One of the most legendary sportscasters in the world of professional baseball, Milwaukee Brewers announcer Bob Uecker, who played a short career on the field himself, and earned the nickname “Mr. Baseball” has passed away at the age of 90. Growing up with a baseball fanatic for a father, Bob Uecker was a favorite announcer even though the Brewers weren’t our team. He’s an unforgettable character who will forever be missed.
According to a new report from MSN, the Brewers announced that Uecker died on Thursday morning, saying it is “one of the most difficult days in Milwaukee Brewers history.” The team released a statement which featured comments from the Uecker family who said that he had “faced a private battle with small cell lung cancer” since early 2023.
“Even in the face of this challenge, his enthusiasm for life was always present, never allowing his spirit to falter,” the family remarked.
“Bob was the genuine item: always the funniest person in any room he was in, and always an outstanding ambassador for our National Pastime,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred commented in a statement. “We are grateful for this baseball life like no other, and we will never forget him. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest sympathy to Bob’s family, his many friends across the game, Brewers fans, and the countless baseball fans who admired him.”
Uecker was well known as highly amusing comedian and broadcaster who ended up being christened as “Mr. Baseball” during one of his many appearances on Johnny Carson’s late night show.
When the Brewers clinched the NL Central 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 him in champagne. “There is no one — there is no one — who epitomizes a champion the way this man does right here,” Murphy proclaimed as the players chanted “UUUUUECK.”
“What an example for us to be with every single day — Bob Uecker.”
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 homers. He won a World Series ring with St. Louis in 1964 and also played for Atlanta and Philadelphia.
“Career highlights? I had two,” he often wisecracked. “I got an intentional walk from Sandy Koufax, and I got out of a rundown against the Mets.”
Mr. Baseball was also a good friend of Brewers former owner and MLB commissioner Bud Selig. Selig had originally hired Uecker as a scout. The former commissioner often joked about how Uecker’s original scouting report was stained by mashed potatoes and gravy. Selig eventually decided to give Uecker a chance to call games in the broadcast booth. He officially became the voice of the Brewers in 1971.
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Uecker remained with the club from that point on and became one of the Brewers’ 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’s broadcasts.
“There’s no single person in this franchise’s history who has been as iconic and as important as Bob Uecker,” said Jeff Levering, a member of the Brewers’ broadcast team since 2015. Even as his celebrity status grew nationwide, Uecker savored the opportunity to continue calling games to fans in his hometown.
“To 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’s families,” Uecker is quoted as once saying. “I know that because I get mail from people that tell me that. That’s part of the reward for being here, just to be recognized by the way you talk, the way you describe a game, whatever.”
Uecker was eventually honored by the Hall of Fame as a recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, where he delivered a hilarious 20 minute speech that entertained the 18,000 people in attendance.