Milwaukee Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker has died

And he was so much more than just a baseball announcer.

The baseball world has lost a great broadcaster and friend today:

Bob Uecker, a Milwaukee native, had been broadcasting Brewers games for 54 seasons, almost the entire time the Brewers have been a team. He began his playing career for his hometown Braves in 1962 and also played for the Phillies and Cardinals.

But he became so much more than just a baseball broadcaster.

Perhaps the best way to remember Uecker is through some video clips, so let’s have a look at some!

Uecker’s jokes were legendary, even during his playing career, and he became a regular on the Tonight Show in Johnny Carson’s heyday in the 1970s. Here’s one of his first such appearances, from 1971:

Carson somewhat facetiously tagged Uecker as “Mr. Baseball,” but he ran with it and parlayed that into an acting career, starring on the TV sitcom “Mr. Belvedere” and in the “Major League” movies. You can see some of Uecker’s work in “Major League” here:

He also appeared in a series of commercials for Miller Beer. This might be the most famous one:

He was a beloved figure in Milwaukee and by Brewers fans. But he also nodded to Cubs fans when singing the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field in 2015:

He sang, appropriately, “I’ll root, root, root for the Brewers, you do the same for the Cubs.” A perfect way to express his loyalty while acknowledging the fanbase he was singing for.

Here’s the speech Uecker made when he received the Frick Award at the Hall of Fame in 2003:

There are so many more such clips, you can certainly find them around YouTube, and Uecker’s well worth listening to, not just for his humor, but for his great play calling. Here’s his call of Dale Sveum’s walkoff home run for the Brewers’ 12th straight win to open the 1987 season:

The baseball world has lost a great today. Bob Uecker was one of a kind. Pat Hughes, the Cubs radio play by play voice, worked with Uecker for 12 years in Milwaukee. My sincere condolences to Uecker’s family, friends and the entire Milwaukee Brewers baseball community.