Baseball has seen its fair share of characters throughout the years, but I don’t think we will ever seen another one like the recently-departed Bob Uecker.
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1934, he caught the eye of his hometown Milwaukee Braves, who signed him in 1956 after Bob had finished his military service, being discharged form the US Army having achieved the rank of corporal.
Playing career
Uecker spent six years in the minors before finally getting the call in 1962 to be the third-string catcher behind Joe Torre. Bob batted .250 in 33 games the year, and then in 1963 played a total of nine games.
Before the 1964 season, Bob was traded to the St Louis Cardinals. He was seldom used, but was a member of the 1964 World Series-winning team. Uecker lasted another season with the Cardinals before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. In 1967, he was then traded back to the Milwaukee Braves and retired at the end of the season.
Ultimately, Bob Uecker finished his career appearing in a total of 297 games and a career average of .200. Generally respected as a sound defensive catcher, he led the league in passed balls despite the fact he only played in 59 major league games.
Becoming an announcer
Known for his humor, particularly about his undistinguished playing career, Uecker became much better known after he retired from playing. Uecker was dubbed ‘Mr. Baseball’ by Jonny Carson on one of his numerous appearances on Carson’s late night talk show starting in 1971, the first year Bob started in the Brewers broadcasting booth. His skills in the booth were quickly recognized the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), and he was hired as the lead play-by-play announcer for Monday Night Baseball throughout the 1970s and 80s.
A pop culture icon
Bob was also able to parlay his celebrity into commercial work for Miller Lite in the 80’s. In one commercial from that decade, Uecker was seen preparing to watch a baseball game when an usher informs him he is in the wrong seat. Uecker pompously remarks, “I must be in the front row“, which became another of his catchphrases. The punch line was that Uecker’s seat was actually in the nosebleed section. Since then, the farthest seats from the action in some arenas and stadiums have been jokingly called the ‘Uecker seats’. There is even a section of seating priced at $1 called the “Uecker seats” at American Family Field, the baseball stadium of the Milwaukee Brewers, in reference to where Uecker sat in the Miller Lite commercials, due to the seats having an obstructed-view area (in the upper grandstand above home plate where the stadium’s roof pivot comes together).
Building on his success, Uecker was able to get the role of George Owens, a sportswriter-turned-sportscaster and married father of three living in the Pittsburgh suburbs who butts heads with the family’s British butler in the sitcom Mr. Belvedere. The series ran for six years from 1985-1990 for a total of 117 episodes.
Uecker’s most iconic character from his acting career though has to be the broadcaster Harry Doyle in the Major League movie series. The role was given to him not due to his experience as a broadcaster, but because of his popularity from the Miller Lite commercials. Major League gave Bob the chance to show off his comedic chops in wacky situations, and he took advantage, firing off lines that would come to shape baseball fans’ lexicons for years to come.
Overall, Uecker made 18 appearances in TV shows and adverts ranging from Fatal Instinct and Who’s The Boss to Teen Titans Go! and Futurama.
Wolrd Wrestling Federation (now known as WWE) audiences will most remember Uecker for his memorable appearances at two of the most iconic Pay Per Views (or ‘Premium Live Events’ as they’re now called) in WWE history. Uecker served as the special guest ring announcer for the epic battle between WWE Champion Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III — by far the biggest match of its era. And at WrestleMania IV, the encounter between Uecker and The Eighth Wonder of the World became one of the most enduring images in WWE history.
He was the backstage interviewer for Wrestlemania IV at the Atlantic City Convention Hall. Along came the 520-pound Andre the Giant. While Andre was dishing out trash talk to his opponent – Hogan again -he put his massive left hand on Uecker’s right shoulder. “Hulkamania is over“, Andre said to the camera. Uecker then made the mistake of getting on Andre’s bad side. “How about getting your foot off my shoulder“, Uecker told him. Wrong move, Ueck. Andre then wrapped his huge hands around Uecker’s neck. The look on Uecker’s face was priceless with his mouth wide open, selling that Andre was ‘throttling’ him like a champ.
For the lasting impression Uecker left during those two major events, he was inducted him into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2010.
A baseball icon
In 2003, Uecker received the Ford C. Frick Award, bestowed annually by the Baseball Hall of Fame to a broadcaster for major contributions to baseball. His humorous and self-deprecating speech was a highlight of the ceremony.
Uecker was also named Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year five times (1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1987), and was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 2011.
Over his storied career, Uecker was inducted in National Radio Hall of Fame in 2001, theMilwaukee Brewers placed #50 for his 50 years in baseball in their Ring of Honor in 2005 and he was then added to the Brewers Hall of Honor four years later. In 2012, the Brewers also erected the Uecker Monument outside American Family Field alongside statues of Hank Aaron, Robin Yount and Bud Selig. 25 September 2021 was also declared Bob Uecker Day in honor of his fiftieth year broadcasting Brewers games.
Jason Derr is a Mariners fan originally from Seattle, and can be found on Twitter @bubbaonbaseball.
Featured image – Jeffrey Phelps/MLB Photos via Getty Images
