[ad_1]
With trusty black pocket book and pen in hand, Buck Martinez covers a large expanse on the Toronto Blue Jays’ participant improvement advanced throughout spring coaching in Dunedin, Fla.
Typically the veteran broadcaster watches batting observe from the visiting dugout bench. An up-close perch from behind the bullpen fence is right for observing pitchers.
Martinez may also stroll the paths of the sprawling facility to go to observe fields and collect tidbits of data. As soon as he secures a nugget, he scribbles just a few strains for future use.
“I discover if that I write them down, I’ve bought an inclination to recollect them,” he stated, elevating his pocket book within the air. “I’ve bought stacks of these items.”
Martinez, now 75, enters the group locker-room with the gradual stride of a realizing veteran.
He had a 17-year taking part in profession within the large leagues, largely as a backup catcher. The Redding, Calif., native spent his final six seasons with the Blue Jays and managed the group for 215 video games in 2001 and ’02.
At camp, he’ll examine in with major- and minor-leaguers alike as gamers share tales and replace him with latest developments. Pitching, catching and deep-dive baseball chatter are the norm.
Associated Movies
“I’m round the most effective gamers on the planet and it retains my thoughts going,” he stated. “I really feel like I’m younger. I don’t really feel my age.”
Martinez, who calls video games on Sportsnet with Dan Shulman, has spent over 4 many years within the broadcast sales space. He plans to work about 100 regular-season Blue Jays video games this season in his fifteenth yr with the community.
He’s additionally on the mic for a handful of pre-season video games this month. However the notebooks begin getting crammed in mid-February.
“It’s actually attention-grabbing,” Martinez stated. “I’m speaking to the pitchers (in) the locker-room they usually’re identical to, ‘That is what I’m doing and for this reason I do it.’
“I’ve ideas about what I see throughout the course of a sport after which I can query a man about it and perceive the place he’s coming from and what he’s doing.”
Martinez referred to as it the “finest time of the yr” as he soaks up all the data he can. He retains an eye fixed on the large names but in addition connects with prospects like Alan Roden, Andrew Bash and Adam Macko of Stony Plain, Alta.
The interplay between established major-leaguers and younger expertise is an intriguing dynamic for the longtime baseball man.
“That is what actually pursuits me,” Martinez stated. “While you see (Kevin) Gausman speaking to Macko. They’re all on the identical stage. I talked to Bash about that and he stated, ‘Everyone treats us equal.’ That wasn’t all the time the case. After I bought to the large leagues as a rookie, they wouldn’t let me hit throughout batting observe.
“They had been like, ‘You’re not going to play, you’ll be able to’t hit.’ So it’s modified rather a lot. I give credit score to the (Chris) Bassitts and the Gausmans and the Jordan Romanos. They’re anxious to share their time with these children. It’s solely going to assist the method of improvement.”
Martinez will typically hear in behind the media scrum throughout availabilities with supervisor John Schneider and the gamers. Typically he’ll jot one thing down in his pocket book for potential use on a future broadcast.
When scribes wait across the interview space, the previous skipper will generally maintain court docket.
Martinez will regale these round him with previous tales and generally sprinkle in tidbits — typically loaded with particular element — from his encyclopedic data of the game.
All of it stems from his ardour for baseball but in addition his studying course of. Martinez has all the time tried to recollect as a lot as he may after which write issues down if crucial.
“As a catcher, you needed to know all the blokes,” he stated. “We didn’t have scouting studies. You needed to comprehend it your self and that’s the place the books began.
“(Former union officers) Gene Orza and Marvin Miller all the time used to tease me at our participant rep conferences. They’d say, ‘Buck, can we have a look at your notes?’
“So it’s been one thing I’ve performed my complete life.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed March 6, 2024.
Observe @GregoryStrongCP on X.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
[ad_2]
