Bob Uecker Has Passed At 90

LINK

Bob Uecker, longtime voice of the Brewers and a star of 'Major League,' dies at 90

Frank Schwab
Senior writer

Thu, Jan 16, 2025, 9:50 AM CST·

Bob Uecker didn't have to stretch much to play quick-witted broadcaster Harry Doyle in the movie "Major League." Milwaukee Brewers fans happily listened to that act for more than 50 years.

Uecker, whose humor made him a celebrity far outside of the baseball world, died Thursday at 90 years old, the Brewers announced. Uecker was the play-by-play voice of the Milwaukee Brewers dating to 1971, one of the longest runs by a broadcaster with one team in MLB history.

Fans outside of Wisconsin also knew Uecker, who rose to a level of fame rarely experienced by baseball radio broadcasters. He was on their TVs, appearing with Johnny Carson regularly on "The Tonight Show," having a starring role in the 1980s sitcom "Mr. Belvedere" or on Miller Lite commercials that are still memorable decades after they aired. Many fans still recite Uecker's best lines from his character in "Major League."

But at his core, Uecker wasn't a national star. He was Milwaukee, his hometown. Year after year, he came back to call games on WTMJ radio for what was usually a losing Brewers team. When the Brewers were bad, he could carry an entire season with his entertaining stories between play-by-play. On the rare occasions when the Brewers were good, he elevated the games with his work as a broadcaster. Uecker's broadcasting earned him the prestigious Ford Frick Award in 2003, and he was presented with the honor at Hall of Fame weekend in Cooperstown. His speech at the Hall of Fame was legendary.

Uecker was given the nickname "Mr. Baseball" as a tongue-in-cheek nod to his mediocre playing career. But after a lifetime entertaining baseball fans, the nickname was actually quite fitting.