John Francis "Jack" Buck - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

Jack Buck is best known as the radio voice of the St. Louis Cardinals. He began his career with the Cardinals in 1954 and would remain as the voice of the team until his retirement in 2000. He worked 28-years with former Cardinal third baseman Mike Shannon and together the two combined to form one of the most distinctive and best broadcast teams in Major League Baseball. Jack’s most famous call came at the end of Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. As Kirk Gibson circled the bases after hitting a 2-out game winning homerun, Jack exclaimed, “I don’t believe what I just Saw, I don’t believe what I just saw.” Jack retired as the Voice of the Cardinals in 2000 but returned to Busch Stadium for one final time on September 17, 2001. As the Cardinals and Major League Baseball returned to the field following the terrorist attacks of September 11, Jack Buck stood at home place and read a poem the he wrote for the occasion entitle “For America.” Jack was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1995. Jack Buck died on June 18, 2002 and is buried in the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis Missouri.

Description: John Francis “Jack” Buck on August 21, 1924 in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Jack Buck was a veteran of World War II, serving in Company K, 47th Regiment, 9th Infantry Division and was wounded in Germany. He later attended Ohio State University where he majored in radio speech and broadcasting. He honed his skills broadcasting by broadcasting Ohio State Basketball games. Following graduation he became the play-by-play announcer for the Columbus Red Bird, which was the Triple A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. In 1953 he became the broadcast voice of the Rochester Red Wings, which earned him an invitation to join the St. Louis Cardinals’ broadcast, team in 1954. In 1954 he was teamed with Harry Caray and Milo Hamilton broadcasting Cardinal Games on KMOX Radio. Over the years Jack Buck continued to broadcast Cardinal Games while also working for CBS Radio and TV calling Super Bowls, College Bowl Games, and NFL Football Games. But though it all Jack Buck was most recognized as being the voice of the Cardinals and would often punctuate Cardinal victories with the phrase, “That’s a winner, folks.” He is most famous for his call in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series of Kirk Gibson's game-winning home run, and his disbelief at the feat by Gibson, who at the time had two injured legs. As Gibson rounded the bases Buck exclaimed, “I don’t believe what I just saw, I don’t believe what I just saw.” His call of the play is so famous that it's usually played over the television footage of the play, and often confused for the television call, which was actually done by Vin Scully on NBC. Jack Buck was inducted into the Broadcasters Wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1995. Suffering from a number of serious ailments, Jack made one of his final public appearances on September 17, 2001 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. It was the first night that Major League Baseball resumed after the terrorist attacks of September 11. Although looking rather frail and struggling to maintain his composure, he stirred the emotion of baseball fan everywhere by reading a patriotic poem that he wrote entitle “For America.” During a career that spanned almost 50-years he called 11 World Series, 18 Super Bowls, and four Major League Baseball All-Star Games. Jack Buck died on June 18, 2002 and he is buried in the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri. Date of birth: 08/21/1924 Date of death: 06/18/2002 Area of notoriety: Sports Marker Type: Headstone Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daily - Dawn to Dusk Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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