Toronto Blue Jays: Pat and Buck’s Dimwitisms
Pat Tabler and Buck Martinez are Sportsnets’ announcers for Toronto Blue Jays games, and although endearing, they say a lot of stupid things.
Baseball’s back and Canada loves their Toronto Blue Jays! Pat Tabler and Buck Martinez are the announcers for games on Rogers Sportsnet, whom have the rights for the national telecast for the team, so we hear a lot of these two…
Jamie Tarzwell put it this way: “Buck Martinez’s voice just sounds like baseball.” And it’s true… it absolutely does.
Last season when the playoffs hit, I must admit I missed them (and I’m not pinning that all on Harold Reynolds and his distasteful opinion that Canadians don’t know how to catch or play baseball) because MLB chose exclusive announcers. I’m not sure if Pat and Buck’s voices are necessarily comforting, especially since Buck has a drawl to his accent– but comfort could be part of it. Maybe it’s just familiarity.
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And since the Blue Jays had their best season in 25 years, hearing their voices just made it seem like the Jays were gonna win. Conversely, if they weren’t heard, it made winning feel a little farther away.
Although Pat and Buck grow endearing over time (new fans may not see that– such as my girlfriend last season– and are still waiting for the endearing part to ring through… and I don’t know how long it takes to feel the endearing part), there is ZERO doubt to anyone that they say a lot of stupid things. A lot… of really, really stupid things.
Because of this, they have earned the nicknames “Frick” and “Frack”. I liken Buck to Frick and Pat to Frack… in case you were wondering. But I won’t confuse you further and will just call them by their names. And I won’t call Buck Martinez “BM” – that’s wrong.
I used to think Pat was a smart colour commentator before Buck got there. When Buck arrived, it really seemed that Pat got stupid. Then I realized, Buck takes Pat’s stupidity filter… and simply turns it off. I even noticed that when Buck is away for a series, Pat suddenly gets logical again. It’s like Buck drags him to silly-talk. It’s possible that Buck Martinez is infectious…
I do know they’re live so they can’t rehearse things and they’re on the spot, but that’s their jobs. They have said so many wild things that I have begun a collection of some of the more “glorious” things Pat and Buck say… aka dimwitism (a PVR comes in handy for ensuring what they did say… because sometimes, you just squint your eyes and ask the person you’re watching with, “What did he just say?”).
So here is the list of Dimwitisms. I feel like this could be a rather successful hashtag.
#dimwitism – I like it.
Okay, to start off, we’ll speak generally. There are a few blunders that happen frequently so a date isn’t necessary:
- The typical headshake is when they tell us what the players are talking about on the field. They speak like they honestly know exactly what they’re saying! They could be talking about dinner, the weather, the night before, or anything– and still Pat and Buck adamantly act like they know exactly what they’re saying…
I’m pretty sure most fans realize this one too, but for example:
Buck or Pat: “Jose is telling Edwin about how back in the Dominican Republic he used to play baseball in the dirt…”– ummm, not likely. I HIGHLY DOUBT THAT’S WHAT HE’S SAYING! But it’s great fun listening to your bright ideas. #dimwitism
- A usual blunder is Buck pronounces the number 2 like the sound a train makes. “The count is O and choo.” – I’m really not sure why he does this. Maybe it’s just a southern twang? It’s ridiculous anyway. #dimwitism
Now I’ll get to just a few gems from the 2014 season. These were days when I hadn’t really considered compiling this document of #dimwitisms , so the list isn’t really a list yet, but was just a preliminary thing I jotted in my phone because it struck me as ridiculous.
These dimwitisms are courtesy of Buck Martinez:
- “The Blue Jays got four new players and let me tell you, they’re all baseball players”– Really, you don’t say? #dimwitism
- “You can hear the lightning outside.”– Well, NOPE! I highly doubt you can… I don’t think science has your back on this one either, Mr. Martinez. #dimwitism
I have plenty more #dimwitisms where these came from. There will be more of these articles added in the future! And we all know Buck and Tabby aren’t gonna stop talking!!
Next: Was John Gibbons' comment sexist or PC gone mad?
I believe this topic has staying power and users can add to the list I have going. Leave your comments below and feel free to add your own #dimwitisms from the boys. I try to watch all the games, but there are some that I miss.