Bob Uecker passed away earlier today, just 10 days before his 91st birthday. Uecker hit just .200 during his six year MLB career, but he made it to the Baseball Hall of Fame, winning the Ford Frick Award in 2003 as recognition for an outstanding broadcasting career that lasted from 1971-2024. Uecker is widely known for his self-deprecating humor, but his witty quips should not obscure the reality that he was an outstanding play by play announcer who made that job look much easier than it is. Retired players who become broadcasters usually are analysts/color commentators, not play by play announcers. Broadcaster Brian Anderson told MLB Network that Vin Scully was the greatest baseball broadcaster of all-time "hands down" and that Uecker is number two on that distinguished list. Uecker won a trophy case full of honors as a broadcaster, including being selected five times as the Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year (1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1987). He was inducted in the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association's Hall of Fame in 2011, and he was inducted in the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2001. MLB.com's Adam McCalvary wrote a wonderful tribute to Uecker, complete with highlights of some of Uecker's funniest moments.
Uecker earned the rank of corporal in the U.S. Army before signing a contract with his hometown Milwaukee Braves in 1956. He made his MLB debut with the Braves in 1962, and during his pro career he played for the Braves (in both Milwaukee and Atlanta), the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Philadelphia Phillies. He was a member of St. Louis' 1964 World Series championship team, though he did not play in the World Series.
After his playing career ended, Uecker became a broadcaster in Atlanta before beginning his 53 year run as a Braves' broadcaster. Much like some coaches have a coaching tree of people who they mentored who then became successful coaches, Uecker had a broadcasting tree of people who he mentored who later became the primary broadcaster for various MLB teams; that tree includes Joe Block, Pat Hughes, Jim Powell, and Cory Provus. In addition to his local broadcasting duties in Milwaukee, Uecker also did national MLB broadcasts for ABC and NBC. Although he called games straight for the most part, he became known for his funny remarks. Uecker's brilliant comedic touch earned him numerous appearances on Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show," plus a starring role in the TV series "Mr. Belvedere."
I am too young to remember Uecker's MLB playing career, and I never heard his local Milwaukee broadcasts, but I remember his national TV work and I regularly watched "Mr. Belvedere," which aired from 1985-90. Some of my earliest and most vivid memories of Uecker are his hilarious series of Miller Lite TV commercials, perhaps the most famous of which revolved around the premise that Uecker assumed that his seat "must be in the front row" when in reality the usher escorted him to a seat near the top of the stadium; from that perch, Uecker confidently exclaimed "He missed the tag!" to an umpire that he could barely see. In the "Major League" movie trilogy, Uecker played broadcaster Harry Doyle, who delivered a line that became the 20th century version of a meme: "Juuuust a bit outside" (describing a pitch that was much more than just a bit outside).
Uecker brought a lot of joy to a lot of people. The phrase "American Original" is perhaps overused, but Uecker fits that description quite well; he accomplished a lot without taking himself too seriously.
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