Every Friday, Off The Record looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for bits of news we missed throughout the week.
• One of Milwaukee’s most hallowed traditions isn’t the return of festival season, isn’t the return of Summerfest, and isn’t the return of Joel McNally’s moldy anti-deer hunting column for the Shepherd Express. No, it’s the annual springtime “UECKER IS BACK, BABY” piece from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Yes,” these yearly pieces inform us, “Bob Uecker is returning as the voice of the Milwaukee Brewers for another season. Thank god.” And this year’s piece is a doozie.
So what was the legendary broadcaster, less-than-stellar player, and WWE Hall of Fame inductee up to during the off season? Oh, not much, just WEARING SHORTS AND GETTING BIT BY A DEADLY SPIDER AND CHEATING DEATH. The Journal Sentinel explains:
Last October, only a few weeks after the Brewers were eliminated from the playoff race on the penultimate day of the 2017 season, Uecker was in the backyard of his home in nearby Scottsdale, replacing a burned-out bulb in a light fixture.
“I had a pair of shorts on,” he said. “I got bit by a spider but I didn’t know it. I didn’t feel it bite me. The next day, I had a red mark on my leg, and it kept getting bigger. I kept trying to take care of it by myself but it kept getting worse.”
Uecker’s doctor identified the injury as a brown recluse bite, and quickly sent the Major League star/Mr. Belvedere star/Johnny Carson BFF to the hospital. From there, things got ugly:
The doctor cut away the infected flesh at the site of the bite, which if left untreated often results in necrosis and other painful, dangerous side effects. The surgical site was kept open afterward, which wasn’t a pretty sight. Uecker has photos of it in his cellphone if you want to really get grossed out.
Sadly, the Journal Sentinel doesn’t include those cellphone photos, though it’s heartening to know Uecker is holding on to them, unleashing them on unsuspecting reporters and/or scrolling through them every time he uses his “cough button.” Welcome back, Ueck. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• Field Report’s excellent Summertime Songs is out today. Here’s what you need to know. [Wisconsin Gazette]
• And here’s even more of what you need to know. [City Pages]
• And even more! [88Nine Radio Milwaukee]
• Von Trier is keeping its German theme and staying open (and serving food!), but it’s still auctioning off a bunch of its old stuff. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• OH GOD THE FIRST STREETCAR WILL BE HERE ON MONDAY! AHHHHH! [Urban Milwaukee]
• The Brewers remade The Sandlot. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• Jazz In The Park released its 2018 schedule. [Shepherd Express]
• Giannis Antetokounmpo will be featured on 60 Minutes this coming Sunday. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• The Miller High Life Theatre (formerly the Milwaukee Theatre) has a new booker. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• Tigernite released a new single, “Ray Gun Queen,” and it’s great. [Bandcamp]
• Bright Black released a new single, “Brujeria,” and it, too, is great. [Bandcamp]
• The downtown U.S. Postal Service building won’t be redeveloped any time soon because…the U.S. Postal Service renewed its lease. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Levy Restaurants were named as the official concessionaire of the new Milwaukee Bucks arena. Also: the thing still doesn’t have a name. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Have a great weekend, Milwaukee!