Buck Martinez, the former player, manager, and longtime announcer for the Toronto Blue Jays, was one of the first members inducted into the team’s new Hall of Excellence on Saturday ahead of their game against the Seattle Mariners.
The Hall of Excellence is a refreshed edition of the team’s previous Level of Excellence, which was upgraded with a new physical team museum in the lower level concourse of the Rogers Centre to coincide with the franchise’s 50th anniversary.
A place where legends are immortalized.
Our Hall of Excellence 👏 pic.twitter.com/wLr5EqEdca
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 29, 2026
Martinez is an extremely deserving nominee to be immortalized by the Blue Jays. A catcher during his playing days in the majors, he spent six seasons playing in Toronto, and then joined the broadcast team as a color analyst the year after his retirement.
From there, he would eventually get moved up to manage the Blue Jays for a brief stint, and later called games for the Orioles before returning to the Toronto booth in 2010. He remained with the Blue Jays broadcast team until announcing his retirement ahead of the 2026 season following a series of health issues.
As the banner bearing his name was revealed at the Rogers Centre, Martinez was visibly emotional.
Buck Martinez: Blue Jays EXCELLENCE 💙👑👏 pic.twitter.com/K0HryVCGKJ
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 29, 2026
“My induction into the Toronto Blue Jays Hall of Excellence is a very humbling and gratifying honour. Toronto and the entire country of Canada have welcomed me and my family as their own over all these years,” Martinez said in a statement shared by the team.
“To the Blue Jays fans across this great country, thank you for all these years of support. I will forever remember all the great memories we have shared along the way. The Toronto Blue Jays, TSN, and Sportsnet have been a huge part of my life and allowed me to enjoy so many wonderful years in Canada.”
Martinez also earned a huge cheer from the crowd as he left the field with his signature home run call.
“Swing and a drive. Get up ball! Get outta here! I’m gone.”
MIC DROP 🥹👏 pic.twitter.com/aIQUYlzOGR
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 29, 2026
On the field, the Blue Jays did their part to honor Martinez and the opening day of the new Hall of Excellence, coming back from down 3–0 to defeat the Mariners 4–3.
About Tyler Lauletta
Tyler is a editorial contributor at Awful Announcing, with previous stops at Sports Illustrated and Business Insider during his career covering sports in digital media. He is, begrudgingly, a Truster of the Process and general Philly sports sicko.