Bob Uecker, ‘Mr. Baseball’ and Brewers announcer, dead at 90

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 group introduced Uecker died Thursday morning, calling it “probably the most tough days in Milwaukee Brewers historical past.” In an announcement launched by the membership, Uecker’s household mentioned 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 mentioned.

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 present.

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Uecker was a beloved member of the baseball group and a pillar of the game in Wisconsin.

When the Brewers clinched the Nationwide League Central title in 2024, supervisor Pat Murphy threw an arm round Uecker within the locker room, pulling him in tight as gamers white-knuckled their corks, able to bathe “Mr. Baseball” in Champagne.

“There isn’t a one,  there is no such thing as a one, who epitomizes a champion the way in which this man does proper right here,” Murphy proclaimed because the gamers chanted “UUUUUECK.”

“What an instance for us to be with each single day — Bob Uecker.”

As information of Uecker’s demise unfold, quite a few followers converged at his statue exterior American Household Area. They paid their respects by leaving flowers, Brewers caps and even cans of the Miller Lite beer he endorsed on the base of the statue.

“He is the narrator to all the perfect occasions of a few generations’ lives,” mentioned Shawn Bosman of Franklin, Wis., who visited the statue together with his mom.

Kairee Larson, a longtime Brewers season-ticket holder who lives simply down the street from the stadium, mentioned after leaving flowers by the statue that Uecker’s name of Ryan Braun’s walk-off grand slam in a 2008 late-season victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates stays her ring tone to at the present time.

“One of many issues I believed at the moment was my child that is due any day just isn’t going to listen to that iconic voice,” Larson mentioned.

American Household Area has two statues in Uecker’s honour. There is a statue exterior the stadium and one other one behind Part 422, a nod to the Miller Lite industrial wherein he famously mentioned, “I should be within the entrance row!” whereas getting taken to one of many worst seats within the ballpark.

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 large leagues as a backup catcher, ending with a .200 common and 14 homers.

He gained a World Collection ring with St. Louis in 1964 and performed for Atlanta and Philadelphia.

“Profession highlights? I had two,” he typically joked. “I received an intentional stroll from Sandy Koufax and I received out of a rundown in opposition to 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 grew to become the voice of the Brewers in 1971, within the second 12 months after the group moved from Seattle.

Movie star standing

Uecker remained with the membership from that time on and have become one of many Brewers’ most indelible figures. Chicago Cubs supervisor Craig Counsell grew up within the Milwaukee space and remembered spending summer season days throwing a baseball in opposition to the roof and catching it whereas listening to Uecker’s broadcasts.

“There is not any single particular person on this franchise’s historical past who has been as iconic and as essential as Bob Uecker,” mentioned Jeff Levering, a member of the Brewers’ broadcast group since 2015.

At the same time as 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 recreation each day all through the summer season and discuss to folks on daily basis at 6:30 for an evening recreation, you grow to be a part of folks’s households,” Uecker as soon as mentioned. “I do know that as a result of I get mail from people who inform me that. That is a part of the reward for being right here, simply to be acknowledged by the way in which you discuss, the way in which you describe a recreation, no matter.”

Uecker was honoured by the Corridor of Fame with the Ford C. Frick award in 2003 and spent practically 20 minutes retaining the Cooperstown, N.Y., 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” received his large 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 grew to become one among Carson’s favorite visitors, making greater than 100 appearances.

Carson was the one who dubbed Uecker “Mr. Baseball.” And the identify caught.

However Uecker’s comedy was simply part of his skills. 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 Collection.

From there, Uecker reached most households as one of many Miller Lite All-Stars in common 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 in the course of the profitable 122-episode run of the collection that lasted six years, as the pinnacle of the household and sportswriter in a house that brings in a butler who struggles to adapt to an American family.

In a little bit of casting that saved issues fairly near dwelling, Uecker additionally performed a outstanding position 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 am a part of American folklore, I suppose,” Uecker instructed The Related Press in 2003. “However I am not a Hollywood man. Baseball and broadcasting are in my blood.”

Avid fisherman and golfer

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 had been spot on, particularly when video games had been tight. Equally pleasant had 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 do not assume anybody desires to listen to any individual screwing round whenever you received recreation going,” Uecker mentioned. “I believe folks see Main League and so they assume Harry Doyle and determine that is what Bob Uecker does. I do this generally, I do. However after we’ve received recreation going, I do not fiddle.”

In his later years, he took a critical strategy to his well being, swimming every day main as much as coronary heart surgical procedure in April 2010. Very quickly after the procedures, docs mentioned 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 speak about all of the issues Bob has performed, he by no means needed to go away Milwaukee,” Selig mentioned. “Above all, he made himself into an awesome play-by-play announcer. That is what he did. He is every thing to this franchise and loves each minute of it.”

Uecker’s personal profession supplied him most of his materials. His former teammates mentioned 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 did not have that type of dough,” he mentioned “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 appeared within the different group’s dugout and so they had 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 group started promoting “Uecker Seats” excessive within the higher deck and obstructed for a $1.

After the Brewers had been eradicated from the playoffs in 2024, Uecker’s final season, “Mr. Baseball” made positive to go to the locker room and supply help to gamers in a approach solely he might.

“That was type of robust. All the opposite stuff, it’s what it’s. … Speaking to Ukie, one on one, was robust,” outfielder Christian Yelich mentioned on the time. “He means loads. He means loads. I’ve gotten to know him fairly good over the past seven years. … He is proper over there. Only a nice man, an awesome man.”