Bob Uecker has died.

The voice of the Milwaukee Brewers, the star of Mr. Belvedere, the highlight of the Major League franchise, the dedicated pitchman of beer, the dry humor king, the go-to Carson guest, the baffled furry fan, the Greatest Of All Time, the [insert millions of other things here] is gone. He was 90.

A press release from the Milwaukee Brewers states that Uecker passed away Thursday morning at his home. A quote from the Uecker family reveals he “faced a private battle with small cell lung cancer since early 2023.”

Here’s the press release:


MILWAUKEE BREWERS MOURN THE LOSS OF BELOVED BOB UECKER
“Mr. Baseball” Passes Away This Morning at 90

MILWAUKEE – Today marks one of the most difficult days in Milwaukee Brewers history as the Club mourns the loss of the beloved Bob Uecker who passed away early this morning at his home at the age of 90.

Statement from The Milwaukee Brewers

“Today, we take on the heaviest of burdens. Today, we say goodbye to our beloved friend, Bob Uecker.

“Ueck was the light of the Brewers, the soundtrack of our summers, the laughter in our hearts, and his passing is a profound loss. He was the heart and soul of Wisconsin and a dear friend. Bob loved people; his presence warmed every room and he had a way of welcoming all of us into his world as if we were lifelong friends.

“Saying goodbye to Bob shakes us all. He was so much more than a Milwaukee Brewers icon. He was a national treasure. Bob entertained us with his words and storytelling, so it is no surprise that his passing now leaves us at a loss for our own words.

“There is no describing the impact Ueck had on so many, and no words for how much he was loved. We are left with a giant void in our hearts, but also remember the laughter and joy he brought to our lives throughout the years.”

Statement from Commissioner Emeritus of Major League Baseball and former Brewers Owner, Allan H. “Bud” Selig

“I am heartbroken with the loss of my dear lifelong friend, Bob Uecker. I can’t begin to describe how much he meant to me, let alone what this loss is for Brewers fans, the state of Wisconsin and countless others worldwide.

“Bob had the easiest way of making others feel at ease, share a laugh and always left people feeling a little better. Nobody was his equal.

“I am so grateful that Bob’s friendship was a constant presence throughout most of my life. For over fifty years, rarely did a day pass where we missed a conversation, a sharing of stories, and countless laughs. That cannot be replaced and is a giant loss, but I am lucky to have experienced that kind of enduring friendship.

“Sue and I are thinking of Judy, Bob’s children Sue Ann and Bob Jr., and all of Bob’s family during what is a difficult time for all of us.”

Statement from the Uecker family

“It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the passing of Bob. To many, he was an announcer and entertainer whose humor and voice transcended the game, but to us he was so much more.

“Bob faced a private battle with small cell lung cancer since early 2023, which he met with the same strength and resilience that defined him. Even in the face of this challenge, his enthusiasm for life was always present, never allowing his spirit to falter.

“He brought joy to countless listeners through his wit, charisma, and love for baseball, Milwaukee, and all of Wisconsin, creating a legacy that will forever be cherished. While his contributions to the game are noteworthy, it is his kindness, humility, and love for family and friends that we will hold closest to our hearts.

“We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support during this difficult time as we grieve and celebrate the man we were so lucky to call ours.”

The Milwaukee Brewers will announce details at a later date for a public celebration of Bob Uecker’s life and unparalleled impact.


And here’s a Milwaukee Day ode to Bob Uecker we wrote in 2016:

A Milwaukee Day ode to Bob Uecker

By Matt Wild

There’s a picture, taken in 1964, of Bob Uecker playing a tuba. It’s moments before the second game of the ’64 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Yankees, and the then-Cardinals catcher is standing near the outfield bleachers of Busch Stadium, literally tooting his own horn. He’s young—all of 30 years old—and the young and old alike in the stands behind him are grinning at his good-natured and low-level hijinks. “They had some Dixieland bands on the field that were playing before the game,” Uecker recalled in 1995, “and while one of them was taking a break, I grabbed one of the tubas and put it on and went out in the outfield and started shagging fly balls with it. I didn’t catch them all. Some made dents in the tuba, but I caught a couple.”

There’s another picture of Bob Uecker, taken almost 44 years later. Uecker isn’t the subject of the picture (or is he?), but there he is in the background, clad only in a swimming suit, impeccably bronzed and impossibly fit, leaning against a cabana at a Florida hotel swimming pool while Corey Hart and J.J. Hardy play ping pong in the foreground. It’s a perfectly ridiculous and meme-worthy image—dat speedo tho—but there’s something almost heartwarming about it, too. Bob Uecker, septuagenarian and silver fox: still kicking it with the boys and letting it all hang out.

There are lots of pictures of Bob Uecker, though it’s hard to find two that are alike. Here’s Bob Uecker playing with the Cardinals. Here’s Bob Uecker playing with the Milwaukee Braves. Here’s Bob Uecker and Merle Harmon calling a Milwaukee Brewers game while shirtless. (Always shirtless, that Uecker.) Here’s Bob Uecker on the set of a Miller Lite commercial. Here’s Bob Uecker getting choked by Andre The Giant. Here’s Bob Uecker yukking it up with Mr. Belvedere. Here’s Bob Uecker as Harry Doyle in Major League, spiking his drink with a splash of whiskey. Here’s Bob Uecker standing next to a bronze statue of Bob Uecker.

Last week, Uecker began his 52nd year as the voice of the Milwaukee Brewers, his 67th overall in baseball. To call him an institution would be wrong—he represents institutions. Yes, he’s the voice of the Brewers—the only Brewers voice many have ever known—but he’s also an unlikely actor, a pitchman, an author, a perennial talk show guest, a perennial talk show anecdote, a one-time SNL host, a WWE Hall of Famer. Tune in to a Brewers radio broadcast right now and you’ll hear Uecker as an impassioned hawker of Usinger’s sausages and Pretzilla pretzel buns. He once talked about furries for 30 minutes.

If you’ve followed this website over the past eight years, you’ve seen plenty of Uecker gracing its digital pages. Personally speaking, my love for Uecker is deep, unequivocal, and without irony. His is the voice of my childhood summers, my teenage drives to the next town over, my current-day afternoons with my daughter. Long before I became a baseball fan, I was a Uecker fan. Against all odds and reason, I was a member of the Mr. Belvedere Fan Club, which, yes, was a real thing and not just a fitfully remembered SNL skit with Tom Hanks. Later, in college, I cut my teeth on web design by creating a Mr. Belvedere site. (I’ll never reveal its location, but it’s still possible to dig it up on the UW-Milwaukee servers.) All of that because of Uecker. Why? I’m honestly not sure. For me, Uecker is a foundation. Uecker is a pillar. Uecker is a fact.

Uecker is also 88 years old. It’s painful to contemplate the mortality of the seemingly immortal, but it’s safe to say he’s winding down. Though still in good health (a 2010 heart surgery and a 2018 spider bite notwithstanding), he’s cut back on games in recent years, electing to sit out most road games and the long travel they entail. Uecker claims he wants to finally get up and get out of here while behind the mic. There’s no reason to believe he’ll settle for anything less.

Today is Milwaukee Day, wherein the good citizens of the Brew City celebrate a happy alignment of calendar date and area code (4/14 = 414). If I’ve learned anything in my 26 years here, it’s that one person’s Milwaukee is bound to be different from another person’s Milwaukee. Uecker is my Milwaukee. He contains all that is good and weird about our good and weird city. His lifelong celebration of his own mediocrity (.200 career batting average, 14 home runs) is self-deprecating and played for laughs, sure, but it strikes me as uniquely Milwaukee. His weird, wonky career filled with beer commercials and Wrestlemania hosting gigs with Vanna White seems uniquely Milwaukee. The fact that he’s stuck with a team that’s seen more bad than good seems uniquely Milwaukee.

So today, if anything, I urge you to find your Uecker. Maybe it’s a band. Maybe it’s a neighborhood. Maybe it’s a building. Maybe it’s the past. Maybe it’s the future. Whatever it is, find it, celebrate it, and share it. This is a city of endless experiences, and, like the pictures of a certain baseball announcer, no two are alike. “I didn’t get a lot of awards as a player,” Uecker once said. “But they did have a Bob Uecker Day Off for me once in Philly.” Let’s make every day your Uecker Day.

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About The Author

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Co-Founder and Editor

Matt Wild weighs between 140 and 145 pounds. He lives on Milwaukee's east side.