JACK BUCK 1924-2002

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"Voice of the Cardinals" dies; he was soul of St. Louis.
- St. Louis Post Dispatch

Jack died last night, June 19th 2002 around 11:00 PM.

When I think of Jack I think of my snoring father lying on his hammock on a humid midwest summer evening.

The small radio, modeled after an old steam locomotive, volume turned all the way up to push the tinny AM sound through the tiny speaker. You could hear the sound of baseball cutting through the damp night. The sound of the crowd, the occasional shout of "COLD BEER!" And Jack Buck, calling the play-by-play.

He's too comfortable. Never misses a pitch. Even while plugging some local sponsor, Jack sees all. The field. The players. The fans. And then, as if to challenge my father's snores, Jack errupts! A fraction of a second after the crack of the bat. He knows it's gone. "A HOME RUN! GO CRAZY FOLKS, GO CRAZY..."

He will be missed.

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[Mentat7]

I am not terribly particular to baseball but being a Missouri native I am familiar with the Cardinals. I do not know the name but I am sure I would recognize the voice. He sounds like a colorful individual and we are diminished by his departure.

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Mentat,

Perhaps you may remember this bit of broadcast. Go to the Cardinals Home page where you'll see a link for, "Buck's legendary call of Ozzie's HR in the '85 NLCS."

I still get chills.

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