Baseball has lost a broadcasting icon.
Legendary Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker has died at 90 years old, the franchise announced Thursday.
“Ueck was the light of the Brewers, the soundtrack of our summers, the laughter in our hearts, and his passing is a profound loss,” the team said in a statement.
“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.”
The statement concluded, “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.”
Uecker played in MLB from 1962–1967 with the Milwaukee Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, and Atlanta Braves.
He was a World Series champion with the Cardinals in 1964.
Nicknamed “Mr. Baseball,” Uecker called Brewers games on the team’s radio affiliate WTMJ from 1971 through this past season, a span of 54 straight years.
He was also a national color commentator for many years, and he was part of the announcing booth alongside Bob Costas and Joe Morgan for three World Series on NBC.
Uecker was known in pop culture for his appearances in Major League, WWE (where he was inducted into the pro wrestling promotion’s Hall of Fame), Miller Lite commercials, and late-night talk shows, particularly The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Uecker hosted Saturday Night Live on Oct. 13, 1984.
Uecker’s deadpan brand of humor cut through for several generations. His Major League quip that a pitch that missed the strike zone by several feet was “just a bit outside” has endured for decades.
He had a self-deprecating humor about his own MLB playing career, joking that his strategy of catching a knuckleball pitcher was to let it pass by him and wait until it stopped.
Even with an age gap of 60 years or more, Uecker maintained a profound connection with the current generation of Brewers players, including Christian Yelich and Jackson Chourio.
Figures across baseball reacted to Uecker’s death Thursday.
“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,” former Brewers owner and MLB commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement.
“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.”
Selig’s successor as commissioner, Rob Manfred, praised Uecker in a statement.
“Bob was the genuine item: always the funniest person in any room he was in, and always an outstanding ambassador for our National Pastime,” Manfred said. “We are grateful for this baseball life like no other, and we will never forget him.”
This is a developing story.
