Biofile Joe Buck Interview

By Scoop Malinowski

Status:  MLB and NFL Broadcaster. World Series play by play announcer from 1996-2021 for FOX Sports. Became NFL Monday Night Football announcer for ESPN in 2022.

DOB April 25, 1969 In: St. Petersburg, FL

Childhood Heroes:  “My dad (Jack, the MLB Hall of Fame broadcaster) first and foremost. Always has been, always will be. And I was a huge Lou Brock fan growing up.”

Hobbies/Interests:  “Unfortunately I’m hooked on golf. It takes up all of my time. I’m not good enough to leave it at the golf course. So I’m constantly tinkering with my swing. And being a dad. After that, there’s enough time for coin collecting and stamp collecting.”

Favorite Movies:  “Rocky is probably my all time favorite. I saw it twelve times in the theater. Poseidon Adventure. I’m hooked on ships sinking.”

All-Time Favorite TV Shows:  “Now you’re really going to pinpoint the type of person I am [smiles] … Diff’rent Strokes. The Love Boat. Fantasy Island. Those are the classics of my life.”

Musical Tastes:  “Coldplay. When Sting kind of went jazz I became a big fan. I was always a big Police fan. Still continue to be.”

Favorite Meal:  “I love Chinese.”

Favorite Breakfast Cereal:  “What I’d eat… or what I’d eat if I didn’t have to worry about weighing 398 pounds? It’s Golden Grahams. But I have the charade of Raisin Bran going now because it’s better for me.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:  “One scoop of vanilla and one scoop of mint chip.”

First Job:  “Football Cardinals ballboy during training camp in Charleston, Illinois (age 15). I had to spend a month away from home and washing EJ Junior’s sweaty football pants every day.”

First Car:  “A 1985 maroon red Ford Bronco II.”

First Broadcast Job:  “Sports reports on KMOX St. Louis, AM radio, at the age of 17.”

Funny Broadcasting Memory:  “My very first time on television at Shea Stadium in 1991. With make-up caked all over my face, 130 degrees in the TV booth and my broadcast partner couldn’t find his microphone for an interview on the field. The camera stayed on me. The earpiece fell out of my ear. I couldn’t hear the guys in the truck telling me that I had to keep talking. I saw the red light on like in The Brady Bunch and had absolutely nothing to say. I tried saying something and then repeating it while sweating more and more. Easily the most embarrassing moment of my career. And it was my first game on television. Then… it made me cry. Now… it makes me laugh.”

Greatest Career Moment:  The Mark McGwire 62nd Home Run, calling that on national TV (FOX). September 8th, 1998. When he broke Roger Maris’ (single season home run) record.”

Most Painful Moment:  “You can refer to the answer I just gave you. See above [laughs]. Either that or attempting to catch a foul ball by Terry Pendleton in the booth and having it break every blood vessel in my hand. If you want  to be literal. (Did you come out of the booth for first aid?) You gotta play hurt. Just had to score the game left-handed.”

Education:  “Indiana University. No degree. 12 hours short. I left early to do the Cardinals baseball job in 1991.”

Favorite Vacation Spot:  “Nantucket with the family. If it’s just me, a golf trip in Scottsdale with the guys.”

Childhood Dream:  “If I wasn’t gonna play baseball, I wanted to broadcast baseball. And obviously football, to a lesser degree. As a kid, I was in the broadcast booth every night of the summer, sitting next to my father as he broadcast baseball.”

Current Heroes:  “Let’s see… tricky question… Because you don’t want to come off… athlete-wise… I look at a guy like Mark McGwire. He always said he would retire when he felt it was time to go. And he kept his word. When he thought it was time to quit, he quit. And basically gave back the Cardinals $30,000,000. I enjoy people who can write. John Irving is my favorite author.”

People Qualities Most Admired:  “Probably everybody would say this… honesty. I just like people who give you an honest opinion, an honest count. That don’t hedge on the truth a little bit. And people who don’t look for an excuse why something didn’t work out.”

(Note: This Biofile was originally commissioned by DirecTV Guide in 2003.)