In a statement released by Sportsnet, Martinez said Sunday’s game against the Oakland Athletics will be his last for “a while” as he begins weeks of cancer treatment.
The 73-year-old Martinez said he hoped to meet his teammates on Sportsnet again for the Jays stretch run later this season.
The veteran broadcaster’s relationship with the Blue Jays dates back to 1981, when he began a five-year tenure as one of the team’s hunters. Martinez enjoyed a 17-year career in Major League Baseball as a player who also included stops with the Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers.
He was hired as the manager of the Blue Jays in 2001, but was fired in the middle of his second season with the team after scoring a record 100-115.
Blessed with a silky voice and smooth performance, Martinez first stepped behind the microphone in 1987 as a color commentator on Jays games on TSN.
He also helped call games for ESPN, TBS and the Baltimore Orioles before joining the Sportsnet Blue Jays TV crew in 2010.
This Canadian Press report was first published on April 17, 2022.
