Uecker was finest referred to as a colourful comic and broadcaster who earned his nickname throughout one among his quite a few appearances on Johnny Carson’s late night time present.
MILWAUKEE — Bob Uecker, the voice of his hometown Milwaukee Brewers who after a brief enjoying profession earned the moniker “Mr. Baseball” and honors from the Corridor of Fame, has died. He was 90.
The workforce introduced Uecker died Thursday morning, calling it “probably the most troublesome days in Milwaukee Brewers historical past.” In a press release 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 at all times current, by no means permitting his spirit to falter,” the household stated.
Uecker was finest referred to as a colourful 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 Collection ring with St. Louis in 1964 and in addition performed for Atlanta and Philadelphia.
“Profession highlights? I had two,” he typically joked. “I obtained an intentional stroll from Sandy Koufax and I obtained 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 favored to joke about how Uecker’s preliminary scouting report was stained with mashed potatoes and gravy.
Selig finally introduced Uecker to the published 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 time days throwing a baseball towards the roof and catching it whereas listening to Uecker’s broadcasts.
“There’s no single individual on this franchise’s historical past who has been as iconic and as vital as Bob Uecker,” stated Jeff Levering, a member of the Brewers’ broadcast workforce since 2015.
Whilst his celeb standing grew nationwide, Uecker savored the chance to proceed calling video games to followers in his hometown.
“To have the ability to do a sport each day all through the summer time and speak to folks daily at 6:30 for an evening sport, you grow to be a part of folks’s households,” Uecker as soon as stated. “I do know that as a result of I get mail from those 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 honored by the Corridor of Fame with the Ford C. Frick award in 2003 and spent almost 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 assume I ought to have gone in as a participant,” he quipped.
“Ueck” obtained his massive break off the sector 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 favourite visitors, making greater than 100 appearances.
Carson was the one who dubbed Uecker “Mr. Baseball.” And the title caught.
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 coloration 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 Collection.
From there, Uecker reached most households as one of many Miller Lite All-Stars in widespread commercials for the beer model primarily based out of Milwaukee and Uecker later launched his TV appearing profession in 1985 on the ABC sitcom, “Mr. Belvedere.”
Uecker performed George Owens throughout 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 dwelling, Uecker additionally performed a outstanding function within the motion pictures Main League (1989) and Main League II (1994) as crass announcer Harry Doyle for a down-and-out Cleveland Indians franchise that finds a method to grow to be playoff contenders.
“I’m a part of American folklore, I assume,” Uecker informed 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 exterior!” — within the film remains to be often-repeated by announcers and followers at ballparks throughout.
Uecker’s appearing 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 pleasing 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 assume anybody needs to listen to someone screwing round whenever you obtained an excellent sport going,” Uecker stated. “I feel folks see ‘Main League’ they usually assume Harry Doyle and determine that’s what Bob Uecker does. I do this generally, I do. However once we’ve obtained an excellent sport going, I don’t fiddle.”
In his later years, he took a critical method to his well being, swimming day by day main as much as coronary heart surgical procedure in April 2010. Very quickly after the procedures, medical doctors stated Uecker returned to strolling a number of miles and was forward in restoration.
Uecker pushed to return to the sales space and started calling video games once more in July, saying he bribed the medical doctors by permitting them to throw out the primary pitch.
“You speak about all of the issues Bob has performed, he by no means needed to depart Milwaukee,” Selig stated. “Above all, he made himself into an incredible play-by-play announcer. That’s what he did. He’s the whole lot to this franchise and loves each minute of it.”
Uecker’s personal profession offered 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 enjoying 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 type of dough,” he stated “However he finally scraped it up.”
One other traditional: “After I got here as much as bat with three males on and two outs within the ninth, I appeared within the different workforce’s dugout they usually have been already in avenue 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 honor. There’s a statue exterior the stadium and one other one at the back of Part 422, a nod to the Miller Lite industrial wherein he famously stated “I should be within the entrance row!” whereas getting taken to one of many worst seats within the ballpark.
