‘Mr. Baseball’ Bob Uecker dies at 90, archishop once said he ‘loved playing the fool’

Bob Uecker, known throughout the United States as “Mr. Baseball” died January 16 at the age of 90.

Ten years ago, the then-Archbishop of Milwaukee Jerome E. Listecki – who retired last year – said Uecker used “self-effacing humor to bring appreciation and joy to those who share a love for the game he so well represents.”

The baseball legend signed with his hometown Milwaukee Braves in 1956, but played his last game after serving as journeyman in 1967.

He earned his nickname not from his playing career – which he often made fun of – but because of his decades serving as a radio announcer for his beloved Milwaukee Brewers. Uecker even became an actor, playing a leading role on the 1985–1990 sitcom Mr. Belvedere, and appearing in the late 1980s and 1990s.

The Milwaukee Brewers announced his passing, calling it “one of the most difficult days” in the team’s history. Uecker’s family said he had battled lung cancer since early 2023.

“Even with his considerable success in Hollywood, Bob remained fiercely loyal to baseball and to Milwaukee,” Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.

“He loved the game and used his platform to help numerous charitable causes in his hometown and beyond. Bob was the genuine item: always the funniest person in any room he was in, and always an outstanding ambassador for our National Pastime. We are grateful for this baseball life like no other, and we will never forget him,” Manfred added.

In 2015, Uecker was awarded the Vince Lombardi Award of Excellence, which is given at a fundraiser for cancer research.

Listecki spoke at the dinner giving the reward, since Lombardi was a devoted member of the Catholic Church.

“When I reached the podium to deliver my remarks, I began by stating that when I arrived, I informed the receptionist that I was a special guest of Mr. Uecker. With that, I was immediately ushered to a seat next to the dishwasher in the kitchen,” the archbishop wrote in a 2015 blog speaking about the event, referring to a famous Uecker joke about being placed in the worst seats in a baseball stadium.

In his address at the dinner, Listecki said Uecker used “self-effacing humor” in his work as a broadcaster “to bring appreciation and joy” to baseball fans.

“I say appreciation, because the 99 percent of us who have played the game of baseball never had the talent to play in the ‘bigs.’ Our accumulated batting averages, fielding percentages or the ERAs never amounted to anything that would draw attention or that one could brag about,” he said.

“Yet, true success came for many of us in the love of the game and the ability to be a part of a team: The smell of the freshly mowed grass in the spring, the crack of the bat or the smack of the leather catcher’s glove receiving a fastball. Bob Uecker leaves no doubt in the mind of every fan of his love for the game. He willingly plays the ‘fool’ so that others may ‘appreciate’ the exceptional talents that professional athletes display on the field,” the archbishop continued.

Uecker always seemed amazed that his fairly mundane baseball career led to such a prominent sportscasting life. He made fun of his years playing the game, but because he had spent time there, he could also make fun of the managers and athletes in his broadcasts, without hurting anyone’s feelings.

“There is a person who is forever young when Bob Uecker announces a ballgame. It is the joy of a person recapturing their youth, who would rather be a part of the action of the baseball game in whatever way possible – be it playing, announcing, cheering or listening – than to do or be anywhere else in the world. This type of joy is contagious. It fills our lives with a spirit that elevates us from the everyday doldrums and makes us a part of something so much bigger,” Listecki sad at the 2015 dinner.

“Bob Uecker took his life and placed it before a game he loved and the game has used him as an ambassador. This brought more attention to baseball; attracting those who may not love the game but love to listen to Bob Uecker,” the archbishop said.

“In a famous commercial that I’m sure all of us remember, Mr. Uecker mistakenly takes a seat in the reserved section of the ball park, but is told by an usher that he’s in the wrong seat. Thinking that a greater place of honor was reserved for him, he picks himself up to follow the usher with the words it must be ‘front row.’ Of course, he ends up in the last row of the upper deck grandstands. Well Bob, I don’t think you have to worry about your seat in the hearts of the fans. Without a doubt, Bob, it is front row,” Listecki added.

In their statement on Thursday, Uecker’s family said he “brought joy to countless listeners through his wit, charisma, and love for baseball, Milwaukee, and all of Wisconsin, creating a legacy that will forever be cherished.”

Follow Charles Collins on X: @CharlesinRome