Joe Buck facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joe Buck
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Buck in 2018
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Joseph Francis Buck
April 25, 1969 St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.
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| Education | Indiana University Bloomington (did not graduate) |
| Occupation | Sports commentator |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 4 |
| Parent(s) | Jack Buck (father) |
| Sports commentary career | |
| Genre(s) | Play-by-play |
| Sports | NFL, MLB, USGA |
Joseph Francis Buck (born April 25, 1969) is a famous American sportscaster who works for ESPN. He is well-known for calling exciting sports games. Joe is the son of another famous sportscaster, Jack Buck.
He worked for Fox Sports from when it started in 1994 until 2022. At Fox, he was the main announcer for National Football League and Major League Baseball games. He called the World Series for 25 years, from 1996 to 2021.
In 2022, Joe Buck moved to ESPN. Now, he is the main play-by-play announcer for Monday Night Football.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Joe Buck was born in St. Petersburg, Florida. His father, Jack Buck, was broadcasting for the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, who had their spring training there. Joe grew up in the St. Louis area. He went to St. Louis Country Day School.
He started his career in broadcasting in 1989. At that time, he was a student at Indiana University Bloomington.
Sports Broadcasting Career
Starting Out Before Fox
Joe Buck began calling games for the Louisville Redbirds, a minor league baseball team. He also reported for ESPN's coverage of the Triple-A All-Star Game in 1989. In 1991, he reported for a local TV station in St. Louis, KMOV.
Also in 1991, Buck started broadcasting for the St. Louis Cardinals. He filled in when his father was busy with other broadcasts. From 1992 to 1993, he was the voice for University of Missouri basketball games.
Even after joining Fox Sports, Joe continued to call Cardinals games. But as his work for the national network grew, he did fewer local games. By 2008, he stopped calling Cardinals games completely. This was the first time since 1960 that a Buck family member wasn't part of the team's broadcast crew.
Working at Fox Sports (1994–2021)
Joining Fox
In 1994, Joe Buck was hired by Fox. He was only 25 years old. This made him the youngest person ever to announce regular National Football League games on network television.
Major League Baseball on Fox
In 1996, Joe became Fox's main play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball. He worked with Tim McCarver. Joe became the youngest person to call a World Series on national television.
On September 8, 1998, Buck called Mark McGwire's 62nd home run. This home run broke the single-season record. The game was shown live across the country on Fox.
During the 2002 World Series, Joe honored his father, who had passed away earlier that year. He used his father's famous phrase, "We'll see you tomorrow night," after the final out of Game 6. His father had used this phrase for Kirby Puckett's home run in the 1991 World Series. Joe has used this phrase at other important moments too.
Another famous call was in the 2013 American League Championship Series. The Boston Red Sox were losing to the Detroit Tigers. David Ortiz hit a game-tying grand slam. Joe's call was: "Hard hit into right, back at the wall... TIE GAME!" as the ball flew over Torii Hunter.
Joe Buck called a few regular-season games each year for Fox. He also called the All-Star Game, one of the League Championship Series, and the World Series. From 2016 to 2021, he worked with analyst John Smoltz.
From 1996 to 2021, Joe Buck called 23 World Series and 21 All-Star Games for Fox. This is more than any other play-by-play announcer on network television.
NFL on Fox
Soon after joining Fox, Joe Buck became a play-by-play announcer for the NFL. He later stopped doing NFL games for a few years to focus on baseball.
In 2002, Buck became Fox's top NFL play-by-play announcer. He worked with Troy Aikman as the color commentator. Joe Buck is one of only a few announcers to be the lead voice for both MLB and NFL coverage in the same year. Some notable NFL games he called include Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl LI.
During the 2006 NFL season, Joe Buck briefly hosted Fox's pre-game show, Fox NFL Sunday. He later stepped down to focus on calling games.
USGA Golf Tournaments
In 2014, Fox announced that Joe Buck would be the main announcer for their new golf coverage. This included the U.S. Open tournament. He first worked with Greg Norman, and later with Paul Azinger.
Working at HBO Sports (2009–2010)
In 2009, Joe Buck hosted a sports talk show on HBO called Joe Buck Live. The show had a similar style to another HBO program. The first episode had some challenging moments with a guest. The show aired a few more times before being canceled in 2010.
Moving to ESPN/ABC (2022–Present)
On March 16, 2022, ESPN announced that Joe Buck and Troy Aikman had signed a new deal. They became the main broadcast team for Monday Night Football starting in the 2022 NFL season. This move ended their 20 years as Fox's top NFL team.
In May 2022, Buck made his first appearance on ESPN. He hosted a special broadcast for the 2022 PGA Championship. Joe Buck was also offered to call an MLB game for ESPN, but he said he was no longer interested in calling baseball games.
Other Appearances
Joe Buck has hosted other sports shows, like Goin' Deep for Fox Sports Net. He also called horse racing and professional bass fishing events early in his career.
Since 2001, Buck has hosted the "Joe Buck Classic." This is a celebrity golf tournament that raises money for St. Louis Children's Hospital.
Joe Buck has appeared in national television commercials for companies like Holiday Inn and Budweiser. He has also written opinion pieces for The Sporting News.
In 2014, Buck became the new host of NFL Films Presents. From 2015 to 2018, he hosted Undeniable with Joe Buck, a sports interview series.
Buck published his autobiography, Lucky Bastard, in 2016. He has also appeared as himself in several TV shows, including American Dad! and Family Guy.
In 2021, Joe Buck was a guest host on the game show Jeopardy!. In 2022, he became the announcer for Fox's Domino Masters. Joe Buck also competed on The Masked Singer in season seven. He was known as "Ram" and was unmasked in the second week.
Awards and Honors
Joe Buck has won many awards for his work:
- He is an eight-time Sports Emmy Award winner. Seven of these were for Play-by-Play. One was for Studio Host.
- He has been named NSMA National Sportscaster of the Year three times.
- In 2020, he received the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His father, Jack Buck, won this award in 1996. They are the first father-son duo to receive this honor.
- He was inducted into the NSMA Hall of Fame in 2024.
Personal Life
Joe Buck was married to Ann Archambault from 1993 to 2011. They have two daughters together. On April 12, 2014, he married NFL Network reporter Michelle Beisner. They have twin sons. The family lives in Ladue, Missouri.
Joe Buck is a big fan of the NHL's St. Louis Blues hockey team. He also supports the St. Louis Cardinals in baseball.
Images for kids
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Buck in 2018
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Joe Buck (right) with President Barack Obama and Tim McCarver (left) during the 2009 MLB All-Star Game in St. Louis
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Buck and Troy Aikman in 2018
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Buck in 2006
