I'm calling as many as I am able to. We're taking it bit by bit and obviously hoping Buck is back soon, but it will be me and Tabby together for most of them.
— Dan Shulman (@DShulman_ESPN) April 19, 2022
The health of Buck Martinez is the most important issue. Martinez announced before Sunday's game that he will be stepping away from the Toronto Blue Jays telecasts for awhile due to a cancer diagnosis. We hope his treatment is effective and Martinez returns to the booth when he can.
Martinez's cancer diagnosis comes on the heels of Jamie Campbell, who stepped away after his own leukemia diagnosis.
The season had started with the usual pattern of Dan Shulman and Martinez for home games and Martinez and Pat Tabler on the road. As Shulman noted (above), Shulman and Tabler will work most of the games.
Martinez is versatile as a colour commentator and doing play by play, a rarity in MLB.
The obvious Plan B would be for Ben Wagner, the radio play by play, to fill in for Shulman for the games he can't do. That would literally (truly literal) leave an empty booth. Rogers likes to plead poverty but it's embarrassing to make Wagner work by himself in the radio booth in 2021 and 2022.
We could envision Wagner and Tabler in a temporary TV/radio simulcast. This would be awkward because the Blue Jays radio team (person) is not traveling.
Rogers could swallow some pride and hire back Mike Wilner either to replace Shulman or Wagner.
Jamie Campbell called Blue Jays games many years ago but a) he has a day job and b) may not be able to travel too much with his health.
Hazel Mae and Arash Madani work as sideline reporters for Sportsnet and should be highly considered.
Won’t make it tonight. Back tomorrow. Thanks @thehazelmae for the backup #leukemia #CLL pic.twitter.com/iagXldNNpD
— Jamie Campbell (@SNETCampbell) April 20, 2022
We had an example last night that proves that Campbell will need help from time to time. Hazel Mae did a great job filling in for Campbell last night.
Rogers Sportsnet brought in Rob Faulds to do NHL games this winter after a years-long break. We are not aware of someone to pull out from deep in the staff (other than Campbell) on the Sportsnet payroll who has significant baseball experience. Matt Devlin called Blue Jays games years ago. Devlin has a day job with the Raptors, but that may come to a close really soon.
David Amber, Caroline Cameron, Leah Hextall, Rick Ball, and John Shorthouse could fill in for Campbell or Shulman from within the Sportsnet family.
If we go back far enough, Jim Hughson and Rod Black worked their share of MLB games. Hughson may truly be retired and would have to travel over 3,000 km for the home games. Black is in the Greater Toronto Area.
Elliott Price and Dave Van Horne did play by play for the Montréal Expos.
Former Montreal Expos play by play announcer Dave Van Horne retires
Jim Hughson concludes marvelous baseball and hockey announcing career
There aren't that many minor league teams left in Canada. Your humble narrator has seen the Vancouver Canadians and the Winnipeg Goldeyes. The last Expos game in Montréal was in 2004.
The search could include American announcers such as Gary Thorne, who worked Baltimore Orioles games before the pandemic. Canadians in the States could be considered such as Ken Daniels (Detroit) and Dave Randorf (Tampa Bay).
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The Toronto Blue Jays should have some fun with potential replacements. Having a woman call a game would be a good idea. Brenda Irving would be a good option. Imagine a booth with Hextall, Cassie Campbell-Pascall, and Tabler or Hextall, Tabler, and Danielle Elaine Lawrie-Locke.
If Chris Cuthbert could fit in some games, maybe after the Stanley Cup, and wants to call games, he would be a fun option.
Rick Mercer would be an atypical nominee as would Peter Mansbridge. Renowned Blue Jays fan Geddy Lee with Alex Lifeson with Tabler would be a fun day watching the game. We might "rush" to see that combo.
Be creative when possible.
Twitter capture: @DShulman_ESPN; @SNETCampbell
photo credit: @BlueJays
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