'Mr. Baseball' Bob Uecker Entertained Everyone, Not Just Baseball Fans

Today we lost a important man. Bob Uecker, a/k/a Mr. Baseball, passed away at 90 years old after battling small cell lung cancer.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said 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. We are grateful for this baseball life like no other, and we will never forget him."

Uecker was best known as a colorful comedian and broadcaster who earned his nickname during one of his numerous appearances on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. He also appeared in 122 episodes of Mr. Belvedere and, of course, starred in the Major League movies as Harry Doyle.

The magic of Major League doesn’t exist without Bob Uecker. His commentary was perfect and no other voice could have filled that role. A legendary commentator whose voice will be missed forever. Rest easy Bob. pic.twitter.com/ECvPcpknL6
— Shooter McGavin (@ShooterMcGavin_) January 16, 2025

Bob Uecker has passed away at 90. Most people knew him as Mr. Baseball but as a kid, I was first introduced to him on Mr. Belvedere where he often made me laugh. pic.twitter.com/PMky57xDbP
— Price of Reason (@priceoreason) January 16, 2025

Uecker signed his first professional contract with the Milwaukee Braves in 1956 and reached the majors in 1962. He played six seasons in the big leagues as a backup catcher and had a .200 average and 14 homers. He also played for Atlanta and Philadelphia, and won a World Series ring with St. Louis in 1964.

He was also known for his humor, such as talking about his age:

Throughout his playing career, the back of Uecker’s baseball card said he was born in 1935. Uecker says he never paid attention, but when he got older and people began to more frequently ask his age, he noticed that most databases had it wrong. When he turned 80 in 2014, Uecker finally set the record straight -- and lamented a missed opportunity.
“If I was going to cheat on my age, I would certainly make it more than one year,” Uecker said. “This just gets me into the Village at Manor Park sooner.” Manor park was a retirement home in Milwaukee.

Most people didn't know he started out as a pitcher. He was trying out for the Milwaukee Braves before they moved to Atlanta, and the pitching coach at the time was a guy named Johnny Cooney. Cooney said:

“I’m on the sidelines throwing down at County Stadium. And like I said, I was a pretty good pitcher and I’m down there humping pretty good. I threw upper 80s, low 90s maybe. I’d been playing sandlot baseball and we won a city championship a couple years in a row with Rohr Jewelers downtown. We were good. So, I’m humping for about 15 minutes. All of a sudden, Cooney says, ‘All right, now let me see your good fastball.’ I said, ‘I have been throwing my good fastball!’ And he says, ‘Well, then I recommend you get a job.’
“Years later, I ran into him when I was a catcher with the Braves and I asked if he remembered me. He looked at me and said no. That’s a true story. It was pretty much a destroyer.”

Uecker was also known for his one-liners, such as how he describes his dad's reaction to his initial contract with the Braves. Before the 1956 season, he signed with the team for $3,000. He said:

“That bothered my dad at the time because he didn’t have that kind of dough... but he eventually scraped it up.”

The honors Bob received over the years are too numerous to list. In 2001, Uecker was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 2011, and to the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2012. He’s in the Brewers’ Walk of Fame and the Wall of Honor. He’s even in the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame after hosting a couple of classic WrestleManias.