Jack Buck American journalist, television and radio commentator Date of Birth: 21.08.1924 Country: USA

Biography of Jack Buck

Jack Buck was an American journalist, television and radio commentator. He was born on August 21, 1924, in Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA, to Kathleen and Earl Buck. He was the third child in the family. Jack grew up in Cleveland and later, after his father's new appointment, in Boston. After finishing school, Jack worked in iron ore mines on the Great Lakes. In 1943, he was drafted into the army and participated in combat during World War II. On September 15, 1945, he was injured in battle near Berlin, after which he was discharged and awarded the Purple Heart.

After the war, Jack Buck studied to become a radio commentator at Ohio State University. To pay for his education, he had to work at a gas station at night. In 1953, Jack was invited to one of the radio stations in Ohio to commentate on the games of a local junior basketball league. Thanks to his distinctive voice and unique sarcastic style of commentary, he caught the attention of the managers of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. In 1954, he first commented on a Cardinals game on the radio station KMOX, and from that day on, for twenty-eight years, he continuously commented on the team's matches.

In addition, in 1963, Jack Buck made his first appearance on television, commentating on games of the National Football League on CBS, and later on ABC. In 1965 and 1976, he commented on the All-Star Baseball Games on CBS radio. He also commentated on the National Baseball Championship games from 1979 to 1982 and the World Series games from 1982 to 1988. In 1978, CBS appointed him the head of the radio commentator's union. In 1995, Jack Buck was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. He made his last public appearance on September 17, 2001, at a memorial rally for the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Jack Buck was married to Carol Lintzenich. They had eight children - five daughters (Beverly, Christine, Bonnie, Betsy, and Julie) and three sons (Jack Jr., Dan, and Joe). Jack Buck passed away on June 18, 2002, in St. Louis, Missouri, where he was undergoing treatment for lung cancer, Parkinson's disease, and intestinal blockage.