Bob Uecker dead at 90

curly2

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Jul 8, 2003
5,204

Bob Uecker is dead. Uke still sounded great at 90. He had a great life, but he'll be missed.
 

curly2

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Jul 8, 2003
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CBS Sunday Morning did a nice piece on him last year. It shows that Uke still had it and was still loving life at 90.

 

Max Power

thai good. you like shirt?
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Jul 20, 2005
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It shouldn't ever be shocking when someone goes at 90, but Uecker was still active and good at his job. He was able to do his schtick without ever being over the top or annoying. Millar could really learn from him.
 

Joe D Reid

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Of the very, very many trade paperback ballplayer autobiographies released in the '80s, his ("Catcher in the Wry") was the best by a mile. It's worth it just for the story of him shagging flies in the outfield before a freaking World Series game using a tuba borrowed from the local pep band (and then having to pay the band for the damage done to the tuba).
 

8slim

has trust issues
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Nov 6, 2001
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90 is a ripe old age and Uecker certainly had a life well lived. But it's still very sad to know he's passed.

What a tremendous ambassador for the game. As a kid who followed baseball religiously in the 80s, Uecker was as big of a part of that era as anyone. The announcing, the Miller Lite ads, the iconic role in Major League... the guy really was "Mr. Baseball". Even if he was just an atrocious hitting backup catcher.
 

Archer1979

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His HOF speech was HOF-worthy. He was a great ambassador to the sport with his appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

He will be missed.
 

pedro1918

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It shouldn't ever be shocking when someone goes at 90, but Uecker was still active and good at his job. He was able to do his schtick without ever being over the top or annoying. Millar could really learn from him.
The bolded is so true.

I remember him explaining how easy it was to catch a knuckle ball. Something like "You just walk back to the back stop, wait for it stop rolling and pick it up."

RIP.
 

bohous

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Jul 21, 2005
4,848
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So many great quotes:


I set records that will never be equaled. In fact, I hope 90% of them don't even get printed.

The way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until it stops rolling and then pick it up.

When I came up to bat with three men on and two outs in the ninth, I looked in the other team's dugout and they were already in street clothes.

In 1962 I was named Minor League Player of the Year. It was my second season in the bigs.

If a guy hits .300 every year, what does he have to look forward to? I always tried to stay around .190, with three or four RBI. And I tried to get them all in September. That way I always had something to talk about during the winter.

I didn't get a lot of awards as a player. But they did have a Bob Uecker Day Off for me once in Philly

Career highlights? I had two - I got an intentional walk from Sandy Koufax and I got out of a rundown against the Mets.
 

SoxFanInCali

has the rich, deep voice of a god
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California. Duh.
The Mendoza Line refers to whether a batter is hitting over .200 or not, even though Mario Mendoza's career batting average was .215.

Ueck's career batting average? .200.
 

jezza1918

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Jul 19, 2005
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Im sure Im not alone, but quoting lines like "dynamite drop in Monty, that broadcast school has really paid off" or "one run on, lets see, one hit..." was a staple of my youth. Thanks for the memories, both real and fictional.
 

Humphrey

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Aug 3, 2010
3,494
Not a good hitter by any means, but in 1965 he was 6-15 including a homer against Sandy Koufax; one of Koufax' incredible seasons.

(the rest of his career, 1-23).
 

Bergs

don't Judge me
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Jul 22, 2005
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One of the great baseball personalities of my life. This sucks.
 

JimBoSox9

will you be my friend?
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Nov 1, 2005
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Im sure Im not alone, but quoting lines like "dynamite drop in Monty, that broadcast school has really paid off" or "one run on, lets see, one hit..." was a staple of my youth. Thanks for the memories, both real and fictional.
Dynamite drop-in!

In case you haven't noticed, and judging by the attendence, you haven't!

When this guy sneezes it looks like a party favor

One Goddamn Hit!

Juuuust a bit outside

Tried the corner and missed

Well excuse me for having an OPINION

All fucking staples. Legend.
 

nattysez

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Sep 30, 2010
9,724
Dynamite drop-in!

In case you haven't noticed, and judging by the attendence, you haven't!

When this guy sneezes it looks like a party favor

One Goddamn Hit!

Juuuust a bit outside

Tried the corner and missed

Well excuse me for having an OPINION

All fucking staples. Legend.
Cannot tell you how many times I've said "He missed the tag!" when settling into nosebleeds.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Jan 23, 2009
22,979
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Dynamite drop-in!

In case you haven't noticed, and judging by the attendence, you haven't!

When this guy sneezes it looks like a party favor

One Goddamn Hit!

Juuuust a bit outside

Tried the corner and missed

Well excuse me for having an OPINION

All fucking staples. Legend.
Ball four....Ball eight....Low, and he walks the bases loaded on 12 straight pitches. How can these guys lay off pitches that close?

The post-game show is brought to you by...Christ, I can't find it. To hell with it.

Hayes is picked off! Personally, I think we got hosed on that call.
 

dgello1971

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Nov 22, 2024
20
I was fortunate enough to meet him when I attended a journalism "field trip" when I was in college back at the old County Stadium. (Inside that place was like a "Saw" movie". Met him out on the field and shook his hand. Not much, but always found it cool. He will be missed.
 

dynomite

Member
SoSH Member
Of the very, very many trade paperback ballplayer autobiographies released in the '80s, his ("Catcher in the Wry") was the best by a mile. It's worth it just for the story of him shagging flies in the outfield before a freaking World Series game using a tuba borrowed from the local pep band (and then having to pay the band for the damage done to the tuba).
Man, I just went on Amazon hoping it would be available on Kindle, and it's completely out of print and only available as a used paperback for ~$80 on the internet.

Trying to borrow it from a library but many don't have it.
 

Sad Sam Jones

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"My dad came from the old country. He was on the soccer team."
What position did he play?
"Oh, he didn't play. He blew up the balls. That's where I got a lot of my talent."

"The highlight of my career? Oh, I'd say that was in 1967 in St. Louis. I walked with the bases loaded to drive in the winning run in an intrasquad game in spring training."

"You know, I signed with the Milwaukee Braves for three thousand dollars. That bothered my dad at the time, because he didn't have that kind of dough to pay out. But eventually he scraped it up."

"The biggest thrill a ballplayer can have is when your son takes after you. That happened to me the other day when my Bobby was in his championship Little League game in Milwaukee. He showed me something. Struck out three times and lost the game for his team when the ball went through his legs at third base. Parents were throwing things at our car and swearing at us as we left the parking lot. Gosh, was I proud. He first was named Sydney, but when I saw he had my coordination, we changed it to Bobby, Junior."

"I made a major contribution to the Cardinals' pennant drive. I came down with hepatitis."
Johnny Carson: How'd you catch it?
"The trainer injected me with it."
 

Pablo's TB Lover

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Sep 10, 2017
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My first encounter of Bob Uecker was on Mr. Belvedere which is pretty amazing, in that his character was a sportswriter but originally supposed to be a construction worker. The casting people were like 'We just gotta use this guy and don't have a baseball sitcom written for him.' And I remember barely any baseball talk on that show. Then when he was in Major League, I'm like hey this guy is a pretty good announcer. Then I found out the backstory regarding playing career, announcing baseball, etc. Checking out baseball history books from the library, Uecker would always make an appearance from his funny quotes and career.

Bob's approval rating is as close to 100% as I've seen around the game.
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

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Dope
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Apr 12, 2001
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All of this and no mention of "Mr. Belvedere"?

Christopher Hewett weeps from his grave.

Which gave us the greatest exchange in TV history:

Danny: Hi Mrs. Owens. Hi Mr. Owens.
Owens (Uke): Hi champ, how's it going?
Danny: Well I got AIDS but other than that, I'm doing pretty good.


Just watch the first 30 seconds (or so).
 

Brand Name

make hers mark
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Oct 6, 2010
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Moving the Line
There are few who could make the game of baseball more joyous, more human, more vividly absurd than Bob Uecker. His was a career that danced on the edges of greatness, never quite stepping into the light of baseball legend but, in his own words, "tricking people year in and year out" into believing he belonged. And didn't he, though? In a way, few ever have.

Bob Uecker, Mr. Baseball, is gone. But oh, what a song he sang while he was here.

Uecker's playing days, from 1962 to 1967, were a symphony of comic missteps and improbable triumphs. A .200 career batting average, 14 home runs, and a defense that was better than you'd think for a man whose legend grew not from prowess but from an unparalleled ability to make mediocrity sing. "Anybody with ability can play in the big leagues," Uecker quipped. "But to be able to trick people year in and year out the way I did, I think that was a much greater feat."

Bob Uecker didn’t merely play baseball; he became the game’s court jester, its chief raconteur. He called his time as a backup catcher for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Philadelphia Phillies not in terms of hits and runs but in yarns spun about intentional walks from Sandy Koufax and narrowly avoiding rundowns against the Mets. His career highlight, he'd say with a twinkle, was walking with the bases loaded in an intersquad game to drive in a winning run.

Born in Milwaukee, Uecker’s ascent was anything but typical. Drafted out of high school and signing for a modest $3,000 with his hometown Braves, he worked his way up through the minors, hitting just enough to stay employed but, more importantly, talking his way into the hearts of everyone he met. When his playing career wound down, the Braves recognized a unique voice in Uecker, one that might not describe a game as much as embellish it, wrap it in laughter, and send it soaring into the stands.

And so he became a broadcaster, a comedian, an actor; forever “just a bit outside” the usual confines of a baseball man’s life. In the booth, he found his true calling, painting games with humor and humility, never shying from the fact that he was, as he often joked, “the man who made mediocrity famous.” His partnership with Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show" and his beloved portrayal of Harry Doyle in "Major League" cemented his place not just in baseball lore but in American culture.

Uecker's commentary wasn’t merely entertaining; it was a reminder that baseball, in all its intricate glory, is still a game meant to be enjoyed. He brought levity to the labor, reminding us all that the space between home runs and strikeouts is filled with laughter and humanity.

In 2003, the Hall of Fame honored Uecker with the Ford C. Frick Award, a recognition of his profound influence on the broadcasting world. Ever the comedian, Uecker accepted with the same humor that had brought him there, reflecting on a career that, in many ways, defied the odds.

For those who grew up listening to Uecker, his voice was the sound of summer evenings, a familiar presence in the quiet moments of a game’s ebb and flow. He was the chuckle after a missed play, the wink after a bad call, the warm laugh that followed the crack of the bat. His legacy is not in the numbers or the records but in the joy he spread.

As we say goodbye to Bob Uecker, we remember that he didn't need to be a superstar to be a star. He was a man who lived just outside the lines, who made us laugh when we needed it most, and who, in his own words, was always proud to be in the front row of our hearts.

We can only imagine Bob’s reaction to the news when he finds out at the pearly gates: I never thought I’d be making a change to calling the Angels!
 

strek1

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A guy who had a huge positive impact on the game and on the world in general for a long time. A joy to listen to. RIP Bob.
 

joe dokes

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Jul 18, 2005
33,332
Oh, that HoF speech. The speech was great, of course. It wasn't *that* long ago, but so many of the baseball giants of my youth are gone.
I listened to an inning or two Brewers playoffs on SXM just to catch him. He still had it.
 

JimBoSox9

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Nov 1, 2005
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Ball four....Ball eight....Low, and he walks the bases loaded on 12 straight pitches. How can these guys lay off pitches that close?

The post-game show is brought to you by...Christ, I can't find it. To hell with it.

Hayes is picked off! Personally, I think we got hosed on that call.
Can't believe I left off those two.

For the record, if I was a pro wrestler I'd want to be an announcer-turned-heel and my finishing move would be the Dynamite Drop-In.
 

8slim

has trust issues
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I’m watching Major League in Uek’s honor. My God, the first scene he’s in, calling opening day, is still freakin hysterical.
 

JohntheBaptist

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Jul 13, 2005
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There has always been something really fun and funny to me about the baseball announcer just after the role graduated from its early period pre and post WWII but before it became Sportscentered with snark and references and self-awareness. Think the Simpsons, "...Hall of Famer Whitey Ford on the field now pleading with the crowd for... for some kind of sanity." Just the silliness inherent in the straightforward broadcasting profession, the repeated words and cadences and drone of it. David Letterman seemed plugged into it as an idea too I think. I always thought Don Orsillo was a throwback to it without the self-awareness of it, like he couldn't help be it, and that's what I loved about him.

Anyway. Uecker really got this. He was able to inhabit that guy, but bring out the silliness without any edge or wink, and occupy all those little touchstones that make it such an oddly comforting thing to me, while also making it funny as an object, and communicating his love for what he was covering or performing.

RIP, just such a brilliant character in the story of baseball.
 

CaptainLaddie

dj paul pfieffer
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Sep 6, 2004
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where the darn libs live
There are few who could make the game of baseball more joyous, more human, more vividly absurd than Bob Uecker. His was a career that danced on the edges of greatness, never quite stepping into the light of baseball legend but, in his own words, "tricking people year in and year out" into believing he belonged. And didn't he, though? In a way, few ever have.

Bob Uecker, Mr. Baseball, is gone. But oh, what a song he sang while he was here.

Uecker's playing days, from 1962 to 1967, were a symphony of comic missteps and improbable triumphs. A .200 career batting average, 14 home runs, and a defense that was better than you'd think for a man whose legend grew not from prowess but from an unparalleled ability to make mediocrity sing. "Anybody with ability can play in the big leagues," Uecker quipped. "But to be able to trick people year in and year out the way I did, I think that was a much greater feat."

Bob Uecker didn’t merely play baseball; he became the game’s court jester, its chief raconteur. He called his time as a backup catcher for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Philadelphia Phillies not in terms of hits and runs but in yarns spun about intentional walks from Sandy Koufax and narrowly avoiding rundowns against the Mets. His career highlight, he'd say with a twinkle, was walking with the bases loaded in an intersquad game to drive in a winning run.

Born in Milwaukee, Uecker’s ascent was anything but typical. Drafted out of high school and signing for a modest $3,000 with his hometown Braves, he worked his way up through the minors, hitting just enough to stay employed but, more importantly, talking his way into the hearts of everyone he met. When his playing career wound down, the Braves recognized a unique voice in Uecker, one that might not describe a game as much as embellish it, wrap it in laughter, and send it soaring into the stands.

And so he became a broadcaster, a comedian, an actor; forever “just a bit outside” the usual confines of a baseball man’s life. In the booth, he found his true calling, painting games with humor and humility, never shying from the fact that he was, as he often joked, “the man who made mediocrity famous.” His partnership with Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show" and his beloved portrayal of Harry Doyle in "Major League" cemented his place not just in baseball lore but in American culture.

Uecker's commentary wasn’t merely entertaining; it was a reminder that baseball, in all its intricate glory, is still a game meant to be enjoyed. He brought levity to the labor, reminding us all that the space between home runs and strikeouts is filled with laughter and humanity.

In 2003, the Hall of Fame honored Uecker with the Ford C. Frick Award, a recognition of his profound influence on the broadcasting world. Ever the comedian, Uecker accepted with the same humor that had brought him there, reflecting on a career that, in many ways, defied the odds.

For those who grew up listening to Uecker, his voice was the sound of summer evenings, a familiar presence in the quiet moments of a game’s ebb and flow. He was the chuckle after a missed play, the wink after a bad call, the warm laugh that followed the crack of the bat. His legacy is not in the numbers or the records but in the joy he spread.

As we say goodbye to Bob Uecker, we remember that he didn't need to be a superstar to be a star. He was a man who lived just outside the lines, who made us laugh when we needed it most, and who, in his own words, was always proud to be in the front row of our hearts.

We can only imagine Bob’s reaction to the news when he finds out at the pearly gates: I never thought I’d be making a change to calling the Angels!
Awesome post, BN! Really really enjoyed it. Thank you.
 

JOBU

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Sep 22, 2021
10,003
This one hits kinda hard. Im way too young to have any recollection of Uecker as a player. But as an 80’s and 90’s kid I have fond memories on watching Mr Belvedere. I thought Major League was the best movie ever made as a 12 year old. I still rank it highly. I believe it holds up very well. And for me it’s a top 3 baseball movie… certainly top 5.

“Here’s the pitch… ahhh shit”

Ah shit indeed Harry, ah shit indeed.
 

joe dokes

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Jul 18, 2005
33,332
I did not know that Johnny Carson gave him the "Mr. Baseball" nickname, and that he was a Tonight Show guest more than 100 times. (according to the internet....). Just two, funny, midwestern guys yucking it up.
 

Van Everyman

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Apr 30, 2009
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Norm Macdonald had a couple funny Uecker stories. Maybe not ones that you would tell on the day of his passing, but all in good fun.
I don’t have quite the connection to Uek some here do. But, listening to some of those Norm and Artie stories sure helped me see why someone like Thom Brenneman may have felt sort of comfortable being the way he was in the booth. Guy represented a kind of bygone era.