John Albert "Buck" Martinez (born November 7, 1948 in Redding, California) is a former catcher, manager and play-by-play commentator in Major League Baseball.
Martinez made his major league debut in 1969, playing 72 games with the Kansas City Royals. Over the next few years, however, he developed the reputation of being an offensive liability, and he never appeared in more than 95 games during his time with Kansas City (through 1977).
Martinez was traded twice over the next few years, first to the Milwaukee Brewers in late 1977 and then to the Toronto Blue Jays in early 1980. Martinez is most remembered for his time in Toronto, where he twice hit 10 home runs (in 1982 and 1983) and was regarded as a solid defensive catcher.
Martinez' career effective came to an end in 1985 when he severely dislocated his ankle and broke his leg during a collision at home plate. Miraculously, after the collision, he had the sense of mind to throw to third base in an attempt to catch an advancing runner; when the throw went errant, the runner tried to go home but was tagged out by a sprawled out Martinez who had managed to catch the return thrown from the ground. Martinez attempted a comeback in 1986 but retired after hitting .181 in 81 games. Martinez began commentating for Toronto in 1987.
In 2000, Martinez was hired as Toronto's manager after Jim Fregosi was fired. Martinez' energetic attitude was seen as the right fit for the Jays' young roster and through the first two months of the season Toronto outperformed expectations. The success, however, was shortlived as the team struggled through the remainder of the season and they finished a mediocre 80-82. He was fired 53 games into the 2002 season after posting a 20-33 record. Ironically, at the time he was fired they were on a three game winning streak, having just swept the Detroit Tigers.
Martinez wore number 13 as both a player and a manager.
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