MLB Network celebrates career of Joe Buck in latest 'Sounds of Baseball' episode

For a generation of baseball fans, the soundtrack of October is narrated by only one voice. And that voice belongs to Joe Buck.

Beginning with his first World Series broadcast for Fox Sports in 1996, Buck called 24 editions of the Fall Classic on TV − more than twice as many as anyone else has.

So it's more than fitting for the latest edition of MLB Network's "Sounds of Baseball" series (premiering Thursday at 8 p.m. ET) to feature some of the most iconic moments in recent postseason history. Because, more often than not, Buck has been there to describe them.

Here are four takeaways from Joe Buck's distinguished career behind the ballpark microphone:

Pride in being Jack Buck's son

The one-hour retrospective doesn't shy away from the question of nepotism, as Buck got his start in broadcasting following in the footsteps of his father, Jack Buck — a Hall of Fame announcer in both football and baseball.

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"I think my dad's legacy really allowed me to get my start. I would not have been broadcasting the (St. Louis) Cardinals when I was 21 years old if my last name wasn't Buck," he says as the program opens.

But that alone wouldn't be enough to sustain such a lengthy career.

"He just gave me the example," Buck says, "and then I've tried to do it on my own, in my own way."

Buck made his debut calling MLB games for the Cardinals while his dad was off doing national TV or radio broadcasts. The two even had a few opportunities to work together, most memorably in September 1993, when Cardinals outfielder Mark Whiten hit four home runs in a game.

Joe Buck's most memorable MLB moments

With Fox Sports holding almost exclusive broadcast rights to the World Series for nearly three decades, Buck has been at the mic for so many history-making highlights. It's mind-boggling to see so many of them go by in such rapid succession.

A sampling:

• Mark McGwire's record-breaking 62nd home run in 1998:"Down the left field line. Is it enough? Gone! There it is. 62! Touch first Mark, you are the new single-season home run king!"
• Roger Clemens vs. Mike Piazza in the 2000 World Series: "The barrel of the bat comes back at Roger Clemens and he fires the bat back toward Piazza who was going down the first base line."
• Luis Gonzalez vs. Mariano Rivera in the 2001 World Series: "The chance of a lifetime for Luis Gonzalez," Buck said as he teed up analyst Tim McCarver's perfect prediction. And then, simply ... "Floater ... center field ... the Diamondbacks are World Champions!"

• So many Red Sox-Yankees games: From Roger Clemens' high hard one to Manny Ramirez that emptied the benches (and led to Pedro Martinez's takedown of 72-year-old Don Zimmer) to Aaron Boone's pennant-winning walk-off to Dave Roberts' stolen base that jump started an epic ALCS comeback, Buck helped chronicle baseball's fiercest rivalry.
• David Freese's heroics in the 2011 World Series: With the Cardinals down to their last strike in Game 6 vs. the Texas Rangers, Buck seemed just as surprised as everyone watching when David Freese hit a two-run double to pull the Cards even. "Into right and well hit … back at the wall. It's off the wall! One run scores. Here comes Berkman! Freese has tied it! 7-7, unbelievable!"

A student of baseball, broadcast history

As program host Bob Costas notes, Buck paid tribute to his father and baseball lore in many subtle ways.

On three separate occasions in the playoffs, Joe Buck channeled Jack Buck's famous call of Kirby Puckett's walk-off homer in the 1991 World Series, "And we'll see you tomorrow night!" The most classic example came in that same Cardinals-Rangers World Series 20 years later, when Freese hit a solo shot in the bottom of the 10th to force Game 7: "Freese hits it in the air to center. We will see you tomorrow night!"

Buck also referenced one of the most famous calls in baseball history — Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World" in 1951 — when Travis Ishikawa homered to wrap up the 2014 NLCS in San Francisco: "The Giants win the pennant!"

Buck backlash: Dealing with criticism

Despite his status as one of the game's premier announcers, Buck still has his fair share of critics who find him too smug, too laconic or biased against their favorite team.

But program co-host Tom Verducci, who has shared a broadcast booth with Buck on many occasions, says most were leveled unfairly.

"Joe dealt with something nobody else in terms of national broadcasters doing the World Series ever dealt with and that is the onset of social media, where all of a sudden there were millions upon millions of television criitics," Verducci said.

"I don't think Joe could shut it out because it is very loud. But he did a great job of keeping it in its own compartment to the side and not bleeding into the booth."

Indeed, when pointed comments are flung his way, Buck frequently chooses to poke fun at himself.

"There's never any false hype to his calls," Verducci said. "There's never a moment where he says look at me instead of the game."