When it was announced that the Milwaukee Brewers would be facing off against the New York Yankees on Opening Day on ESPN, there were a lot of question marks regarding who would be on the call for this special event. The passing of legendary broadcaster Bob Uecker will loom large in fans' minds once the season gets started.
While Brewers fans are used to having the duo of Brian Anderson and Bill Schroeder calling games for them most of the season, this special ESPN broadcast will feature a significant surprise for baseball fans everywhere.
Joe Buck will call Opening Day between the Yankees and Brewers on ESPN, per @AndrewMarchand pic.twitter.com/EC5lMQKANl
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 18, 2025
Joe Buck announced as lead broadcaster for the Brewers vs Yankees Opening Day broadcast
On February 18th, it was announced that Joe Buck would be returning to the MLB broadcast booth for the first time in nearly four years to announce the Brewers vs Yankees Opening Day matchup. Buck, the son of legendary announcer Jack Buck, has been calling MLB games for over two decades. He's been on the mic for 24 World Series and 22 All-Star games and is generally recognized as one of the top announcers of his era.
This news may come as a surprise to baseball fans because Joe Buck had previously stepped away from the MLB to focus on his role at ESPN calling Monday Night Football games. However, he has made the decision to return to baseball beginning with the ESPN Opening Day broadcast in New York.
In addition to the return of the legendary announcer, ESPN also announced that two others would be joining him in the booth to bolster team knowledge and commentary from both sides. Bill Schroeder will be on the call to represent the Brewers and fill the role of color commentator. Schroeder has been broadcasting for the Brewers for over three decades and will be a welcomed voice for Brewers fans tuning in. For Yankees fans, ESPN has brought in former World Series-winning manager Joe Girardi to add Yankees analysis and conversation pieces.
This ESPN broadcast is the only Brewers game projected to be televised on ESPN to begin the season. Outside of this special broadcast, the Brewers will stick with their usual broadcast team for the majority of the season.