Robert George Uecker ((IPA pronunciation: [ˈjuː kɹ], a homophone of the card game "Euchre") (born January 26, 1935 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American former Major League Baseball player, later an award-winning sportscaster, comedian and actor. Uecker jokingly identifies himself by the title of "Mr. Baseball". The position of the catcher Catcher is also a general term for a fielder who catches the ball in cricket. ... is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) East Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 21, 35, 41, 42, 44 Name Atlanta Braves (1966–present) Milwaukee Braves (1953-1965) Boston Braves (1941-1952) Boston Bees (1936-1940) Boston Braves (1912-1935) Boston Rustlers (1911) Boston Doves (1907-1910) Boston... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) East Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 21, 35, 41, 42, 44 Name Atlanta Braves (1966–present) Milwaukee Braves (1953-1965) Boston Braves (1941-1952) Boston Bees (1936-1940) Boston Braves (1912-1935) Boston Rustlers (1911) Boston Doves (1907-1910) Boston... Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. ... In baseball, a home run is a base hit in which the batter is able to circle all the bases, ending at home plate and scoring a run, with no errors on the play that result in the batter achieving extra bases. ... In baseball statistics, a run batted in (RBI) is given to a batter for each run scored as the result of a batters plate appearance. ... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) East Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 21, 35, 41, 42, 44 Name Atlanta Braves (1966–present) Milwaukee Braves (1953-1965) Boston Braves (1941-1952) Boston Bees (1936-1940) Boston Braves (1912-1935) Boston Rustlers (1911) Boston Doves (1907-1910) Boston... Major league affiliations National League (1892–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 42, 42, 45, 85 Name St. ... Major league affiliations National League (1883–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 14, 20, 32, 36, 42 Name Philadelphia Phillies (1884–present) Philadelphia Quakers (1883-1889) (Also referred to as Blue Jays 1943-1945 despite formal name remaining Phillies) Other nicknames The Phils, The Phightin Phils... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) East Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 21, 35, 41, 42, 44 Name Atlanta Braves (1966–present) Milwaukee Braves (1953-1965) Boston Braves (1941-1952) Boston Bees (1936-1940) Boston Braves (1912-1935) Boston Rustlers (1911) Boston Doves (1907-1910) Boston... Articles with similar titles include the NATO phonetic alphabet, which has also informally been called the “International Phonetic Alphabet”. For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words, see IPA chart for English. ... Look up Homophone in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... Nickname: Location of Milwaukee in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Coordinates: , County Milwaukee Government  - Mayor Tom Barrett (D) Area  - City  97 sq mi (251. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... American Sportscasters A sportscaster, sports announcer, or sports commentator is a type of journalist on radio or television who specializes in reporting or commenting on sports events. ... A comedian, or comic, is an entertainer who amuses an audience by making them laugh. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ...

Playing career

1964 Topps baseball card #543

Though he sometimes joked he was born on an oleo run to Illinois, Uecker was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He grew up watching the minor-league Milwaukee Brewers at Borchert Field. He signed a professional contract with his hometown Milwaukee Braves in 1956 and made his major league debut as a catcher with the club in 1962. He was a mediocre hitter who finished with a career batting average of precisely .200 (actually .1997 to be more exact, just below the Mendoza Line). Uecker also played for the St. Louis Cardinals (and was a member of the 1964 World Champion club) and Philadelphia Phillies before returning to the Braves, who had by then moved to Atlanta. His 6-year major league career concluded in 1967. It should be noted, however, that even though he was a mediocre hitter, he was a very sound defensive player and committed very few errors in his Major League career as a catcher. His career fielding percentage was .981. Image File history File links Bob_uecker_64topps-543. ... Image File history File links Bob_uecker_64topps-543. ... The Topps Company, Inc. ... Margarine in a tub Margarine (pronunciation: ), as a generic term, can indicate any of a wide range of butter-substitutes. ... Nickname: Location of Milwaukee in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Coordinates: , County Milwaukee Government  - Mayor Tom Barrett (D) Area  - City  97 sq mi (251. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area  Ranked 23rd  - Total 65,498 sq mi (169,790 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 310 miles (500 km)  - % water 17  - Latitude 42°30N to 47°3N  - Longitude 86°49W to 92°54W Population  Ranked... The Milwaukee Brewers were a Minor League Baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ... Borchert Field was the home of the minor league version of the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association and other leagues off-and-on from 1887 through 1952. ... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) East Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 21, 35, 41, 42, 44 Name Atlanta Braves (1966–present) Milwaukee Braves (1953-1965) Boston Braves (1941-1952) Boston Bees (1936-1940) Boston Braves (1912-1935) Boston Rustlers (1911) Boston Doves (1907-1910) Boston... The position of the catcher Catcher is also a general term for a fielder who catches the ball in cricket. ... Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. ... For other uses, see The Mendoza Line (band). ... Major league affiliations National League (1892–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 42, 42, 45, 85 Name St. ... Major league affiliations National League (1883–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 14, 20, 32, 36, 42 Name Philadelphia Phillies (1884–present) Philadelphia Quakers (1883-1889) (Also referred to as Blue Jays 1943-1945 despite formal name remaining Phillies) Other nicknames The Phils, The Phightin Phils... Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in professional baseball in North America. ... The position of the catcher Catcher is also a general term for a fielder who catches the ball in cricket. ... In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player handles a batted ball properly. ...

Broadcasting career

After retiring as a player, Uecker returned to Milwaukee. In 1970, he began calling play-by-play for the Milwaukee Brewers radio broadcasts, a position he holds to this day. Despite his reputation as a comedian, he is known for being all-business in the booth. He also served as one of the first color commentators on network television broadcasts in the 1970s (for ABC's Monday Night Baseball) and 1990s (for NBC as he teamed with Bob Costas, Joe Morgan, and Troy Henkel for telecasts). During that time, he was a commentator for League Championship Series and the World Series. Play-by-play, in broadcasting, is a North American term and means the reporting of a sporting event with a voiceover describing the details of the action of the game in progress. ... Major league affiliations National League (1998–present) Central Division (1998–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 4, 19, 34, 42, 44 Name Milwaukee Brewers (1970–present) Seattle Pilots (1969) Other nicknames True Blue Brew Crew, The Brew Crew, The Crew, Beermakers Ballpark Miller Park (2001–present) County Stadium (1970–2000) Sick... A color commentator (colour commentator in Canada), sometimes known as a color analyst, is a member of the broadcasting team for a sporting event who assists the play-by-play announcer by filling in any time when play is not in progress. ... Look up ABC in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Abbreviation ABC is an abbreviation with many meanings: The Latin alphabet, of which A, B, and C are the first three letters. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The National Broadcasting Company or NBC is an American television broadcasting company based in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... Robert Quinlan Costas (born March 22, 1952) is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s. ... Joseph Leonard Morgan (born September 19, 1943 in Bonham, Texas) is a former Major League Baseball second baseman, inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990 with 81. ... The League Championship Series is the official name for a round of playoffs in Major League Baseball. ... For other events named World Series, see World Series (disambiguation). ...

Uecker now works as the Milwaukee Brewers' play-by-play announcer, a duty he shares with partner Jim Powell. The duo broadcasts games on the Brewers Radio Network throughout Wisconsin. The flagship is WTMJ 620 Milwaukee.

See also: Major League Baseball on ABC and Major League Baseball on NBC

Major League Baseball on ABCs Wide World of Sports. ... An NBC Sports camera capturing the action at Dodger Stadium. ...

Humor

Known for his humor, particularly about his undistinguished playing career, Uecker actually became much better known after he retired from playing. He made 64 guest appearances on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, and appeared in a number of humorous commercials, most notably for Miller Lite beer, as one of the "Miller Lite All-Stars." For other persons named John Carson, see John Carson (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... From the earliest days of the medium, television has been used as a vehicle for advertising in some countries. ... Miller Lite is the name of a popular pilsner beer sold by Miller Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin with a 4. ...

Uecker published two books, an autobiography entitled Catcher in the Wry (ISBN 0-515-09029-8), and Catch 222 (ISBN 0-399-13744-0). Cover of the first English edition of 1793 of Benjamin Franklins autobiography. ...

Acting career

Uecker also pursued an acting career, and played the part of George Owens during the successful five-year run of the television sitcom Mr. Belvedere in the 1980s. Uecker played a prominent role in the Major League movie franchise as Harry Doyle, the announcer for the team the movie is based on, the Cleveland Indians. A phrase is often quoted from this movie; "Juuuust a bit outside..." on a pitch that is several feet outside the strike zone. That clip began appearing in some DirecTV ads in the spring of 2007. This article or section seems to contain too many examples (or of a poor quality) for an encyclopedia entry. ... Mr. ... Major League is a 1989 movie starring Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen and Corbin Bernsen. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 5, 14, 18, 19, 21, 42, 455 Name Cleveland Indians (1915–present) Cleveland Naps (1905-1914) Cleveland Bronchos (1902-1904) Cleveland Blues (1901) Other nicknames The Tribe Ballpark Jacobs Field (1994–present) Cleveland Stadium... Strike zone boundaries (MLB) Definition In baseball, the strike zone is a conceptual rectangular area over home plate which defines the boundaries through which a pitch must pass in order to count as a strike when the batter does not swing. ... A standard DirecTV satellite dish with 1 LNB on a roof DirecTV (trademarked as DIRECTV) is a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service based in El Segundo, California, USA, that transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America except for Mexico. ...

Sports expertise outside of baseball

His sports expertise extends beyond baseball. He hosted two syndicated television shows, Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports and Bob Uecker's War of the Stars. The former has since become known as The Lighter Side of Sports (albeit with a different host, Mike Golic) and remains one of the longest-running syndicated sports programs in American television history. The Lighter Side of Sports (originally Wacky World of Sports) is a long running syndicated American sports blooper program produced by Steve Rotfeld Productions. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Uecker also appeared in a series of commercials for the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League in the mid-1990s, including one in which he re-designed the team's uniforms to feature a garish plaid reminiscent of the loud sportcoats synonymous with Uecker in the 1970s and 1980s. In February 2006, the Admirals commemorated those commercials with a special event in which the players wore the plaid jerseys during a game. The jerseys were then auctioned off to benefit charity.^[1] The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. ... The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America, that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League (NHL). ...

Wrestling Announcer

In 1987, Uecker appeared as a ringside announcer at WrestleMania III in Pontiac, Michigan, followed by a return in 1988 at WrestleMania IV as both as a ringside announcer and backstage interviewer, one segment saw Andre The Giant choking Uecker. WrestleMania III was the third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event from the World Wrestling Federation. ... Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac. ... WrestleMania IV was the fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event from the World Wrestling Federation. ... André the Giant (May 19, 1946 – January 27, 1993) was a professional wrestler and actor, born André René Roussimoff in Grenoble, France. ...

In the fall of 2006, WWE contacted Uecker to appear at WrestleMania 23 on April 1, 2007 in Detroit, Michigan. It was reported in Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE wanted Uecker to be involved in a sketch of some sort with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ... WrestleMania 23 was the twenty-third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by World Wrestling Entertainment. ... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Nickname: Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (Latin for, We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) Location in Wayne County, Michigan Coordinates: , Country State County Wayne County Founded 1701 Incorporation 1806 Government  - Type Strong Mayor-Council  - Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (D) Area  - City  143. ... David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1961) is the editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (WON), a newsletter for the world of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. ... Dave Herbert Meltzer (born October 24, 1961 in San Jose, California) is the editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, an insider newsletter for the world of professional wrestling. ... Bobby The Brain Heenan Raymond Louis Heenan (born November 1, 1943 in Chicago, Illinois), better known by his stage name of Bobby The Brain Heenan, is an American professional wrestling manager and commentator. ...

Honors

Uecker was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2003, he received the Ford C. Frick Award, bestowed annually by the Baseball Hall of Fame to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball." His humorous and self-deprecating speech was a highlight of the ceremony.^[2] // The National Radio Hall of Fame and Museum, located in the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago, Illinois, is a museum dedicated to recognizing those who have contributed to the development of the radio medium throughout its history in the United States. ... The Ford C. Frick Award is an award bestowed annually by the Baseball Hall of Fame in the United States to a broadcaster for major contributions to baseball. ... The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located at 62 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, is a semi-official museum operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of baseball-related...

In 2005, Uecker's 50th year in major baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers placed a number 50 in his honor in their "Ring of Honor", near the retired numbers of Robin Yount and Paul Molitor. The following are the baseball events of the year 2005 throughout the world. ... Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion. ... Robin Rachel Yount (born September 16, 1955 in Danville, Illinois) is a former Major League Baseball player who spent his entire career with the Milwaukee Brewers (1974-1994). ... Reverse side of a Paul Molitor baseball card Paul Leo Molitor (born August 22, 1956 in St. ...

Popular Culture

• He was the voice of the "head of Bob Uecker" in the Futurama episode "A Leela of Her Own."
  • Uecker: Mulligan drives the ball. It's going, going and caught by the shortstop. Mets lose again. Man, I haven't seen play this bad since the days of Bob Uecker! This is the head of Bob Uecker saying thanks for watching!

The Uecker Seats

• Uecker appeared in a series of popular Miller Lite commercials. In one popular commercial from the 1980s, Uecker was seen preparing to watch a baseball game when an usher informs him he's in the wrong seat. Uecker pompously remarks, "I must be in the front row," which became another of his catchphrases. The punch line was that Uecker's seat was actually in the nosebleed section. Since then, the farthest seats from the action in arenas and stadiums have been called "Uecker seats." There is a section of $1 seating called the "Uecker Seats" at Miller Park, which is an obstructed-view area in the deep upper grandstand above home plate where the stadium's roof pivot comes together (in reference to one of his Miller Lite commercials).

• Uecker portrays Harry Doyle, the broadcaster for the Cleveland Indians, in the movies Major League, Major League II and Major League: Back to the Minors. In the movies, Uecker's character is known for his witticisms and his tendency to get drunk off Jack Daniel's whiskey.

Futurama is an Emmy Award-winning animated American sitcom created by Matt Groening, also the creator of The Simpsons, and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox network. ... A Leela Of Her Own is the sixteenth episode in the third season of the animated series Futurama. ... Major league affiliations National League (1962–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 14, 37, 41, 42 Name New York Mets (1962–present) Other nicknames The Amazin Mets, The Amazins, The Metropolitans Ballpark Shea Stadium (1964–present) Polo Grounds (1962–1963) Major league titles World Series titles... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2816 × 2112 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2816 × 2112 pixel, file size: 1. ... Miller Lite is the name of a popular pilsner beer sold by Miller Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin with a 4. ... A punch line is the final part of a joke, usually the word, sentence or exchange of sentences which is intended to be funny and to provoke laughter from listeners. ... The phrase nosebleed section is applied tongue-in-cheek to those seats of a public arena, usually an athletic stadium or gymnasium, that are highest and, usually, farthest from the desired activity. ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Indian Ocean Territory,[1] the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 2. ... Miller Park is a baseball stadium located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 5, 14, 18, 19, 21, 42, 455 Name Cleveland Indians (1915–present) Cleveland Naps (1905-1914) Cleveland Bronchos (1902-1904) Cleveland Blues (1901) Other nicknames The Tribe Ballpark Jacobs Field (1994–present) Cleveland Stadium... Major League is a 1989 film written and directed by David S. Ward. ... Major League II (1994) is a sequel to the 1989 film Major League. ... Statue of Jack Daniel at the Distillery in November 2004. ...

Other quotes

^[3] (This story also appears, albeit in quotation marks, indicating it was part of his "standup act", in his 1982 autobiography, Catcher in the Wry. However, that same book's appendix lists his career stats and his birthplace as Milwaukee, which agrees with every major publication.) Margarine in a tub Margarine (pronunciation: ), as a generic term, can indicate any of a wide range of butter-substitutes. ... For the Nativity of Jesus, see Nativity of Jesus. ... Butter is commonly sold in sticks (pictured) or blocks, and frequently served with the use of a butter knife. ... This article contains a trivia section. ...

• "How do you catch a knuckleball? Wait until it stops rolling, then pick it up."

• "You know, I was once named Minor League Player of the Year...unfortunately, I had been in the majors for two years at the time.

• I had been playing for a while, and I asked Louisville Slugger to send me a dozen flame treated bats. But when I got it, I realized they had sent me a box of ashes.

• "Get up! Get up! Get outta here! Gone!"

-Uecker's signature call of a Brewers home run Tim Wakefield in his throwing motion, showing his grip of the knuckleball. ... The Louisville Slugger brand is made by Hillerich & Bradsby Hillerich & Bradsby Company is a company located in Louisville, Kentucky that produces the famous Louisville Slugger baseball bat. ...

• "Well, a couple of grand slammers and the Brewers are right back in this one."

-Uecker during the eighth inning of a game the Brewers were losing 8-0

References

1. ^ http://www.milwaukeeadmirals.com/home/news/7-4man-win
2. ^ http://www2.jsonline.com/sports/brew/jul03/158118.asp
3. ^ http://www.baseball-almanac.com/quotes/quouec.shtml

External links

• Baseball Hall of Fame - Frick Award recipient
• Uecker's bio on the Milwaukee Brewers' website
• Text of his Hall of Fame speech
• Bob Uecker Quotes
• Bob Uecker interview on OnMilwaukee.com
• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
• Bob Uecker at the Internet Movie Database