Buck Martinez thanked his family, broadcast teammates and the baseball community at large when he returned to the booth for the Toronto Blue Jays' game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday at Rogers Centre.
"It's great to be back," Martinez said before thanking his Sportsnet colleagues for their support during his fight against cancer.
“The fans have been tremendous. I’ve heard from fans all across North America. I want to thank you all for the signs, the prayers. There’s no doubt all of your good words helped me get through this tough time and they helped me a lot. I heard from a lot of people too dealing with their own health issues. I hope my journey has helped you handle those face on and fight the good fight."
Martinez stepped away from the job in mid-April after being diagnosed with cancer.
"I wouldn’t be sitting here tonight without the wonderful support of my family," Martinez said. "My son Casey and his family and especially my wife of 47 years, Arlene. From the moment we heard I had cancer, she simply said 'we got this' and she was right -- as she has been for 47 years."
Many fans had signs welcoming back Martinez and players and staff greeted him on the field before the game.
Between the top and the bottom of the second inning the Blue Jays paid tribute to Martinez. Toronto's relief pitchers came out of the bullpen and the lineup came out of the dugout, all tipping their caps to him in the broadcast booth on Rogers Centre's 300 level behind home plate.
Martinez was shown on the ballpark's big screen, saluting the crowd and putting his hand to his heart to show his appreciation. The camera also flashed to several fan-made signs welcoming Martinez back and his family was shown in their seats.
"We were all hoping this day would come this year, but we had to wait and see how his treatment was going, and how he was feeling," play-by-play man Dan Shulman told The Canadian Press before the game.
"It's awesome. He's been in Toronto as part of the franchise for the better part of 40 years so it's great to see him back."
Martinez's ties to the Blue Jays date back to 1981 when he started a six-year stint as one of the team's catchers. Martinez played 17 years in Major League Baseball, including stops with the Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers.
Once he retired from MLB, Martinez began a career as a broadcaster for several years before returning to the Blue Jays in 2000 as a manager for two seasons.
In 2010, he joined Sportsnet as a broadcaster for the Blue Jays, where he has continued to work as both a play-by-play announcer and colour commentator.
"That's the guy who taught me everything," said Shulman, gesturing toward Martinez. "I think for us it'll be like riding a bike once we get up there and start doing it again. We've done it so many times together.
"Most importantly, I'm just happy that he's healthy, and that he's healthy enough to be back here."
Shulman said Martinez watched every game as he recovered. Shulman added that after every game Martinez would text him and fellow broadcaster Pat Tabler his thoughts on how the Blue Jays played.
-- With files from The Canadian Press
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