Dan Shulman reflects on 30 years of Blue Jays broadcasting with Buck Martinez
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Dan Shulman reflects on a three-decade partnership in the booth with Buck Martinez following retirement announcement.
Toronto Blue Jays play-by-play broadcaster Dan Shulman shared a tribute to longtime broadcast partner Buck Martinez following Martinez’s official retirement announcement on Wednesday morning.
Shulman took to social media to reflect on what Martinez has meant not only to him personally, but to Blue Jays fans across the globe during a broadcasting career that spanned four decades.
“By now, many of you have heard that Buck has announced his retirement,” Shulman wrote. “It goes without saying how much he has meant to Blue Jays fans for the last 40 years, and the same goes for everyone here at Sportsnet.”
Shulman and Martinez first worked together in 1995, and Shulman credited Martinez with helping set the tone from day one.
“From the first day I worked with Buck back in 1995 right through the World Series this past season, I couldn’t have asked for a better broadcast partner,” he said. “He was incredibly welcoming when I started and was a phenomenal teammate to me and everyone on our crew every single day.”
Shulman also highlighted Martinez’s tireless work ethic and deep connection to the organization.
“No one worked harder, no one cared more,” Shulman added. “He’s one of the most significant figures in Blue Jays history, and all of us at Sportsnet know how lucky we are to have had him as a colleague — but even more importantly, as a great friend.”
Buck and Dan era the best in Blue Jays broadcasting history
Over the course of their careers, Shulman and Martinez worked together for approximately 17 non-consecutive seasons across two primary stints.
Their partnership began at TSN, where they served as the Blue Jays’ broadcast duo for seven seasons from 1995 to 2001, with Shulman handling play-by-play duties and Martinez providing colour commentary.
That run came to an end when Martinez left the booth to manage the Blue Jays, while Shulman joined ESPN on a full-time basis.
From 2002 through 2015, Shulman was primarily with ESPN, though the two occasionally reunited for TSN’s World Series coverage until 2007.
Shulman returned to the Blue Jays broadcast booth on Sportsnet for a limited schedule of roughly 30 games in 2016.
Over the following decade, he and Martinez once again became the team’s primary broadcast pairing, working together for 10 seasons through the conclusion of the 2025 postseason.
Their final call together came in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series, a fitting and memorable finale that marked Buck Martinez’s last broadcast before officially stepping away from the booth.
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Beloved Blue Jays broadcaster Buck Martinez steps down from the booth
Beloved Blue Jays broadcaster Buck Martinez steps down from the booth