When most Americans hear the name Bob Uecker, their minds typically drift to the quotes from the movies Major League and Major League 2.
They hear phrases like, “Just a bit outside,” or, “If that’s not Shaquille O’Neal in left, that baby’s out of here,” still grace the lips of many fans of the flicks.
No doubt, Uecker’s use of humor and appeal made him an undeniable piece of sports Americana. With his passing in January, a vibrant piece of the rich tapestry of sports is now gone to the realm of — I remember when.
Dubbed Mr. Baseball by Johnny Carson, Uecker appeared on The Tonight Show over 100 times.
However, despite his self-deprecating humor and memorable hijinks in the many commercials he was cast in, Uecker’s true passion was in the broadcast booth, bringing Milwaukee Brewer baseball to life for those listening.
Beginning in 1971 and continuing for the next 54 years, Uecker was the voice of Brewer baseball.
One amazing fact about his tenure is that throughout his career on-air he called over 236,000 baseball games or just over 2 percent of every Major League Baseball game in its history.
Growing up, we never had satellite or cable television. Additionally, the teams I rooted for were typically not featured in nationally televised games.
A long, long time ago, in a land not far away and before the invention of the internet and Twitter, the only way for a fan like me to cheer on my team was to be at the game in person or listen to the radio broadcaster.
You do not sit in the broadcast chair long if you are unable to describe and paint a verbal picture in the listener’s mind.
In Missouri, we’ve been spoiled. Royals fans had Fred White and Denny Matthews. Cardinal fans were blessed with Jack Buck, Harry Carey and Mike Shannon and many others.
The Missouri Tigers have had Mike Kelly as their play-by-play caller since 1994, and Chiefs fans have listened to Kevin Harlan and Mitch Holtus. These men’s ability to paint a picture using their words made a mark on my life and carved out a special memory. I found myself listening to the games in part because I was a fan, and but also in part because I wanted to hear them broadcast.
Even Monett fans are spoiled by the quality of broadcasters they have in Mike McClure, Don West and Dave Beckett. That trio of men have broadcast thousands of games in their careers and have multiple Hall of Fame inductions.
Rarely does a broadcaster keep a job for multiple decades without being skilled in developing relationships and trust with their listeners, and I do believe that listeners form a relationship with a broadcaster.
You learn their catch phrases, retell their stories, and live and die with your team through their words. This bond is one that the older generation can identify with, while the younger generations, spoiled by the availability of every game being shown on television, would likely struggle to fully understand.
No doubt Uecker is among the greats.
In 2003, he won The Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame to a broadcaster for “major contributions to baseball.”
The world of baseball broadcasting lost a major contributor in Uecker. Still, our lives as fans and listeners were forever enriched by the time we were allowed to be entertained and educated during his tenure.
We should cherish these individuals who have the skill to paint verbal pictures.
Uecker once told The Sporting News, “I knew when my career was over. In 1965, my baseball card came out without a picture.”
Goodbye, Mr. Baseball and thanks for the memories.
Jared Lankford is the sports reporter for Monett Monthly and has 15 years of experience covering Monett-area athletics. He may be reached at monettsports@gmail.com
