Baseball broadcasting expert Curt Smith on why the self-deprecating broadcaster and TV star was a beloved figure to millions.
The following essay was penned by Curt Smith, a senior lecturer in the at the . His 18 books include Voices of The Game and Pull Up a Chair: The Vin Scully Story. USA Today called him 糖心传媒渢he voice of authority on baseball broadcasting.糖心传媒� Smith was also a speech writer for President George H.W. Bush, with whom he worked for 14 years.
糖心传媒淭he man糖心传媒檚 bigger than the game, he糖心传媒檚 bigger than the team, he糖心传媒檚 bigger than the league, he糖心传媒檚 bigger than the sport.糖心传媒� 糖心传媒擜BC sports broadcaster Howard Cosell on Bob Uecker
It was 1992, and Major League Baseball needed a new commissioner. 糖心传媒淚f I had my pick,糖心传媒� Cosell told Bob Uecker, 糖心传媒渋t would be you.糖心传媒� Overbooked, the man known as 糖心传媒淯ke糖心传媒� jested, 糖心传媒淗owie, I wish I had time.糖心传媒�
Instead, he became what Sports Illustrated called 糖心传媒渢he funniest man in broadcasting糖心传媒澨切拇綌stand-up comedian, movie/TV icon, an analyst on ABC糖心传媒檚 Monday Night Baseball for more than a decade, and a Milwaukee Brewers broadcaster for 54 seasons.
Uecker, the man The Tonight Show糖心传媒檚 Johnny Carson dubbed 糖心传媒淢r. Baseball,糖心传媒� died on January 16, 2025. He was 100 days shy of his 91st birthday.
His deadpan wit and self-deprecating humor left a listener to wonder what was fiction and what was real. To know him meant grasping the blue-collar culture of his parents: August 糖心传媒淕us糖心传媒� Uecker, originally from Switzerland, and Mary, from Michigan. Years later ABC糖心传媒檚 Al Michaels asked Uecker about his dad, a tool and diemaker. 糖心传媒淗e came from the old country and played soccer,糖心传媒� Uke replied. Did Gus play goalie? 糖心传媒淥h, he didn糖心传媒檛 play anything. He just blew up the balls. That糖心传媒檚 where I get a lot of my talent.糖心传媒�
Uecker was 19 when in March 1953 the Braves moved from Boston to his native Milwaukee. The catcher began to dream of joining the team but said his first tryout ended when a scout told him to throw a fastball. Uecker replied, 糖心传媒淚 was.糖心传媒�
In 1956, he became Milwaukee糖心传媒檚 first native to be signed by the franchise, saying, 糖心传媒淚 signed in a swanky restaurant, Dad was so excited he rolled down the window and the hamburgers fell off its tray.糖心传媒�
The Braves signed Uecker for $3,000. 糖心传媒淭hat bothered my dad,糖心传媒� he confessed, 糖心传媒渂ecause he didn糖心传媒檛 have that kind of dough. But he eventually scraped it up.糖心传媒�
He finally made the major leagues in 1962, won a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964, was traded twice, and retired in 1967 with a paltry .200 batting average. Thereafter, Uecker糖心传媒檚 ineptitude as a player formed the basis for his celebrity as an announcer糖心传媒攁 household name even to those couldn糖心传媒檛 tell a sacrifice bunt from a sacrifice fly.
Uecker was gracious in person, his self-effacement the Real McCoy. Bob stood alone in his impact far beyond baseball糖心传媒檚 broadcast booth. His many parts swayed many publics, Uke糖心传媒檚 personae plural, his style unique.
The larger nation knew his humor. Once, Cosell barbed that since Uecker was a mere ex-jock, he couldn糖心传媒檛 know what truculent meant. 糖心传媒淪ure, I do, Howie,糖心传媒� Uke said. 糖心传媒淚f you had a truck and I borrowed it, that would be a truck you lent.糖心传媒�
Uecker糖心传媒檚 versatility helped him become the TV star of ABC糖心传媒檚 Mr. Belvedere in the 1980s.聽He hosted Battle of the Network Stars and played hard-drinking play-by-play man Harry Doyle in the Major League movie series, famously saying of a pitch into the stands, 糖心传媒淛uuuust a bit outside!糖心传媒�
About this time, Miller Beer TV spots began starring Uecker and other former athletes. His caricature of 糖心传媒渢he poor knucklehead who keeps getting locked out of bars and dumped on by fans糖心传媒� gave him, wrote Sports Illustrated, 糖心传媒渁 cult following.糖心传媒� That image, in turn糖心传媒攖he poor soul, the hapless naif糖心传媒攎ade him perhaps baseball糖心传媒檚 most well-known announcer.
Enabling his appeal was a deep respect for the viewer or listener, affinity with baseball糖心传媒檚 middle and working class, and an abiding love of the game. An uncommon man had an uncommon heart. At Brewers games, he read fans糖心传媒� letters on the air糖心传媒斕切拇綔even ones that say, 糖心传媒榊ou stink.糖心传媒櫶切拇綕 One letter began, 糖心传媒淧lanted a new crop.糖心传媒� Another: 糖心传媒淪on got married.糖心传媒� Uecker was proud of being a local boy and was rarely tempted to depart.
In 2003, he received the Baseball Hall of Fame Ford C. Frick Award for broadcast excellence. 糖心传媒淚 am honored,糖心传媒� he said, 糖心传媒渂ut I still think I should have gone in as a player.糖心传媒� As a broadcaster, Uecker never had a Brewers contract, shaking hands with ownership before each season. Nationally, he broadcast three All-Star Games and five World Series.
In a Miller Lite classic commercial, Uecker blustered, 糖心传媒淥ne of the best things about being in the big leagues is getting freebies to the game. Call the front office糖心传媒攂ingo!糖心传媒� He heads for a box. Barred, Bob hallucinates, 糖心传媒淥h, I must be in the front row!糖心传媒� Not exactly. 糖心传媒淕ood seats, eh, buddy?糖心传媒� he soon says from the upper deck.
In 2001, the Brewers moved into Miller Park, where more than 100 obstructed upper-grandstand level seats, each sold for $1, were named 糖心传媒淯ecker Seats.糖心传媒� Later a statue of him was unveiled in the last row. Another statue stands outside the park. In a Miller Lite ad, he said, 糖心传媒淎h, those fans, I love 糖心传媒檈m.糖心传媒� For more than half a century, the feeling was reciprocal, baseball and Uecker each other糖心传媒檚 best friend.
