MILWAUKEE -- Bob Uecker, the voice of his hometown Milwaukee Brewers who earned the nickname "Mr. Baseball" and Hall of Fame honors after a brief career, has died. He is 90 years old.

The team announced Uecker's death Thursday morning, calling it "one of the most difficult days in Milwaukee Brewers history." In a statement released by the club, Uecker's family said he had been battling small cell lung cancer since early 2023.

"Even in the face of such challenges, his zest for life remained and never let his spirit waver," the family said.

Uecker is best known as a colorful comedian and broadcaster who earned his nickname through numerous appearances on Johnny Carson's late-night show.

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Uecker was a beloved member of the baseball community and a pillar of the sport in Wisconsin.

When the Brewers clinched the NL Central title in 2024, manager Pat Murphy put his arm around Uecker in the locker room and held him close while players nervously Twist the cork and get ready to pour champagne on Mr. Baseball.

“No one — no one — can represent a championship like this man does,” Murphy declared, as players chanted “UUUUUECK.”

“Bob Uecker is a role model that we all learn from every day.”

Played six seasons in the major leagues

Uecker signed his first professional contract with the Milwaukee Braves in 1956 and entered the major leagues in 1962. He spent six seasons in the majors as a backup catcher, finishing with a .200 average and 14 home runs.

He won a World Series ring with St. Louis in 1964 and also pitched for Atlanta and Philadelphia.

"Career highlights? I have two," he often joked. “I got an intentional walk from Sandy Koufax and I got out of the jam against the Mets.”

Uecker also became friends with former Brewers owner and MLB commissioner Bud Selig, who initially hired him as a scout. Selig likes to joke about how Uecker’s initial scouting report was covered in mashed potatoes and gravy.

Selig eventually brought Uecker into the broadcast room. Uecker became the face of the Brewers in 1971, the year after the franchise moved from Seattle.

Uecker has remained with the club ever since and has become one of the Brewers' most indelible figures. Brewers manager Craig Counsell, who grew up in the Milwaukee area, remembers throwing a baseball onto the roof during the summer and catching it while listening to Uecker's broadcast.

"No one in the history of this franchise is as iconic and important as Bob Uecker," said Jeff Lay, a member of the Brewers' broadcast staff since 2015 Jeff Levering said.

Even as his celebrity status continues to grow across the country, Uecker relishes the opportunity to continue hosting games for his hometown fans.

"Being able to do a game every day all summer long 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 this because I get emails from people telling me this. That's part of the reward of being here, just to be recognized by the way you talk, the way you describe the game and stuff like that."

In 2003, Uecker was awarded the Ford C. Frick Award from the Hall of Fame and thrilled a crowd of approximately 18,000 in Cooperstown, New York, for nearly 20 minutes.

"I still - and this is not sour grapes by any means - still think I should come in as a player," he quipped.

Johnny Carson's Fun Favorites

In 1969, "Ueck" achieved great success after opening for Don Rickles at Alhert's nightclub in Atlanta. That performance caught Hurt's attention, and the musician arranged for him to appear on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson. He became one of Carson's favorite guests, appearing more than 100 times.

Carson called Uecker "Mr. Baseball." The name stuck.

But Uecker's comedy is only part of his abilities. Uecker's passionate storytelling and delivery made him a natural for becoming one of the first color commentators on ABC's network television broadcasts in the 1970s. In the 1990s, he played in the World Series with Bob Costas and Joe Morgan.

Since then, Uecker has made his way into most homes as one of the Miller Lite All-Stars in hit commercials for the Milwaukee beer brand. Uecker then began his television acting career in 1985 on the ABC sitcom "Mr. Belvedere." .

Uecker starred in the successful six-year, 122-episode series as George Owens, the patriarch and sportswriter of a family that brings in a difficult-to-adjust character. The steward of the American family.

"I'm not from Hollywood"

In some casting terms, Uecker also played important roles in the films Major League (1989) and Major League II (1994), playing a leading role for a team The down-and-out Cleveland Indians team plays gruff announcer Harry Doyle. Find a way to be a playoff contender.

"I guess I'm part of American folklore," Uecker told The Associated Press in 2003. "But I'm not a Hollywood guy. Baseball and broadcasting are in my blood."

His sarcastic description of an extremely wayward pitch -- "Juuuust a little outside!" -- is a line from the movie that's still often repeated by on-field announcers and fans.

Uecker's performance led some to believe he was more of a comedic player than a serious baseball announcer, but his tenure with the Brewers and his observations were accurate, especially in tight games. Equally interesting were the less interesting games, where Uecker would tell stories about other major leaguers, his own career and his hobbies as an avid fisherman and golfer.

“I think when you have a good game, no one wants to hear that somebody’s messing around,” Uecker said. "I think people see 'Major League' and think of Harry Doyle and think that's what Bob Uecker did. I do that sometimes, I do. But when When we have a good game, I don’t mess around.”

In his later years, he took his health seriously, swimming every day until undergoing heart surgery in April 2010. Shortly after the surgery, doctors said Yukel was back to walking several miles and was recovering well.

Uecker pushed for him to return to the stands and start officiating games again in July, saying he bribed doctors to allow them to throw out the first pitch.

"You talk about all the things Bob did, he never wanted to leave Milwaukee," Selig said. "More than anything, he's established himself as a great play-by-play announcer. That's what he does. He's everything about this team and loves every minute of it."

Uecker's own career provided much of his material. His former teammates said Uecker would make an impression on other broadcasters on the bus, but after his career ended, Ueke turned the spotlight on himself.

"I signed with the Milwaukee Braves for $3,000. It bothered my dad at the time because he didn't have that kind of money," he said, "but he ended up saving it."

Another classic: "When I was batting with three on and two out in the ninth inning, I looked over in the other team's dugout and they were already in street clothes."

"I have to sit in the front row!"

Uecker also presided over the emotional closing ceremony of Milwaukee County Stadium in 2000. In 2001, when the Brewers' new stadium opened as Miller Park, the team began selling "Uecker seats" high in the upper deck for $1.

The stadium, now known as American Family Stadium, features two statues honoring Uecker. There is a statue outside the stadium and another behind Section 422, a nod to the Miller Lite commercial where he said "I have to sit in the front row!" while being shown one of the worst seats in the stadium. .

When the Brewers are eliminated from the playoffs in 2024, Uecker's final season, "Mr. Baseball" will be sure to come to the locker room and support the players in the way only he can.

"It's been a little tough. Everything else, that's what it is ... talking one-on-one with Ukie, it's tough," outfielder Christian Yelich said at the time. "He means a lot. He means a lot. I've gotten to know him pretty well over the last seven years...He's just there. He's a great guy, a great guy."