Bob Uecker in 2023.Photo:Jeffrey Phelps/MLB Photos via Getty
Jeffrey Phelps/MLB Photos via Getty
Bob Uecker has died at the age of 90, the Milwaukee Brewers announced on Thursday, Jan. 16.
In a poston X, the team memorialized the Brewers legend.
“We are heartbroken to announce that Brewers icon & Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Uecker passed away today at the age of 90,” they wrote.
Uecker was born and raised in Milwaukee in 1934. A catcher, he signed a baseball contract with the Milwaukee Braves in 1956. He finally made his major league debut in 1962. Though he was never a great hitter — he was often called baseball’s most famous .200 hitter — he played solid defense. In his six year career, he also played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies, winning a World Series with the Cardinals. He retired in 1967, and worked as a scout.
Bob Uecker as a catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals.Getty
Getty
In 1971, he became a radio broadcaster for the Brewers, and he never stopped. Uecker’s broadcasts were always full of laughs and cheers. Cory Provus, who worked with Uecker from 2009 to 2011, toldThe Athleticin 2021, “When I got the job, [former broadcaster] Pat Hughes told me, he said, ‘Hey, you’ll know when Bob likes you the moment that he makes you laugh on the air and you have to continue. So when that moment happens, pinch yourself and tell yourself you’re in.’”
In addition to his hijinks in the radio booth, Uecker was also a frequent guest onThe Tonight Show, where Johnny Carson referred to him as “Mr. Baseball.” He also hosted the syndicated seriesBob Uecker’s Wacky World of Sports,which featured sports bloopers, from 1985 to 1996.
Bob Uecker in 1976.American Broadcasting Companies via Getty
American Broadcasting Companies via Getty
In 2002, at age 68, he talked toOn Milwaukeeabout why he kept broadcasting. “I don’t think there’s any motivation involved. It’s baseball. It’s my job,” he said. “It’s something I’ve done for a very long time, not only doing the games on the radio, but having been a player and being in the clubhouse, on the field and up here.”
“I’ve been to the bottom, and I’ve been to the top, winning a World Series with the Cardinals in 1964,” he continued. “I think there’s always a little extra incentive to really enjoy being around baseball. I still enjoy being around baseball and being around the guys. I still get a kick out of doing the games. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t do it anymore.” Uecker was awarded the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award in 2003.
Bob Uecker on ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno’ in 1995.Margaret Norton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Margaret Norton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
In 2014, he cut back on the number of games he would broadcast every season, limiting his appearances on road trips. He previously had two heart surgeries in 2010.
Uecker was with his first wife, Joyce, from 1956 to 1975. They shared four children, Leeann, Steve, Sue Ann and Bob Jr. Steve died in 2012, and Leeann died in 2022. Uecker married his second wife, Judy, in 1976, and they divorced in 2001.
source: people.com
