(Gray News/AP) – Milwaukee Brewers icon and baseball Hall-of-Famer Bob Uecker died Thursday, the MLB organization announced in a post on social media.
He was 90 years old.
In a statement released by the club, Uecker’s family said he had battled small cell lung cancer since early 2023.
“Even in the face of this challenge, his enthusiasm for life was always present, never allowing his spirit to falter,” the family said.
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Uecker signed his first professional contract with the Milwaukee Braves in 1956 and reached the majors in 1962. He’d last six seasons in the big leagues as a backup catcher, finishing with a .200 average and 14 homers.
He won a World Series ring with St. Louis in 1964 and also played for Atlanta and Philadelphia.
Milwaukee Brewers sportscaster Bob Uecker speaks at a news conference before Game 1 of the National League Championship Series baseball game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)(Charlie Riedel | AP)
“Career highlights? I had two,” he often joked. “I got an intentional walk from Sandy Koufax and I got out of a rundown against the Mets.”
He earned the moniker “Mr. Baseball” during one his numerous appearances on Johnny Carson’s late night show.
Initially hired as a scout, Uecker was eventually brought into the broadcast booth and became the voice of the Brewers in 1971.
“There’s no single person in this franchise’s history who has been as iconic and as important as Bob Uecker,” said Jeff Levering, a member of the Brewers’ broadcast team since 2015.
Even as his celebrity status grew nationwide, Uecker savored the opportunity to continue calling games to fans in his hometown.
“To be able to do a game each and every day throughout the summer and talk to people every day at 6:30 for a night game, you become part of people’s families,” Uecker once said. “I know that because I get mail from people that tell me that. That’s part of the reward for being here, just to be recognized by the way you talk, the way you describe a game, whatever.”
The beloved play-by-play announcer’s quick humor made him well-known outside of the baseball world.
FILE – Bob Uecker throws the ceremonial first pitch before a Game 1 of the National League wild-card baseball series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)(Morry Gash | AP)
He became one of the Miller Lite All-Stars in popular commercials for the beer brand and later launched his TV acting career in 1985 on the sitcom, “Mr. Belvedere.”
He was also known as Harry Doyle, the quick-witted broadcaster in the movie “Major League.”
“I’m part of American folklore, I guess,” Uecker told The Associated Press in 2003. “But I’m not a Hollywood guy. Baseball and broadcasting are in my blood.”
ESPN gave credence to Uecker’s Hall of Fame speech, saying it was the best in 2003.
He mixed in jokes as he told his story from birth to becoming a baseball player, then to making a career in the broadcast booth.
“And to all of you baseball fans around America and any place else, for your letters, your thoughts, your kindness, for all of these years, it’s been a great run, but No. 1 has always been baseball for me. No matter what else I ever did, baseball was the only way I ever wanted to go,” ESPN pulled out of Uecker’s speech as the most memorable quote.
FILE – Milwaukee Brewers radio announcer Bob Uecker tips his cap before a baseball game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Miami Marlins,, July 28, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)(AP)
Uecker’s own career provided him most of his material. His former teammates said Uecker would do impressions of other broadcasters on the bus, but Uecker turned the spotlight on himself after his playing career was over.
“I signed with the Milwaukee Braves for $3,000. That bothered my dad at the time because he didn’t have that kind of dough,” he said “But he eventually scraped it up.”
Uecker also presided over the stirring ceremony that closed Milwaukee County Stadium in 2000. When the Brewers’ new stadium opened as Miller Park in 2001, the team began selling “Uecker Seats” high in the upper deck and obstructed for a $1.
The stadium, now known as American Family Field, has two statues in Uecker’s honor. There’s a statue outside the stadium and another one in the back of Section 422, a nod to the Miller Lite commercial in which he famously said “I must be in the front row!” while getting taken to one of the worst seats in the ballpark.
Copyright 2025 Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.