toronto’s current skipper.
“He’s always very interactive, very talkative, very happy to have a long conversation or tell stories,” said Schneider, whose first interaction with Martinez came long before he took over as the Blue Jays skipper in 2022.
They met down in Dunedin, Fla., during one spring training several years ago when Schneider was still managing in the minors. He wasn’t involved in any of the big-league happenings back then. Almost instantly, though, they began talking, former catcher to former catcher, and the conversation flowed organically.
“You kind of know the guy the first time you meet him because you hear him all the time on TV. So it was easy to build a friendship pretty quickly,” he added.
Schneider also told a story of when the two were golfing in Florida after a disastrous ending to the Blue Jays’ 2023 post-season. Everyone and their neighbour can passionately recall the controversial decision to pull José Berríos in Game 2 of their wild-card series against the Minnesota Twins.
During that time of reflection, it offered a moment to hear from someone who’s seen it all and worn many different hats in his time around the game.
“He has the vantage point of calling the game, but also being in a dugout and dealing with what all the things that managers deal with,” Schneider said of their discussion. “He has a very good way about him to say, this is important. This is not important. Make sure you’re leaning into the things that are important.”
Martinez is too humble to admit it, but he’s who an entire generation of fans think of when they see the Blue Jays logo. That’ll follow him forever, as it should, quite frankly. His iconic voice, which called over 4,000 games for this franchise, will never be forgotten — and neither will his legacy.
This city, country and franchise changed his life, and that deserves to be celebrated. Because he touched all of ours, too.

PRESENTED BY THE PERFECT 9 COLLECTION

Some baseball traditions never get old. The Perfect 9 Collection is our newest limited-edition collaboration with Blue Jays Today, inspired by the viral 9/9/9 challenge that has become a staple of baseball culture. Whether you’re taking on the challenge or just enjoying a day at the ballpark, this collection celebrates the moments that make baseball unforgettable. Featuring premium Levelwear apparel with elevated fabrics and modern fits, it’s designed for fans who live and breathe the game—on game day and beyond. Limited edition. Premium quality. Built for baseball fans. Shop the Perfect 9 Collection while it lasts. Exclusively at nationgear.ca
Editorials
MORE NEWS. IN YOUR INBOX.
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Breaking News