Toronto is silent. As the city braces itself for Game 7 — a game that could make Blue Jays history in more than three decades — the news comes as the family of legendary former player and broadcaster Buck Martinez confirms he is battling a serious recurrence of lung cancer. The news travels like a cold wind through the bleachers outside Rogers Centre, where thousands of fans still hold banners bearing his name.
“Toronto has not only lost the familiar voice of its summers,” one sports reporter writes, “but also faces the fear of losing the soul of its team.”
As the Blue Jays prepared for a decisive Game 7 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Martinez family announced early Saturday morning that the anticipation had turned somber. According to sources close to Martinez, the lung cancer he successfully treated in 2022 had returned with serious complications.
Buck Martinez, 76, has been a Toronto icon for more than 40 years — playing for the Blue Jays in the 1980s, leading the team as a manager, and then as a familiar voice on television for thousands of games. He fought a courageous battle with cancer, returning to the broadcast booth just months after his first treatment, bringing a smile to the city’s face.
Now, as the team prepares to enter the biggest game of the century, the news of his return to health has left fans caught between two opposing emotions: one burning hope for a title, the other fear of saying goodbye to a man who has accompanied them through the seasons.
“If this is the last game I see, tell them I am listening.”
Those were the words Buck Martinez reportedly shared with close friends a few days before the news broke. Those close to him said he still followed the team, despite his poor health, and did not miss a single minute of this year’s World Series journey.
The Martinez family said in a brief statement:
“Buck is fighting hard. He knows what Toronto is playing for – and he wants them to know he is with them, even if it is only through the airwaves.”
As the news spread, Blue Jays players put aside their tactical preparations to send prayers. A small plaque was erected in the training camp area that read: “For Buck.” The team decided to wear a small “BM 48” badge on their sleeves during Game 7 as a tribute.
The stadium was also covered with blue banners featuring a smiling Buck Martinez face. Thousands of fans wrote on social media: “No voice will be heard behind the microphone tonight, but Toronto will speak for him.”
If Game 7 was a defining moment for a new generation of Blue Jays players, the news of Buck Martinez will make the victory – even if it comes – tinged with tears. Because for Toronto, he is not just a storyteller, but the soul of those stories.
In the decisive moment, when cheers rise inside Rogers Centre, there will be an invisible empty space on the podium – where the man with the deep voice once said:
“It’s my life. It’s been my life since I was 18 years old.”
And somewhere, even though he’s no longer on the airwaves, Buck Martinez will still be speaking to the heartbeat of this city.
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