Hall of Excellence honoree Buck Martinez brings down the Blue Jays house with one more swing and drive

See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source There were tears and tissues, hugs and a held hand with his wife Arlene throughout a terrific and touching ceremony to celebrate a brilliant baseball life. But Buck Martinez, cancer survivor, former big league catcher and manager and iconic voice of the Blue […] The Toronto Blue Jays opened their new Hall of Excellence on Saturday ahead of an afternoon ceremony for 2026 inductee Buck Martinez at Rogers Centre.

As part of their 50th anniversary season, the Blue Jays unveiled the section to honour the franchise’s greatest contributors. The 11 honourees from the former Level of Excellence were enshrined in the hall, which is on the concourse behind right field at the downtown stadium. Martinez, a former Blue Jays manager and player, was inducted before the Blue Jays’ matinee against the Seattle Mariners.

The 77-year-old also served as a longtime team broadcaster before retiring last winter. Martinez joined José Bautista, Paul Beeston, George Bell, Joe Carter, Tom Cheek, Carlos Delgado, Tony Fernandez, Cito Gaston, Pat Gillick, Roy Halladay and Dave Stieb in the hall. Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro (far left) is joined by Hall of Excellence honourees, from left, George Bell, Dave Stieb, Joe Carter, Cito Gaston, Carlos Delgado, Pat Gillick (seated), Jose Bautista and Paul Beeston at the hall’s opening at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Aug.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker “He was an awesome teammate,” Stieb said at a morning media availability. “He was especially special for me because as you know, I was quite a battler out there. I would lose my emotions at times, and Buck just had a knack for calming me down and keeping me focused on the task at hand.” Building on the legacy of the Level of Excellence, the hall will provide a space to honour players, coaches, managers, builders and broadcasters – past, present and future – to bring generations of fans closer to the people who shaped the Blue Jays, the team said.

Martinez’ name was unveiled on both the Level of Excellence and in the Hall of Excellence during the ceremony. The Level of Excellence will remain on the fascia within the ballpark bowl through the remainder of the season. It will be relocated next year within the stadium’s bowl, where the names will remain visible to fans.

Martinez retired as a player in 1986 after a 17-year Major League Baseball career with the Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers. “He was a good catcher,” Bell said. “He was very smart behind the play.