Bob Uecker, the beloved baseball announcer and actor who turned a modest career into a decades-long career behind the microphone and in front of the camera, died Thursday, officials said.
The man known as "Ueck" and "Mr. Baseball" was 90 years old.
"Today we bear the heaviest of burdens. Today we say goodbye to our beloved friend Bob Uecker," Milwaukee Brewers, His employer since 1971, Announce. "Uecker was the light of the Brewers organization, the soundtrack of our summers and the laughter in our hearts, and his passing is a huge loss."
He was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer in early 2023, his loved ones said.
"Even in the face of this challenge, his zest for life remained and never let his spirit falter," his family said in a statement.
Uecker is a regular behind the microphone in Milwaukee He has been playing a reduced 162-game full-time schedule for more than 50 years.
"Despite Bob's considerable success in Hollywood, he remained deeply loyal to baseball and Milwaukee," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "He loved the game, and uses his platform to help numerous charities in his hometown and beyond.
Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich posted a video of himself and Uecker celebrating Milwaukee's 2021 National League Central title win.
"I remember you saying that no matter how much time you have, you still feel like it's not enough, and that certainly seems to be the case today," Yelich wrote Thursday.
"You will always thank me for my friendship, but the truth is, the happiness is all mine. I will miss you, my friend."
In addition to his half-century in the baseball press box, Uecker also made a mark in the comedy field with memorable roles in the 1989 film "Major League Baseball" and later the sitcom "Mr. Belvedere." left a deep mark.
From 1985 to 1990, Uecker played sportswriter George Owens on ABC's six-season sitcom, about a suburban Pittsburgh family of five and their British housekeeper trying to make sense of America's absurdities.
Uecker appeared in all three movies of the "Major League" series, stealing scenes from Cleveland broadcaster Harry Doyle. In the first movie, Charlie Sheen's "Wild Thing" Ricky Vaughn wildly throws a ball over home plate, shouting with a deadpan expression — "Out there a little bit" — that remains to this day. is a favorite joke among baseball fans.
In 1984, Uecker's sarcastic, self-effacing wisdom was on full display in the famous Miller Lite beer commercial as he sat downstairs at the ballpark.
When the usher told him: "Man, you're in the wrong seat, come on," Uecker famously replied, "I'll be in the front row" - and then he walked to the far end of the upper deck. place.
Uecker's other ventures in television, entertainment and pop culture include:
Uecker met Carson through their mutual friends, comedian Don Rickles and jazz musician Al Hurt. After his first appearance on "The Tonight Show," Uecker recalled Carson's doubts about his baseball credentials.
"As we were saying goodnight, I heard Johnny ask Ed McMahon, 'Does this guy really play baseball?'" he said on "The Dan Patrick Show" in 2018.
Uecker's desire to pursue a screen life came from his baseball days, when the average actor had to work 12 months a year because front-line wages weren't enough to pay all the bills.
"You have to have it because there's not enough money unless you're one of the big guys," Uecker told Patrick.
Uecker's greatest accomplishment was in the baseball press box, where he was one of the most popular game broadcasters.
In 2003, he was awarded the Ford C. Frick Award, the sport's highest broadcasting honor.
During his Baseball Hall of Fame acceptance speech, Uecker was so keen to poke fun at his MLB career that the speech devolved into non-stop laughter.
In six seasons in the major leagues, Uecker hit .200 with 14 home runs in 297 games.
The modern baseball metric Wins Percentage (WAR) measures how many wins a player brings to his team, rather than how many wins a minor leaguer has at his position. Uecker's lifetime WAR is minus-1.
"I would sit there and (Philadelphia Phillies manager Gene Mauch would) say, 'Get a bat and stop this rally,'" Uecker said to the laughing crowd. "(He) sent me out there without a bat and told me to try to take a walk. (I) looked down at the third base coach looking for signs to have his back to you."
What Uecker lacked in talent on the field, he made up for with clubhouse humor, making him a well-liked player among his teammates and a constant morale booster.
During his time as a catcher in the major leagues, Uecker was a member of the 1964 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.
"He was a lot of fun from Day 1. I mean a lot of fun," Uecker's 1964 teammate Tim McCarver once said. "To say Bob Uecker is priceless would be an understatement."
Uecker and his teammates understand the value of laughter, even if his own children don’t yet.
"It's a good thing to make people laugh," Uecker once said. "I get questions from kids all the time, 'Why do you do that? Why do you talk about yourself like that?' I say because it's funny and makes people laugh."