It didn’t take much for Bob Uecker to portray witty broadcaster Harry Doyle in the film “Major League.” For over 50 years, Milwaukee Brewers supporters listened to the act with joy.
According to the Brewers, Uecker passed away on Thursday at the age of 90. His humor made him famous outside of the baseball community.
One of the longest tenures by a broadcaster with a single team in Major League Baseball history began in 1971 when Uecker began serving as the play-by-play voice of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Fans outside of Wisconsin were also familiar with Uecker, who achieved a degree of notoriety that is uncommon for baseball radio commentators.
On their televisions, he frequently appeared with Johnny Carson on “The Tonight Show,” starred in the sitcom “Mr. Belvedere” in the 1980s, or appeared in Miller Lite ads that have remained memorable for decades. A lot of fans still quote Uecker’s finest remarks from “Major League.”
Fundamentally, however, Uecker was not a national celebrity. He was from his hometown of Milwaukee. He returned year after year to call games for the Brewers, who were typically losing, on WTMJ radio.
His amusing anecdotes in between plays might carry a whole season when the Brewers were struggling. His work as an announcer enhanced the games on the few instances when the Brewers were excellent.
During Cooperstown’s Hall of Fame weekend in 2003, Uecker received the coveted Ford Frick Award for his broadcasting efforts. He gave a remarkable speech at the Hall of Fame.
The moniker “Mr. Baseball” was given to Uecker in light of his lackluster playing career. However, the term was actually rather appropriate after a career of delighting baseball fans.
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Bob Uecker was a legendary figure in broadcasting
Uecker’s major-league career served as the inspiration for many of his self-deprecating quips.
He played catcher with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and St. Louis Cardinals for six seasons, hitting.200 during that time. Sandy Koufax of the legendary Los Angeles Dodgers hit one of his 14 major league home runs.
In typical Uecker fashion, he expressed concern that Koufax would not be inducted into the Hall of Fame because of home runs. Gaylord Perry and Ferguson Jenkins, both Hall of Famers, were also hit by Uecker.
Uecker’s 1956 signing with the Braves was the subject of one of his favorite jokes. He claimed to have signed for $3,000, which infuriated his father because he lacked the funds to pay the Braves. The joke always garnered a laugh, no matter how many times he told it.
Transistor radios were used by many Wisconsinites to listen to Uecker call games as children. During baseball season, it was customary.
A particular age of Brewers fan will likely remember exactly where they were when Uecker called a ninth-inning Easter Sunday comeback in 1987, the team’s 12th consecutive victory to begin the season. The biggest and most well-liked person in Brewers history is Uecker, and second place isn’t far behind.
