Bob Uecker, the voice of his hometown Milwaukee Brewers who after a brief taking part in profession earned the moniker “Mr. Baseball” and honours from the Corridor of Fame, has died. He was 90.
The workforce introduced Uecker died Thursday morning, calling it “one of the troublesome days in Milwaukee Brewers historical past.” In an announcement launched by the membership, Uecker’s household stated he had battled small cell lung most cancers since early 2023.
“Even within the face of this problem, his enthusiasm for all times was all the time current, by no means permitting his spirit to falter,” the household stated.
Uecker was finest referred to as a vibrant comic and broadcaster who earned his nickname throughout one among his quite a few appearances on Johnny Carson’s late night time present.
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Uecker signed his first skilled contract with the Milwaukee Braves in 1956 and reached the majors in 1962. He’d final six seasons within the massive leagues as a backup catcher, ending with a .200 common and 14 homers.
He received a World Sequence ring with St. Louis in 1964 and in addition performed for Atlanta and Philadelphia.
“Profession highlights? I had two,” he usually joked. “I acquired an intentional stroll from Sandy Koufax and I acquired out of a rundown towards the Mets.”
Uecker additionally befriended former Brewers proprietor and MLB commissioner Bud Selig, who initially employed him as a scout. Selig appreciated to joke about how Uecker’s preliminary scouting report was stained with mashed potatoes and gravy.
Selig ultimately introduced Uecker to the printed sales space. Uecker turned the voice of the Brewers in 1971, within the second yr after the workforce moved from Seattle.
Uecker remained with the membership from that time on and have become one of many Brewers’ most indelible figures. Brewers supervisor Craig Counsell grew up within the Milwaukee space and remembered spending summer season days throwing a baseball towards the roof and catching it whereas listening to Uecker’s broadcasts.
“There’s no single particular person on this franchise’s historical past who has been as iconic and as essential as Bob Uecker,” stated Jeff Levering, a member of the Brewers’ broadcast workforce since 2015.
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Whilst his celeb standing grew nationwide, Uecker savoured the chance to proceed calling video games to followers in his hometown.
“To have the ability to do a sport every day all through the summer season and speak to individuals daily at 6:30 for an evening sport, you grow to be a part of individuals’s households,” Uecker as soon as stated. “I do know that as a result of I get mail from people who inform me that. That’s a part of the reward for being right here, simply to be acknowledged by the best way you speak, the best way you describe a sport, no matter.”
Uecker was honoured by the Corridor of Fame with the Ford C. Frick award in 2003 and spent practically 20 minutes preserving the Cooperstown, New York, crowd of about 18,000 in stitches.
“I nonetheless — and this isn’t bitter grapes by any means — nonetheless suppose I ought to have gone in as a participant,” he quipped.
“Ueck” acquired his massive break off the sphere after opening for Don Rickles at Al Hirt’s nightclub in Atlanta in 1969. That efficiency caught Hirt’s consideration, and the musician set him as much as seem on The Tonight Present with Johnny Carson. He turned one among Carson’s favorite company, making greater than 100 appearances.
Carson was the one who dubbed Uecker “Mr. Baseball.” And the identify caught.
[NOTE: The video below contains foul language. Watch at your own discretion.]
However Uecker’s comedy was simply part of his talents. His heat storytelling and supply made Uecker a pure to grow to be one of many first color commentators on community TV broadcasts within the Seventies with ABC. Within the ’90s, he teamed up with Bob Costas and Joe Morgan for the World Sequence.
From there, Uecker reached most households as one of many Miller Lite All-Stars in standard commercials for the beer model based mostly out of Milwaukee and Uecker later launched his TV performing profession in 1985 on the ABC sitcom, Mr. Belvedere.
Uecker performed George Owens in the course of the profitable 122-episode run of the sequence that lasted six years, as the top of the household and sports activities author in a house that brings in a butler who struggles to adapt to an American family.
In a little bit of casting that stored issues fairly near residence, Uecker additionally performed a outstanding position within the films Main League (1989) and Main League II (1994) as crass announcer Harry Doyle for a down-and-out Cleveland Indians franchise that finds a approach to grow to be playoff contenders.
“I’m a part of American folklore, I suppose,” Uecker instructed The Related Press in 2003. “However I’m not a Hollywood man. Baseball and broadcasting are in my blood.”
His wry description of a badly wayward pitch — “Juuuust a bit outdoors!” — within the film remains to be often-repeated by announcers and followers at ballparks throughout.
Uecker’s performing left some to consider he was extra about being humorous than a critical baseball announcer, however his tenure and observations with the Brewers have been spot on, particularly when video games have been tight. Equally pleasurable have been video games that weren’t, when Uecker would inform tales about different main leaguers, his personal profession and his hobbies as an avid fisherman and golfer.
“I don’t suppose anybody desires to listen to any person screwing round whenever you acquired an excellent sport going,” Uecker stated. “I believe individuals see Main League and so they suppose Harry Doyle and determine that’s what Bob Uecker does. I do this typically, I do. However once we’ve acquired an excellent sport going, I don’t fiddle.”
In his later years, he took a critical method to his well being, swimming each day main as much as coronary heart surgical procedure in April 2010. Very quickly after the procedures, docs stated Uecker returned to strolling a number of miles and was forward in restoration.
Uecker pushed to return to the sales space and commenced calling video games once more in July, saying he bribed the docs by permitting them to throw out the primary pitch.
“You discuss all of the issues Bob has executed, he by no means needed to go away Milwaukee,” Selig stated. “Above all, he made himself into a terrific play-by-play announcer. That’s what he did. He’s every part to this franchise and loves each minute of it.”
Uecker’s personal profession supplied him most of his materials. His former teammates stated Uecker would do impressions of different broadcasters on the bus, however Uecker turned the highlight on himself after his taking part in profession was over.
“I signed with the Milwaukee Braves for $3,000. That bothered my dad on the time as a result of he didn’t have that sort of dough,” he stated “However he ultimately scraped it up.”
One other basic: “Once I got here as much as bat with three males on and two outs within the ninth, I regarded within the different workforce’s dugout and so they have been already in road garments.”
Uecker additionally presided over the stirring ceremony that closed Milwaukee County Stadium in 2000. When the Brewers’ new stadium opened as Miller Park in 2001, the workforce started promoting “Uecker Seats” excessive within the higher deck and obstructed for a $1.
The stadium, now referred to as American Household Discipline, has two statues in Uecker’s honour. There’s a statue outdoors the stadium and one other one at the back of Part 422, a nod to the Miller Lite business during which he famously stated “I should be within the entrance row!” whereas getting taken to one of many worst seats within the ballpark.
