Bob Uecker, the voice of his hometown Milwaukee Brewers who after a short playing career and honors from the Hall of Fame, has died. He was 90.

The team announced Uecker died Thursday morning, calling it 91裸聊视频渙ne of the most difficult days in Milwaukee Brewers history.91裸聊视频� In a statement released by the club, Uecker91裸聊视频檚 family said he had battled small cell lung cancer since early 2023.

91裸聊视频淓ven in the face of this challenge, his enthusiasm for life was always present, never allowing his spirit to falter,91裸聊视频� the family said.

Uecker was best known as who earned his nickname during one of his numerous appearances on Johnny Carson91裸聊视频檚 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 title in 2024, manager Pat Murphy threw an arm around Uecker in the locker room, pulling him in tight as players white-knuckled their corks, ready to shower 91裸聊视频淢r. Baseball91裸聊视频� in Champagne.

91裸聊视频淭here is no one 91裸聊视频� there is no one 91裸聊视频� who epitomizes a champion the way this man does right here,91裸聊视频� Murphy proclaimed as the players chanted 91裸聊视频淯UUUUECK.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淲hat an example for us to be with every single day 91裸聊视频� Bob Uecker.91裸聊视频�

Uecker signed his first professional contract with the Milwaukee Braves in 1956 and reached the majors in 1962. He91裸聊视频檇 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.

91裸聊视频淐areer highlights? I had two,91裸聊视频� he often joked. 91裸聊视频淚 got an intentional walk from Sandy Koufax and I got out of a rundown against the Mets.91裸聊视频�

Uecker also befriended former Brewers owner and MLB commissioner Bud Selig, who initially hired him as a scout. Selig liked to joke about how Uecker91裸聊视频檚 initial scouting report was stained with mashed potatoes and gravy.

Selig eventually brought Uecker to the broadcast booth. Uecker of the Brewers in 1971, in the second year after the team moved from Seattle.

Uecker remained with the club from that point on and became one of the Brewers91裸聊视频� most indelible figures. Brewers manager Craig Counsell grew up in the Milwaukee area and remembered spending summer days throwing a baseball against the roof and catching it while listening to Uecker91裸聊视频檚 broadcasts.

91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 no single person in this franchise91裸聊视频檚 history who has been as iconic and as important as Bob Uecker,91裸聊视频� said Jeff Levering, a member of the Brewers91裸聊视频� broadcast team since 2015.

Even as his celebrity status grew nationwide, Uecker savored the opportunity to continue calling games to fans in his hometown.

91裸聊视频淭o 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 people91裸聊视频檚 families,91裸聊视频� Uecker once said. 91裸聊视频淚 know that because I get mail from people that tell me that. That91裸聊视频檚 part of the reward for being here, just to be recognized by the way you talk, the way you describe a game, whatever.91裸聊视频�

Uecker was honored by the Hall of Fame with the Ford C. Frick award in 2003 and spent nearly 20 minutes keeping the Cooperstown, New York, crowd of about 18,000 in stitches.

91裸聊视频淚 still 91裸聊视频� and this is not sour grapes by any means 91裸聊视频� still think I should have gone in as a player,91裸聊视频� he quipped.

91裸聊视频淯eck91裸聊视频� got his big break off the field after opening for Don Rickles at Al Hirt91裸聊视频檚 nightclub in Atlanta in 1969. That performance caught Hirt91裸聊视频檚 attention, and the musician set him up to appear on 91裸聊视频淭he Tonight Show91裸聊视频� with Johnny Carson. He became one of Carson91裸聊视频檚 favorite guests, making more than 100 appearances.

Carson was the one who dubbed Uecker 91裸聊视频淢r. Baseball.91裸聊视频� And the name stuck.

But Uecker91裸聊视频檚 comedy was just a part of his abilities. His warm storytelling and delivery made Uecker a natural to become one of the first color commentators on network TV broadcasts in the 1970s with ABC. In the 91裸聊视频�90s, he teamed up with Bob Costas and Joe Morgan for the World Series.

From there, Uecker reached most households as one of the Miller Lite All-Stars in popular commercials for the beer brand based out of Milwaukee and Uecker later launched his TV acting career in 1985 on the ABC sitcom, 91裸聊视频淢r. Belvedere.91裸聊视频�

Uecker played George Owens during the successful 122-episode run of the series that lasted six years, as the head of the family and sports writer in a home that brings in a butler who struggles to adapt to an American household.

In a bit of casting that kept things pretty close to home, Uecker also played a prominent role in the movies Major League (1989) and Major League II (1994) as crass announcer Harry Doyle for a down-and-out Cleveland Indians franchise that finds a way to become playoff contenders.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 part of American folklore, I guess,91裸聊视频� Uecker told The Associated Press in 2003. 91裸聊视频淏ut I91裸聊视频檓 not a Hollywood guy. Baseball and broadcasting are in my blood.91裸聊视频�

His wry description of a badly wayward pitch 91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淛uuuust a bit outside!91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� in the movie is still often-repeated by announcers and fans at ballparks all over.

Uecker91裸聊视频檚 acting left some to believe he was more about being funny than a serious baseball announcer, but his tenure and observations with the Brewers were spot on, especially when games were tight. Equally enjoyable were games that weren91裸聊视频檛, when Uecker would tell stories about other major leaguers, his own career and his hobbies as an avid fisherman and golfer.

91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 think anyone wants to hear somebody screwing around when you got a good game going,91裸聊视频� Uecker said. 91裸聊视频淚 think people see 91裸聊视频楳ajor League91裸聊视频� and they think Harry Doyle and figure that91裸聊视频檚 what Bob Uecker does. I do that sometimes, I do. But when we91裸聊视频檝e got a good game going, I don91裸聊视频檛 mess around.91裸聊视频�

In his later years, he took a serious approach to his health, swimming daily leading up to heart surgery in April 2010. Very soon after the procedures, doctors said Uecker returned to walking several miles and was ahead in recovery.

Uecker pushed to return to the booth and began calling games again in July, saying he bribed the doctors by allowing them to throw out the first pitch.

91裸聊视频淵ou talk about all the things Bob has done, he never wanted to leave Milwaukee,91裸聊视频� Selig said. 91裸聊视频淎bove all, he made himself into a great play-by-play announcer. That91裸聊视频檚 what he did. He91裸聊视频檚 everything to this franchise and loves every minute of it.91裸聊视频�

Uecker91裸聊视频檚 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.

91裸聊视频淚 signed with the Milwaukee Braves for $3,000. That bothered my dad at the time because he didn91裸聊视频檛 have that kind of dough,91裸聊视频� he said 91裸聊视频淏ut he eventually scraped it up.91裸聊视频�

Another classic: 91裸聊视频淲hen I came up to bat with three men on and two outs in the ninth, I looked in the other team91裸聊视频檚 dugout and they were already in street clothes.91裸聊视频�

Uecker also presided over the stirring ceremony that closed Milwaukee County Stadium in 2000. When the Brewers91裸聊视频� new stadium opened as Miller Park in 2001, the team began selling 91裸聊视频淯ecker Seats91裸聊视频� high in the upper deck and obstructed for a $1.

The stadium, now known as American Family Field, has two statues in Uecker91裸聊视频檚 honor. There91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频淚 must be in the front row!91裸聊视频� while getting taken to one of the worst seats in the ballpark.

After the Brewers were eliminated from the playoffs in 2024, Uecker91裸聊视频檚 last season, 91裸聊视频淢r. Baseball91裸聊视频� made sure to and offer support to players in a way only he could.

91裸聊视频淭hat was kind of tough. All the other stuff, it is what it is. 91裸聊视频� Talking to Ukie, one on one, was tough,91裸聊视频� outfielder Christian Yelich said at the time. 91裸聊视频淗e means a lot. He means a lot. I91裸聊视频檝e gotten to know him pretty good over the last seven years. 91裸聊视频� He91裸聊视频檚 right over there. Just a great guy, a great guy.91裸聊视频�