1/17/25 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Friday
17 January 2025 Sports
Bob Uecker, the voice of his hometown Milwaukee Brewers, who after a short playing career earned the moniker “Mr. Baseball” 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’s family said he had battled 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 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 was a beloved member of the baseball community and a pillar of the sport in Wisconsin.
“Even with his considerable success in Hollywood, Bob remained fiercely loyal to baseball and to Milwaukee,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “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.”
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 “Mr. Baseball” 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.”
As news of Uecker’s death spread, numerous fans converged at his statue outside American Family Field. They paid their respects by leaving flowers, Brewers caps and even cans of the Miller Lite beer he endorsed at the base of the statue.
Uecker signed his first professional contract with the Milwaukee Braves in 1956 and reached the majors in 1962. He’d 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.
“Career highlights? I had two,” he often joked. “I got an intentional walk from Sandy Koufax and I got out of a rundown against the Mets.”
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’s initial scouting report was stained with mashed potatoes and gravy. Selig eventually brought Uecker to 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. Former 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.
Even as his celebrity status grew nationwide, Uecker savored the opportunity to continue calling games to fans in his hometown.
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.
“I still — and this is not sour grapes by any means — still think I should have gone in as a player,” he quipped.
“Ueck” got his big break off the field after opening for Don Rickles at Al Hirt’s nightclub in Atlanta in 1969. That performance caught Hirt’s attention, and the musician set him up to appear on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson. He became one of Carson’s favorite guests, making more than 100 appearances.
Carson was the one who dubbed Uecker “Mr. Baseball.” And the name stuck. But Uecker’s 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 ’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, “Mr. Belvedere.”
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.
The Bucks are back in action tonight hosting the Raptors. Milwauikee is coming off at 122-93 win over the Magic Wednesday night to move into fourth place in the Eastern Conference, with a 22-17 record. Tipoff is at 7:00.
Divisional Round of the Playoffs (Sat.)
Texans at Chiefs
Commanders at Lions
(Sun.)
Rams at Eagles
Ravens at Bills
In Big Ten basketball Saturday Wisconsin is at USC with the tipoff at 2:00.
Ripon College at Monmouth College with the tipoff at 3:00.
UW-Oshkosh at UW-Lacrosse with the tipoff at 5:00.
Womens’ College Basketball (Sat.)
Ripon College at Monmouth College with the tipoff at 1:00
UW-Oshkosh at UW-Eau Claire with the tipoff at 5:00.
The Packers parted ways with defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich, according to a report by ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.
Rebrovich moved to coach the defensive line under first year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley this season. Prior to that he was the outside linebackers coach and pass rush specialist for Joe Barry.
The Packers made the switch this season to a 4-3, and moved pass rushers like Rashan Gary and Kingsley Enagbare to the defensive line.
This past season Rebrovich’s unit finished 26th in pass rush win rate according to ESPN, and the defense as a whole had 46 sacks. That was good enough for eighth in the NFL, but it was feast or famine with three games of five sacks or more.
Just 32.5 of the Packers sacks this season came from the defensive line.
One name that has already emerged as a possible replacement is Jets defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
Boys Basketball Schedule (Thurs.)
Campbellsport 67 North Fond du Lac 44
Laconia 63 Omro 55
Saint Mary’s Springs 65 Lomira 62
Winnebago Lutheran 53 Mayville 38
Bonduel 78 Weyauwega-Fremont 29
Tri-County 83 Rosholt 56
Pittsville 68 Wild Rose 41
Nekoosa 76 Wautoma 58
Wisconsin Dells 61 Adams-Friendship 41
Westfield 51 Mauston 49
Dodgeland 86 Horicon 52
Hustisford 64 Valley Christian 61
Oakfield 73 Lourdes Academy 37
Cambria-Friesland 67 Rio 46
Fall River 64 Markesan 59
Randolph 86 Montello 70
Pardeeville 74 Princeton/Green Lake 49
(Girls)
Ripon 68 Kewaskum 36-Ripon had four players in double figures, led by Adalin Nodolf’s 21 points, followed by Bryn Carlson with 20, Reese Brooks with 11 and Emma Resop with the 10. The Tigers won their second straight and first game in the East Central Conference. Addison Butschick led Kewaskum with 20 points. The Ripon JV’s also won, 39-28.
Berlin 39 Plymouth 29
Kettle Moraine Lutheran 66 Winneconne 30
Clintonville 48 Little Chute 30
Denmark 40 Freedom 38
Waupaca 56 Wrightstown 49
Neekoosa 37 Wautoma 36
Central Wisconsin Christian 55 Valley Christian 42
Horicon 51 Portage 36
Boys High School Basketball (Fri.)
Kewaskum at Ripon-Tipoff at 7:15 on The Wave.
Plymouth at Berlin
Kettle Moraine Lutheran at Winneconne
Grafton at Waupun (Sat.)
Oregon at Beaver Dam
Shawano at Xavier (Sat.)
Kaukauna at Fond du Lac
Hortonville at Oshkosh West
Neenah at Appleton North
Oshkosh North at Appleton West
Clintonville at Denmark
Fox Valley Lutheran at Marinette
Luxemburg-Casco at Waupaca
Girls Basketball (Fri.)
Berlin at Waupun
Hartford at Kettle Moraine Lutheran (Sat.)
West Bend West at Plymouth (Sat.)
Campbellsport at Mayville
Laconia at Omro
Lomira at Winnebago Lutheran
Saint Mary’s Springs at North Fond du Lac
Stoughton at Beaver Dam (Sat.)
Seymour at Menasha
Shawano at Xavier
Bonduel at Weyauwega-Fremont
Tri-County at Rosholt
Pittsville at Wild Rose
Kaukauna at Fond du Lac
Oshkosh West at Hortonville
Kimberly at Appleton East
Appleton North at Neenah
Appleton West at Oshkosh North
Oconto Falls at Fox Valley Lutheran
Wisconsin Dells at Adams-Friendship
Westfield at Mauston
Nekoosa at Port Edwards
Parkview at Central Wisconsin Christian
Dodgeland at Fall River
Princeton/Green Lake at Horicon (Sat.)
Lourdes Academy at Deerfield (Sat/)
Pardeeville at Oakfield (Sat.)
Palmyra-Eagle at Valley Christian
Wayland Academy at Randolph (Sat.)
Madison Country Day at Cambria-Friesland
Abundant Live/Saint Ambrose at Markesan (Sat.)
Montello at Johnson Creek (Sat.)
Rio at Williams Bay
Photo credit: Milwaukee Brewers.
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