‘Mr. Baseball’ Bob Uecker passes away at 90
from www.mlb.com
Bob Uecker brought the Brewers to life for generations of fans. And that was just the start of a second career in entertainment that reached far beyond the ballpark.
Uecker, the backup catcher turned Hollywood star, and the legendary radio voice of his hometown team for more than five decades, has died. He was 90.
Bob Uecker, 1934-2025
“While this onetime backup catcher was known for his self-deprecating style, Bob Uecker was one of the game’s most beloved figures throughout his 70-year career in baseball,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “In his six years in his hometown of Milwaukee as well as St. Louis, Philadelphia and Atlanta, Bob made lifelong friendships with many Hall of Famers and other stars of the ’60s, and he was a member of the 1964 World Series Champion Cardinals. Near the beginning of his remarkable 54-year run in the Brewers’ radio booth, Bob’s trademark wit became a staple of television and movies. Even with his considerable success in Hollywood, Bob remained fiercely loyal to baseball and to Milwaukee. He loved the game and used his platform to help numerous charitable causes in his hometown and beyond.
“Bob was the genuine item: always the funniest person in any room he was in, and always an outstanding ambassador for our National Pastime. 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 a career .200 hitter but gained fame thanks to his quick wit. Nicknamed “Mr. Baseball” by “Tonight Show” host Johnny Carson during one of Uecker’s 100 or so appearances on late-night TV, he starred in a popular series of Miller Lite commercials, then in the ABC sitcom “Mr. Belvedere” and in the “Major League” film trilogy. He authored two books, hosted “Saturday Night Live” and WrestleMania, and famously graced the pages of Sports Illustrated as a septuagenarian in a speedo.
But Uecker’s first love was baseball, and that never changed. Following six seasons in the Major Leagues with the Braves, Cardinals and Phillies, then a failed stint as a Brewers scout, Uecker’s voice became one of the sounds of summer in the Midwest. He joined the Brewers radio team in 1971 and launched a second career in broadcasting that led to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, the Radio Hall of Fame, the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame, the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame and the National Baseball Hall of Fame as the 2003 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award.
That’s how a .200 hitter gets into Cooperstown.
“Bob became incredibly popular, incredibly recognizable, but his favorite environment was always the clubhouse,” said Hall of Famer Paul Molitor. “He never changed. With everything that came his way, he never forgot his roots.”
Here’s a bit of trivia: Uecker hit 14 home runs in the Majors off 13 pitchers. Three went to the Hall of Fame: Fergie Jenkins, Sandy Koufax and Gaylord Perry. The only pitcher Uecker touched twice, Roy Sadecki, won 20 games for the Cardinals during the World Series season in ’64.
Some of the Bob Uecker(Harry Doyle) one-liners from the “Major League” movies….
“Heywood (portrayed by Brewers pitcher Pete Vuckovich) leads the league in most offensive categories, including nose hair. When this guy sneezes, he looks like a party favor.”
“Just a reminder, fans, comin’ up is our ‘Die-Hard Night’ here at the stadium. Free admission to anyone who was actually alive the last time the Indians won a pennant.”
“One hit? One (expletive) hit?”
“Don’t worry; nobody’s listening anyway,” to his broadcasting partner when he’s reminded not to curse on air.
And, of course, “Juuust a bit outside,” an understatement about a pitch to the backstop from Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn. It’s a line that’s been invoked over and over again in pop culture and sports broadcasting.