Bob Uecker, the voice of his hometown Milwaukee Brewers, who after a short playing career earned the nickname 'Mr. Baseball' and Hall of Fame honors, passed away at the age of 90.
The team announced that Uecker died Thursday morning, calling it “one of the toughest days in Milwaukee Brewers history.” In a statement released by the club, Uecker's family said he had battled small cell lung cancer since early 2023.
“Even in the face of this challenge, his zest for life was always present and he never allowed his spirit to falter,” the family said.
Uecker was best known as a colorful comedian and broadcaster who earned his nickname during one of his numerous appearances on Johnny Carson's late-night show.
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Uecker signed his first professional contract with the Milwaukee Braves in 1956 and reached the majors in 1962. He lasted six seasons in the big leagues as a backup catcher, finishing with a .200 average and 14 home runs.
He won a World Series ring with St. Louis in 1964 and also played for Atlanta and Philadelphia.
Milwaukee Brewers icon and Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Uecker has died at the age of 90.
He won a World Series ring with St. Louis in 1964 and also played for Atlanta and Philadelphia.
Uecker also became friends with former Brewers owner and MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, who initially hired him as a scout.
Selig finally brought Uecker into the broadcast booth. Uecker became the voice 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' most indelible figures.
“There is not a single person in the history of this franchise who has been as iconic and important as Bob Uecker,” said Jeff Levering, a member of the Brewers' broadcast team since 2015.
Uecker was honored by the Hall of Fame with the Ford C. Frick Award in 2003 and spent nearly 20 minutes holding the crowd of approximately 18,000 people in Cooperstown, New York.
'Ueck' got his big break off the field after opening for Don Rickles at the Al Hirt nightclub in Atlanta in 1969. That performance caught Hirt's attention, and the musician groomed him to appear on 'The Tonight Show' with Johnny Carson. He became one of Carson's favorite guests, making more than 100 appearances.
Uecker became the voice of the Brewers in 1971, the second year after the team left Seattle.
Carson was the one who nicknamed Uecker 'Mr. Baseball.' And the name stuck.
Uecker's warm storytelling and delivery made him a natural to become one of the first color commentators on television broadcasts in the 1970s with ABC. In the '90s, he teamed with Bob Costas and Joe Morgan for the World Series.
From there, Uecker entered most homes as one of the Miller Lite All-Stars in popular commercials for the Milwaukee-based beer brand and later, Uecker launched his television acting career in 1985 in the comedy ABC's 'Mr. Belvedere.'
Uecker played George Owens during the hit 122-episode series that ran for six years, as the head of the family and sports writer in a household that brings in a butler struggling to adjust to an American household.
In a casting that kept things fairly close to home, Uecker also played a prominent role in the films Major League (1989) and Major League II (1994) as announcer Harry Doyle for a Cleveland Indians franchise that was in decline. . find a way to become playoff contenders.
Uecker became one of Johnny Carson's favorite guests and made over 100 appearances.
Uecker later launched his television acting career in 1985 on the ABC sitcom 'Mr. Belvedere'
In his later years, he took a serious approach to his health, swimming daily before heart surgery in April 2010. Very soon after the procedures, doctors said Uecker was back 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 doctors by allowing them to throw out the first pitch.
Uecker also presided over the moving ceremony that closed Milwaukee County Stadium in 2000. When the Brewers' new stadium opened as Miller Park in 2001, the team began selling 'Uecker Seats' high up in the upper deck and obstructed by one dollar
The stadium, now known as American Family Field, has two statues honoring Uecker. There is a statue outside the stadium and another in the back of Section 422, a nod to the Miller Lite commercial in which he said, “I must be in the front row!” as they take him to one of the worst seats in the stadium.