I interned at KMOX during my Senior year at Lindenwood College in 1979 and met Jack Buck twice while I was there. This was at a time when there was a KMOX-FM at the frequency 103.3 (Where KLOU the oldies station of St. Louis broadcasts now). KMOX-FM was on the 7th floor of One Memorial Drive where KMOX/CBS Radio is located. I was an intern at the FM station, which was known as " The Mellow Sound" playing a format somewhat like KCLC does now during most of the day when we are not playing bluegrass.
One time I was standing at my desk shuffling papers. I turned around and there stood Jack Buck holding a candy box offering me a piece of Valentine's Day candy. Someone in the office shouted "Jack he's an intern!" Jack quipped, "Well then you only get one!"
The other time I was having lunch at Fandos, a restaurant that adjoined KMOX, with Paul Grundhauser, a Lindenwood alumnus who was at the time KCLC Chief Engineer and a full time KMOX engineer and who is now the Chief Engineer at KMOX. While we were having lunch, down sat Don Miller, then the helicopter traffic reporter, and Jack Buck who sat directly across from me. They started making small talk with Paul. Then Jack looked at me and said "And who the hell are you!" I looked at Paul on my left and looked back at Jack and said brilliantly "I'm an intern, I'm with him." I had a moustache at the time and so did Paul Grundhauser. Buck said "Well do you have to look like him and dress like him?" Then he reached over, smiled, shook my hand and said "I'm Jack Buck." I think I said, "I know."
The final time I ever spoke to Mr. Buck was shortly after the Cardinals were eliminated by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2001 Division Series and a few days after Mark McGwire announced his retirement. Mr. Buck was doing a "Sports Open Line" call in show on KMOX. I happened to get through. I felt I needed to tell Jack Buck that he was my role model. I always wanted to do that and I'm glad I took that opportunity. That was October 2001. In December 2001 Mr. Buck was diagnosed with lung cancer. For the most part, he was in the hospital from that time until his passing on June 18, 2002.
What experiences. The man was and will always be my hero.
Terry Moses
June 22, 2002 |
