History of Joe Buck in Timeline
Joe Buck is a prominent American sportscaster currently working for ESPN. He is known for his play-by-play commentary on major sporting events, particularly in baseball and football. Buck previously spent many years at Fox Sports, becoming the voice of their MLB and NFL coverage. His career is marked by calling numerous World Series and Super Bowls, making him one of the most recognizable voices in sports broadcasting.
1960: Buck family not part of broadcasting crew
In 1960, it was the first time since that a member of the Buck family was not part of the team's broadcasting crew.
April 25, 1969: Joseph Francis Buck Born
On April 25, 1969, Joseph Francis Buck was born. He is now an American sportscaster for ESPN.
1989: End of Monday/Thursday Night Baseball era
In 1989 was the end of the Monday/Thursday Night Baseball era on ABC.
1989: Broadcasting Career Begins
In 1989, Joe Buck began his broadcasting career while an undergraduate at Indiana University Bloomington.
1989: Minor League Play-by-Play and ESPN Reporter
In 1989, Joe Buck called play-by-play for the Louisville Redbirds, a minor league affiliate of the Cardinals, and was a reporter for ESPN's coverage of the Triple-A All-Star Game.
1991: Jack Buck calls Kirby Puckett's home run
In 1991, Jack Buck called Kirby Puckett's home run off Braves pitcher Charlie Leibrandt.
1991: Reporting for KMOV and Cardinals Broadcasting Begins
In 1991, Joe Buck did reporting for St Louis' CBS affiliate KMOV and began broadcasting for the Cardinals on local television and KMOX Radio.
1992: Sean McDonough Calls World Series
In 1992, Sean McDonough called the World Series for CBS at the age of 30.
1992: Play-by-Play for University of Missouri Basketball
In the 1992 season, Joe Buck became the play-by-play voice for University of Missouri basketball broadcasts.
1993: Marriage to Ann Archambault
In 1993, Joe Buck married Ann Archambault.
1994: Joins Fox Sports
In 1994, Joe Buck began working for Fox Sports at its inception.
1994: Hired by Fox
In 1994, at the age of 25, Joe Buck was hired by Fox, becoming the youngest man ever to announce a regular slate of National Football League (NFL) games on network television.
1996: Worked with Tim McCarver
From 1996 to 2013, Joe Buck worked with Tim McCarver.
1996: Announced 23 World Series and 21 All-Star Games
From 1996 to 2021, Joe Buck called 23 World Series and 21 All-Star Games for Fox.
1996: Begins World Series Announcing
In 1996, Joe Buck started as a television play-by-play announcer for the World Series.
1996: Lead MLB Voice and Youngest World Series Announcer
In 1996, Joe Buck was named Fox's lead play-by-play voice for Major League Baseball and became the youngest man to do a national broadcast for a World Series.
1997: Does not announce World Series
In 1997, Joe Buck does not announce the World Series.
1997: Voice in Lewinsky Scandal Tapes
In 1997, Joe Buck's voice was heard in recorded conversations between Linda Tripp and Monica Lewinsky during a Yankees-Indians ALDS game, which were released during the Lewinsky scandal.
September 8, 1998: Calls McGwire's 62nd Home Run
On September 8, 1998, Joe Buck called Mark McGwire's 62nd home run, breaking Roger Maris' single-season record, on a nationally televised game on Fox.
1998: Interview and Hug with Mark McGwire
In 1998, following Mark McGwire breaking the single-season home run record, Joe Buck requested and received a hug from McGwire during a postgame interview, leading to criticism.
1999: First Cotton Bowl Classic Telecast
In 1999, Joe Buck called the network's first Cotton Bowl Classic telecast.
1999: Does not announce World Series
In 1999, Joe Buck does not announce the World Series.
2001: Filled in as Play-by-Play Man
During the 2001 season, Joe Buck occasionally filled in for Curt Menefee as Fox's number-six play-by-play man.
2001: Hosts "Joe Buck Classic"
Since 2001, Joe Buck has hosted the "Joe Buck Classic", a celebrity pro-am golf tournament to raise money for St. Louis Children's Hospital.
2002: Tribute to Father
During Fox's broadcast of the 2002 World Series, Joe Buck paid tribute to his father by using the phrase "We'll see you tomorrow night."
2002: Becomes Fox's Top Play-by-Play Man
In 2002, Joe Buck became Fox's top play-by-play man, replacing Pat Summerall and was teamed with Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews. His duties also forced him to cut his local Cardinals schedule to 25 games.
2003: Calls Boone's Walk-Off Home Run
In 2003, Joe Buck called Aaron Boone's walk-off home run in Game 7 of the ALCS.
2004: Worked with Cris Collinsworth
From 2002 to 2004, Joe Buck also worked with Cris Collinsworth.
2004: Calls Game 4 of ALCS
Joe Buck used the phrase "We'll see you later tonight" during Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS.
January 2005: "Disgusting Act" Comment Controversy
In January 2005, Joe Buck drew criticism for calling Randy Moss's simulated mooning of the Green Bay crowd a "disgusting act" during an NFL playoff game.
2006: Hosts Fox NFL Sunday
During the 2006 season, Joe Buck briefly hosted Fox's pre-game show Fox NFL Sunday, with him and Curt Menefee jointly replacing James Brown.
2007: Filmed Pilot Episode for Talk Show
In 2007, Joe Buck filmed a pilot episode for a prospective late-night talk and comedy program, but it was not picked up as a series.
2007: Steps Down as Host
In 2007, Joe Buck stepped down as host of Fox NFL Sunday to focus on his play-by-play duties.
2007: Reduced MLB Game Schedule
In 2007, Joe Buck's MLB game schedule was reduced, leading to him defending his commitment in an interview.
2008: End of Cardinals Telecasts
Before the 2008 season, it was announced that Joe Buck would no longer be calling Cardinals telecasts for FSN Midwest.
2008: National Car Rental Commercial
In 2008, Joe Buck appeared in a National Car Rental commercial, using the catchphrase, "Now that's a good call".
2008: Leaves the Cardinals
In 2008, Joe Buck left the Cardinals altogether to join Fox Sports full-time.
2008: Comments on ESPN Radio's The Herd
In 2008, Joe Buck received criticism for comments he made on ESPN Radio's The Herd, admitting to not following sports he doesn't broadcast and preferring to watch The Bachelorette.
February 5, 2009: Signs with HBO for Talk Show
On February 5, 2009, Joe Buck signed with HBO to host a sports-based talk show called Joe Buck Live.
June 15, 2009: Joe Buck Live Debut
The debut of Joe Buck Live on June 15, 2009, made national headlines due to the tension-filled banter between Buck and guest Artie Lange.
March 2010: Joe Buck Live Cancellation
In March 2010, Joe Buck said that HBO might be planning to cancel Joe Buck Live, and HBO subsequently confirmed the show's cancellation.
2011: Divorce from Ann Archambault
In 2011, Joe Buck divorced Ann Archambault.
2011: Calls Game 6 of World Series
In 2011, Joe Buck used the phrase "We'll see you tomorrow night" at the end of Game 6 of the World Series when the Cardinals' David Freese hit a walk-off home run.
2011: Virus on Vocal Fold
In 2011, shortly after broadcasting Super Bowl XLV, Joe Buck claimed to have developed a virus on the nerves of his left vocal fold, impacting his voice.
October 14, 2012: Calls Doubleheader
On October 14, 2012, Joe Buck called a doubleheader, first with the New York Giants-San Francisco 49ers game, then Game 1 of the NLCS between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants.
February 12, 2013: Guest appearance on Fox Sports Midwest's Blues Broadcast
On February 12, 2013, Joe Buck made a guest appearance on Fox Sports Midwest's broadcast of a St. Louis Blues hockey game, discussing his father's history with the team and briefly taking over play-by-play commentary.
2013: Worked with Tim McCarver
From 1996 to 2013, Joe Buck worked with Tim McCarver.
2013: Calls Ortiz's Grand Slam
In 2013, Joe Buck called David Ortiz's game-tying grand slam off Joaquín Benoit in Game 2 of the ALCS.
April 12, 2014: Marriage to Michelle Beisner
On April 12, 2014, Joe Buck married NFL Network reporter Michelle Beisner.
April 2014: Teams with Greg Norman for Golf Telecasts
In April 2014, it was announced that Joe Buck would team with Greg Norman to anchor Fox's new package of United States Golf Association telecasts.
2014: Worked with Harold Reynolds and Tom Verducci
From 2014 to 2015, Joe Buck also worked with Harold Reynolds and Tom Verducci.
2014: New Host of NFL Films Presents
In 2014, Joe Buck was named the new host of NFL Films Presents, coinciding with the program's move to Fox Sports 1.
June 2015: Criticism for U.S. Open Coverage
In June 2015, Joe Buck and Greg Norman were criticized for their "mistake-filled" coverage of the 2015 U.S. Open.
June 2015: Quitting Twitter Account
In June 2015, Joe Buck quit his Twitter account due to negative interactions, but returned months later.
2015: Worked with Harold Reynolds and Tom Verducci
From 2014 to 2015, Joe Buck also worked with Harold Reynolds and Tom Verducci.
2015: Host of Undeniable with Joe Buck
In 2015, Joe Buck began hosting "Undeniable with Joe Buck", a sports interview series on Audience Network.
2016: Paired with John Smoltz and Ken Rosenthal
From 2016 to 2021, Joe Buck was paired with color analyst John Smoltz and field reporter Ken Rosenthal.
2016: Publication of Lucky Bastard
In 2016, Joe Buck published his autobiography, "Lucky Bastard".
2016: Vocal Cord Paralysis Revealed
In 2016, Joe Buck revealed that his vocal cord issue was due to paralysis caused by anesthesia during hair transplant procedures, not a virus.
2016: Paul Azinger replaced Greg Norman
In 2016, Paul Azinger replaced Greg Norman to anchor Fox's new package of United States Golf Association telecasts.
October 28, 2018: Chooses Baseball Over Football
On October 28, 2018, Joe Buck chose to concentrate on baseball and call Game 5 of the 2018 World Series instead of the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams game.
2018: Commentary on Isaiah Crowell's incident
In 2018, Joe Buck made a restrained comment regarding Isaiah Crowell's incident during a Thursday Night Football game.
2018: End of Undeniable with Joe Buck
Joe Buck hosted Undeniable with Joe Buck until 2018.
2020: Hot Mic Flyover Comments
In 2020, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were caught on a hot mic questioning the necessity of a military flyover at an NFL game, leading to accusations of being unpatriotic.
April 17, 2021: Announcement as Jeopardy! Guest Host
On April 17, 2021, it was reported that Joe Buck would serve as a guest host on Jeopardy!
2021: Last World Series Announcing
2021 was Joe Buck's last year as television play-by-play announcer for the World Series.
2021: Announced 23 World Series and 21 All-Star Games
From 1996 to 2021, Joe Buck called 23 World Series and 21 All-Star Games for Fox.
2021: Paired with John Smoltz and Ken Rosenthal
From 2016 to 2021, Joe Buck was paired with color analyst John Smoltz and field reporter Ken Rosenthal.
2021: Appearance on Celebrity Family Feud
In 2021, Joe Buck and his family appeared on ABC's Celebrity Family Feud.
2021: Last baseball game called since 2021 World Series
In 2021, Joe Buck announced his last baseball game called since the 2021 World Series.
March 16, 2022: Signs with ESPN
On March 16, 2022, ESPN announced that it had signed Joe Buck and Aikman to a multi-year deal, ending their 20-season tenure at Fox.
May 2022: ESPN On-Air Debut
In May 2022, Joe Buck made his on-air debut at ESPN during the 2022 PGA Championship, hosting an alternate broadcast.
2022: Announcer on Domino Masters and Contestant on The Masked Singer
In 2022, Joe Buck became the announcer on Fox's Domino Masters and competed on The Masked Singer as "Ram".
2022: Declines to Call MLB Game
In 2022, Joe Buck declined an offer to fill in for an ESPN-broadcast MLB game.
2022: Moves to ESPN
In 2022, Joe Buck moved to ESPN from Fox Sports and became the lead play-by-play announcer for Monday Night Football.
2022: End of Fox Sports Tenure
In 2022, Joe Buck's tenure with Fox Sports concluded.
January 2, 2023: Damar Hamlin Injury Broadcast Controversy
On January 2, 2023, during the broadcast of the Bills-Bengals game after Damar Hamlin's injury, Joe Buck claimed the league wanted to resume play quickly, which was denied by the NFL, leading to controversy.
2023: Revealed Sports Fan Affiliations
In 2023, Joe Buck revealed his sports fan affiliations, including being a fan of the St. Louis Blues, Houston Oilers growing up, and St. Louis Cardinals.
May 24, 2024: Rained Out Cardinals-Cubs Game
On May 24, 2024, Joe Buck was scheduled to call a Cardinals-Cubs game, marking his first baseball game since 2021, but it was rained out.
July 29, 2024: Return to Baseball Booth
On July 29, 2024, Joe Buck returned to the baseball booth to call a Cardinals-Rangers game with Chip Caray.
2025: Announces MLB Opening Day game
In 2025, ESPN announced that Joe Buck would call an MLB Opening Day game that season featuring the Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees.
