MILWAUKEE (AP) 鈥� Bob Uecker, the voice of his hometown Milwaukee Brewers who after a short playing career and honors from the Hall of Fame, has died. He was 90.
The team announced Uecker died Thursday morning, calling it "one of the most difficult days in Milwaukee Brewers history." In a statement released by the club, Uecker鈥檚 family said he had battled small cell lung cancer since early 2023.
鈥淓ven in the face of this challenge, his enthusiasm for life was always present, never allowing his spirit to falter,鈥� the family said.
Uecker was best known as who earned his nickname during one of his numerous appearances on Johnny Carson鈥檚 late night show.
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Uecker was a beloved member of the baseball community and a pillar of the sport in Wisconsin.
When the Brewers title in 2024, manager Pat Murphy threw an arm around Uecker in the locker room, pulling him in tight as players white-knuckled their corks, ready to shower 鈥淢r. Baseball鈥� in Champagne.
鈥淭here is no one 鈥� there is no one 鈥� who epitomizes a champion the way this man does right here,鈥� Murphy proclaimed as the players chanted 鈥淯UUUUECK.鈥�
"What an example for us to be with every single day 鈥� Bob Uecker."
Uecker signed his first professional contract with the Milwaukee Braves in 1956 and reached the majors in 1962. He鈥檇 last six seasons in the big leagues as a backup catcher, finishing with a .200 average and 14 homers.
He won a World Series ring with St. Louis in 1964 and also played for Atlanta and Philadelphia.
鈥淐areer highlights? I had two,鈥� he often joked. 鈥淚 got an intentional walk from Sandy Koufax and I got out of a rundown against the Mets.鈥�
Uecker also befriended former Brewers owner and MLB commissioner Bud Selig, who initially hired him as a scout. Selig liked to joke about how Uecker鈥檚 initial scouting report was stained with mashed potatoes and gravy.
Selig eventually brought Uecker to the broadcast booth. Uecker of the Brewers in 1971, in the second year after the team moved from Seattle.
Uecker remained with the club from that point on and became one of the Brewers鈥� most indelible figures. Brewers manager Craig Counsell grew up in the Milwaukee area and remembered spending summer days throwing a baseball against the roof and catching it while listening to Uecker鈥檚 broadcasts.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no single person in this franchise鈥檚 history who has been as iconic and as important as Bob Uecker,鈥� said Jeff Levering, a member of the Brewers鈥� broadcast team since 2015.
Even as his celebrity status grew nationwide, Uecker savored the opportunity to continue calling games to fans in his hometown.
鈥淭o be able to do a game each and every day throughout the summer and talk to people every day at 6:30 for a night game, you become part of people鈥檚 families,鈥� Uecker once said. 鈥淚 know that because I get mail from people that tell me that. That鈥檚 part of the reward for being here, just to be recognized by the way you talk, the way you describe a game, whatever.鈥�
Uecker was honored by the Hall of Fame with the Ford C. Frick award in 2003 and spent nearly 20 minutes keeping the Cooperstown, New York, crowd of about 18,000 in stitches.
鈥淚 still 鈥� and this is not sour grapes by any means 鈥� still think I should have gone in as a player,鈥� he quipped.
鈥淯eck鈥� got his big break off the field after opening for Don Rickles at Al Hirt鈥檚 nightclub in Atlanta in 1969. That performance caught Hirt鈥檚 attention, and the musician set him up to appear on 鈥淭he Tonight Show鈥� with Johnny Carson. He became one of Carson鈥檚 favorite guests, making more than 100 appearances.
Carson was the one who dubbed Uecker 鈥淢r. Baseball.鈥� And the name stuck.
But Uecker鈥檚 comedy was just a part of his abilities. His warm storytelling and delivery made Uecker a natural to become one of the first color commentators on network TV broadcasts in the 1970s with ABC. In the 鈥�90s, he teamed up with Bob Costas and Joe Morgan for the World Series.
From there, Uecker reached most households as one of the Miller Lite All-Stars in popular commercials for the beer brand based out of Milwaukee and Uecker later launched his TV acting career in 1985 on the ABC sitcom, 鈥淢r. Belvedere.鈥�
Uecker played George Owens during the successful 122-episode run of the series that lasted six years, as the head of the family and sports writer in a home that brings in a butler who struggles to adapt to an American household.
In a bit of casting that kept things pretty close to home, Uecker also played a prominent role in the movies Major League (1989) and Major League II (1994) as crass announcer Harry Doyle for a down-and-out Cleveland Indians franchise that finds a way to become playoff contenders.
鈥淚鈥檓 part of American folklore, I guess,鈥� Uecker told The Associated Press in 2003. 鈥淏ut I鈥檓 not a Hollywood guy. Baseball and broadcasting are in my blood.鈥�
His wry description of a badly wayward pitch 鈥� 鈥淛uuuust a bit outside!鈥� 鈥� in the movie is still often-repeated by announcers and fans at ballparks all over.
Uecker鈥檚 acting left some to believe he was more about being funny than a serious baseball announcer, but his tenure and observations with the Brewers were spot on, especially when games were tight. Equally enjoyable were games that weren鈥檛, when Uecker would tell stories about other major leaguers, his own career and his hobbies as an avid fisherman and golfer.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think anyone wants to hear somebody screwing around when you got a good game going,鈥� Uecker said. 鈥淚 think people see 鈥楳ajor League鈥� and they think Harry Doyle and figure that鈥檚 what Bob Uecker does. I do that sometimes, I do. But when we鈥檝e got a good game going, I don鈥檛 mess around.鈥�
In his later years, he took a serious approach to his health, swimming daily leading up to heart surgery in April 2010. Very soon after the procedures, doctors said Uecker returned to walking several miles and was ahead in recovery.
Uecker pushed to return to the booth and began calling games again in July, saying he bribed the doctors by allowing them to throw out the first pitch.
鈥淵ou talk about all the things Bob has done, he never wanted to leave Milwaukee,鈥� Selig said. 鈥淎bove all, he made himself into a great play-by-play announcer. That鈥檚 what he did. He鈥檚 everything to this franchise and loves every minute of it.鈥�
Uecker鈥檚 own career provided him most of his material. His former teammates said Uecker would do impressions of other broadcasters on the bus, but Uecker turned the spotlight on himself after his playing career was over.
鈥淚 signed with the Milwaukee Braves for $3,000. That bothered my dad at the time because he didn鈥檛 have that kind of dough,鈥� he said 鈥淏ut he eventually scraped it up.鈥�
Another classic: 鈥淲hen I came up to bat with three men on and two outs in the ninth, I looked in the other team鈥檚 dugout and they were already in street clothes.鈥�
Uecker also presided over the stirring ceremony that closed Milwaukee County Stadium in 2000. When the Brewers鈥� new stadium opened as Miller Park in 2001, the team began selling 鈥淯ecker Seats鈥� high in the upper deck and obstructed for a $1.
The stadium, now known as American Family Field, has two statues in Uecker鈥檚 honor. There鈥檚 a statue outside the stadium and another one in the back of Section 422, a nod to the Miller Lite commercial in which he famously said 鈥淚 must be in the front row!鈥� while getting taken to one of the worst seats in the ballpark.
After the Brewers were eliminated from the playoffs in 2024, Uecker's last season, 鈥淢r. Baseball鈥� made sure to and offer support to players in a way only he could.
鈥淭hat was kind of tough. All the other stuff, it is what it is. ... Talking to Ukie, one on one, was tough,鈥� outfielder Christian Yelich said at the time. 鈥淗e means a lot. He means a lot. I鈥檝e gotten to know him pretty good over the last seven years. ... He鈥檚 right over there. Just a great guy, a great guy.鈥�
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