Ninety years, 11 months, and three weeks into his impressive Iron Man streak of not dying, the inevitable happened to Bob Uecker. Death is still batting 1.000. I know Ueck could come up with funnier lines than mine, and that’s another reason why this one hurts a lot. On January 16, 2025, we lost another one of our favorite humans.
Like most of us, I had no clue Uecker had cancer until I read the statement released by his family the day of his passing. In early 2023, he was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer. He chose to keep his fight against the big C-word a private matter. The Uecker family writes, “Even in the face of this challenge, his enthusiasm for life was always present, never allowing his spirit to falter.”
For those of us who have lost a loved one to cancer, a family member or friend who cheered for the Brewers and admired Bob Uecker, this comes as yet another reason why this one hurts a lot. When Milwaukee Record gave me the OK to do this tribute, I said I expected the writing to come easily. And now I find myself fighting back tears.
In a best case-scenario, I can imagine Ueck playing Cloud Golf in the heavens with my dad (or your departed loved one) and trading tales about little league, Wisconsin blizzards, summer cookouts, their favorite beers and worst hangovers… What are the odds? I’m an optimist, so I’ll say one in five to go along with Uecker’s career average of .200.
Anyway, if you’re reading this, you could probably use a laugh as a distraction from the profound sorrow of life and death. (Again, Uecker could’ve delivered a funnier line, but we all need to manage our expectations without him.) No one on our staff is quite as funny as Ueck was, but we are sorta capable of paraphrasing the man.
With that in mind, here are some random memories parsed from our decades of experience listening to Ueck narrate baseball games on the mic. These are the rare gems one won’t find on YouTube or ESPN. These are the deep cuts, the personal favorites. The odd but amazing subjective stuff. These moments have nothing to do with his call of Robin Yount’s 3,000th hit, Carlos Gomez scoring the winning run in the 2011 NLDS, nor his line in ’82: “Milwaukee, you have a World Series!” We’re not gonna reminisce about Major League and drop a hundred Harry Doyle quotes.
Hell, Uecker gave us the most iconic home run call ever in a game that’s been around since the 18- freaking-hundreds. Plus, at a WrestleMania, he got “choked” by Andre the Giant. It was an amusing choke, as far as chokes go. But we’re not here to delve into any of those famous things. Because there’s a lot more to celebrate.
Which is an interesting point: Maybe the most insane aspect of this man’s life is that those legendary moments add up to way less than one percent of what made Bob Uecker special and brilliant.
I am no longer fighting back tears; I’m smiling. Ueck is at peace and signaling love in the memories of millions. He inspired us to go on trying to lead a long life well-lived, because he fucking did it. Not bad for a .200 hitter. I am so grateful for Ueck.
This is the memory picked to bat leadoff:
1. It was the Summer of COVID, and everything was weird, at best, including baseball. In a shortened 2020 season we were glad to salvage, which ultimately ranged from “meh” to “oof” for everyone but Dodgers fans, Ueck dropped a banger that went under the radar.
The Brewers were trailing by several runs with a few innings to go. It was one of those games that limped on to the somber defeat. It was in front of an empty crowd. A quiet malaise crept into the broadcast. It seemed as if even the greatest talker in the game had nothing to say.
Then suddenly, he had me howling with laughter.
“Now for the official attendance number of tonight’s game… Zero.”
2. In 2011, Ueck was bewildered by Nyjer Morgan taking the alias Tony Plush. The nickname had been an established gimmick for a few months during a division-leading season, so it sorta came outta nowhere to bring it up. With an inquiring mind, he addressed his partner in the booth.
“Hey, what’s the deal with this Tony Plush thing?”
Cory Provus chuckled. He explained as best he could. He said that Morgan was eccentric, but very likable. He just thought it would be fun to come up with an alter ego, almost like a superhero. And hey, the name change has done wonders for his play on the field. So you’ve got to stick with what works, and why not sell a few Tony Plush jerseys while you’re at it?
Ueck went along with it, but the tone of his voice led me to believe that the Tony Plush thing remained a head-scratcher. Wisely, Provus asked a follow-up question.
“When you were a ballplayer, did you ever rename yourself?”
I kid you not, Uecker’s reply came in a nanosecond.
“Yup, Bette Davis.”
3. Circa 2015, Ueck had a special guest visit him in the booth. Hall of Famer Robin Yount chatted with him for a few innings. The two reminisced and cracked each other up. I was pleasantly surprised by Rockin’ Robin’s sense of humor.
Uecker was hilarious, of course, but not in a mean-spirited way. He was only an insult comic to himself. Ueck had a humility and warmth in his comedic spirit. He was someone who made those around him funnier by proxy. And he loved to take a jab of humor on the chin.
As the duo went over their shared history, Ueck asked a harmless question.
“How long have we known each other?”
The Kid crushed a rocket up the middle that whizzed past Uecker’s ear.
“Too long.”
It was a terse, perfect delivery by Yount. This time, it was Ueck howling at someone else’s joke. The comebacker got him, and he was all for it.
“That’s good, that’s good,” he chuckled.
Uecker was thrilled for his friend. There was so much pride in his voice.
4. This gem isn’t funny, sadly, but it’s also not sad, happily, and it says something about Uecker as an institution in the Badger State.
I was painting my neighbor’s porch during the summer of 2003. I was a broke college student in need of a quick buck. In the heat of July with the sun beating down on me, Uecker on the radio was a great comfort. His voice always made hard work more appealing.
The 2003 Brewers were awful. I’m pretty sure they lost the game in question. They finished 68-94, so defeat was a safe bet. They were trailing in the middle innings when Ueck opted to cheer up Crew fans by talking about the future.
Years of finishing with bad records had given Milwaukee a number of top picks in the draft. The Crew was starting to amass a group of promising prospects. Ueck gave updates from the farm system. He was excited about the young talent on the brink of coming up to the Show.
“I think this Rickie Weeks kid is going to be a fine second baseman. He can hit, he can run, he’s got pop in his bat. We might see him in September.”
The Crew surrendered a few more runs. Or Geoff Jenkins struck out again. It didn’t matter.
“And you can’t forget about Prince Fielder. He’s another first-rounder. He’s a big boy, just like his dad, Cecil. Prince hit a moon shot last night for the Beloit Snappers single-A squad.”
He’d report a play on the field. Something like:
“That’ll be an error charged to Royce Clayton. That’s our third error of the day. Anyway, JJ Hardy is another guy to keep in mind. He’s got tremendous range at shortstop. He can swing the bat, too. I’m tellin’ ya, the future looks bright for these Brewers.”
He was right. A few years passed and those players came up to form the nucleus of winning teams that contended for the postseason. They helped to change the culture of the team, and Ueck was ahead of the curve by name-dropping them.
I mention this story for two reasons. First, Uecker’s optimism was inspiring. Win or lose, he always made the game fun. A 68-94 record was no reason to get salty. It’s only baseball. It’s a game of failure, so have a laugh.
Secondly, all those young prospects are in their 40s now. They have gray hairs, bald spots and dad bods. They’ve been retired for several years. Bob Uecker called Milwaukee baseball for 54 years. His rookie season in the booth was 1971. The great Willie Mays was still in the league. Pre-Watergate Richard Nixon was the president. The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers was a brand-new record. Cassette tapes were a newfangled thing. Cable TV, the Internet, and video games were non-existent.
From 1971 all the way to the 2024 season, how many players did Uecker watch come and go? The mind reels at his longevity.
Bob Uecker won’t be watching players come and go anymore. Everyone dies, as the news flash goes, but he just seemed so… permanent.
5. “I look forward to next spring.”
He said these words in the post-game wrap-up after the Brewers fell to the Dodgers in game 7 of the 2018 NLCS, one win short of the World Series. For those of us who need hope and positivity to get by, it resonates.
We love you, Bob. Next spring won’t be the same without you.
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