Joe Buck found himself back in an MLB broadcast booth Thursday, calling his first national MLB game since the 2021 World Series.
Now known as the voice of Monday Night Football, Buck said he felt right at home doing the New York Yankees-Milwaukee Brewers game.
But for a generation of baseball fans, Buck was the voice of the World Series, calling 24 Fall Classics between 1996 and 2021.
Thursday’s game at Yankee Stadium felt right to him.
“I felt totally comfortable,” Buck told The Athletic after the game. “I felt like I hadn’t left.”
For many fans who’d missed hearing his voice, Buck’s return brought back fond memories of big plays and important MLB games. It didn’t take him long to revive one of his trademark calls. When Yankees catcher Austin Wells homered in the bottom of the first. Buck quickly went to his trademark home run call, “Back at the wall!” But he also mixed in a “See ya!” an obvious tribute to longtime Yankees announcer Michael Kay.
Buck earned praise from sports media figures who watched his return.
The 55-year-old Buck worked the game with Brewers broadcaster Bill Schroeder and Joe Girardi of the Yankees’ YES Network and credited both men with helping him slip back into the rhythm of a broadcast.
“I loved working with Joe and Bill,” Buck said (via The Athletic). “I was stunned how easy they made it feel.”
Buck didn’t just walk into the booth expecting things to go smoothly. The day before the game, he told Chris Russo on SiriusXM Radio he’d spent weeks preparing for the game, studying the teams, learning storylines, etc.
“I’m treating this as if I’m doing World Series Game 7 on Thursday, you have to,” Buck told Russo.
In a recent lecture at the University of Texas, Buck shared stories of his bouts with social media trolls, saying broadcasters today must have thick skin.
“Doing live play-by-play, I think, in today’s climate, is harder than it’s ever been,” Buck said. “It sure is harder than when I started in 1994 at Fox.”
But on Opening Day, in his return to the booth, the critics were mostly silent. Most fans seemed to appreciate having Buck’s familiar voice back in an MLB booth, if only for one game.