Bob Uecker was beloved by audiences worldwide for his broadcasting abilities, humor and acting chops, usually playing himself. He was a regular on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, who dubbed Uecker “Mr. Baseball.” Uecker acted in the popular show Mr. Belvedere in the 1980s and the wildly funny Major League films as the Cleveland Indians announcer Harry Doyle. His most notable phrase from the movie is for Charlie Sheen’s character Vaughn who throws some wild pitches, “Just a bit outside.” His credits include appearances on O.C. and Stiggs, Who’s the Boss?, D.C. Follies, Lateline, Futurama, Fatal Instinct and Monsters at Work. Before he hit it big on the screen and airwaves, Uecker served in the Army and was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood and Fort Belvoir. He earned the rank of corporal before leaving the service. While in the Army he played baseball and played alongside future MLB star, pro teammate and two-time World Series champ Dick Groat.
Uecker played as a catcher for the Milwaukee Braves for years in the minors through the mid to late 1950s until his Major League debut in 1962. He played with the Braves for two seasons and then was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for a couple of minor-league players. He was more of a backup player with the Cardinals. Fortunately, though Uecker was on the team for their 1964 World Series win over a stacked New York Yankees team that had Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford and was managed by Yogi Berra. Of note, Dick Groat played for the Cardinals with Uecker on the 1964 team, a small world…series.
Uecker then made his way to the Phillies for a short time and then returned to the now Atlanta-based Braves. He retired from MLB in 1967. He went on to become a broadcaster and showcasing his personality and wit. He started as a broadcaster for the Braves, and in 1971 started as the play-by-play announcer for the Milwaukee Brewers. He worked as the Brewers announcer for 54 years which is the second longest tenure for one team in MLB history. His famous catchphrase was for a Brewers home run, “Get up! Get up! Get outta here! Gone!” He did many more announcing and hosting duties throughout his life which included two of his own shows, Bob Uecker’s Wacky World of Sports and Bob Uecker’s War of the Stars. He did commercials for Miller Lite beer and announced for the WWF, pre-WWE name change, at Wrestlemania III for the main event with Hulk Hogan fighting Andre the Giant and again for Wrestlemania IV for the Battle Royal. Of note, Uecker was choked during Wrestlemania by Andre the Giant. He hosted Saturday Night Live in 1984 as well.
Uecker received many accolades and awards for his work. He has been honored by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association five times as Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year and was inducted in 2011 into their Hall of Fame. The man with the vocal and acting talents is in the National Radio Hall of Fame and received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame for his “major contributions to baseball.” The Brewers added his name and number, 50, to the Brewers Wall of Honor at American Family Field and put up the Uecker Monument outside of the stadium.
He leaves behind two children, Sue Ann and Bob Jr. and he passed from small cell lung cancer. His humor, lightness and passion will be missed.