Buck Martinez Back as Sirius/XM Baseball Host

Emmy-winning baseball broadcaster Buck Martinez -- former co-host of the trailblazing XM/Sirius "Baseball This Morning" program -- will return tod his familiar role alongside the empty big chair vacated by former partner Mark Patrick.

Martinez with share the microphone with Scott Graham.

Patrick continues to look for work from his home in Brownsburg, Ind. He is reported to be nearing a deal unrelated to XM.

Martinez, 59, who won an Emmy for the 1995 television broadcast of Cal Ripken's record 2,131 consecutive game, will also continue his broadcast work for TBS.

Martinez and the network had reportedly been trying to reach an agreement in recent weeks, as disclosed by network colleague Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton.

Hamilton, the familiar voice of AM radio's "Mighty 690" Southern California afternoon drivetime sports program -- recently joined the struggling network after a more than year-long, continuing network personnel upheaval which has seen the departure not only of Patrick, but Ronnie "Night Train" Lane, Mark Grey, Phil Wood, Orestes Destrade and others.

This will be Martinez's fourth year of service with XM. He formerly played 17 years as a major league catcher, making key acquaintances by sharing the same fields as such numerous baseball greats as Mickey Mantle, George Brett, Carl Yastrzemski, Jim Palmer, Nolan Ryan, Harmon Killebrew, Frank Robinson, Tom Seaver, Ted Williams and Reggie Jackson, to name just a few.

Martinez managed the original U.S. team in the World Baseball Classic three years ago, earning him the nickname "Commander." He also formerly managed the Toronto Blue Jays.

In 2007 he and Patrick inaugurated XM's morning baseball program with former Phillies manager Larry Bowa, now third base coach for the Dodgers. Listeners gave them generous praise for originality, creativeness, entertainment and informativeness.