[1] At Oregon State University, the 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), 210 pound, athlete majored in sociology.
In 2005, Dallas Buck and Oregon State teammate, outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, were All-American candidates.
[3][4][5][6] He had a key part in the 2006 championship series between Oregon State and the North Carolina Tar Heels.
On August 11, 2008, Buck was traded from Arizona's minor league Single-A Visalia Oaks (along with Micah Owings and Wilkin Castillo) to the Cincinnati Reds for Adam Dunn and cash.
In 2009 Buck battled arm injuries while holding a 2–3 record with a 4.91 ERA in ten starts.