Joe Buck returns to booth for special St. Louis Cardinals broadcast

Joe Buck hasn’t called a baseball game since his Fox departure.

Buck confessed to missing calling local baseball games but also acknowledged that the sport had evolved beyond what he knew. The game has undeniably undergone many rule changes since his days as the iconic voice of Major League Baseball on Fox. However, his voice remains synonymous with some of the greatest baseball moments of the past century, a testament to his enduring legacy.

The voice of Monday Night Football will apparently see that legacy continue. That is for a one-off broadcast on Bally Sports Midwest. Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Wednesday that Buck would be on the call for the Cardinals-Cubs on May 24 alongside Chip Caray.

Caray will still be the regular play-by-play voice, but he will be joined in the broadcast booth by Buck, who will be on assignment for an MLB game for the first time since the 2021 World Series between the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves. Buck also hasn’t called a Cardinals game locally since 2007, as he leaned toward a more national focus.

While the play-by-play duties remain unconfirmed, The Athletic reports that fans are in for a treat. Buck and Caray will reminisce about their childhoods spent in the broadcast booth, sharing how their families influenced their legendary careers.

Here’s more from Katie Woo’s reporting:

He and Caray are expected to pay homage to Harry Caray, Chip’s grandfather, and Jack Buck, Joe’s father, both legendary broadcasters. Jack Buck called Cardinals games for 47 seasons, while Harry Caray served as lead play-by-play for both the Cubs and Cardinals over his 53-year career. Jack Buck was awarded the Ford C. Frick award — the highest honor for a sports broadcaster in 1987, Harry Caray in 1989.

It seems like this will be just a one-off for Buck, but we’d be remiss in closing the door on this ever happening again.

[St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Athletic]