The baseball world received some sad news on Thursday morning when it was announced that legendary radio voice Bob Uecker had died. Uecker, who was 90 at the time of his passing, was best known as the radio voice of the Milwaukee Brewers for more than five decades.
After a six-season playing career as a backup catcher that saw him spend 1966 and part of 1967 with the Philadelphia Phillies, Uecker also gained famed in pop culture thanks to his roles in television and movies, including the comedy classic "Major League" trilogy.
Bob Uecker, onetime Phillies catcher and legendary Brewers radio voice, passes away
“While this onetime backup catcher was known for his self-deprecating style, Bob Uecker was one of the game’s most beloved figures throughout his 70-year career in baseball," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement on Thursday, per MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
We are heartbroken to announce that Brewers icon & Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Uecker passed away today at the age of 90 pic.twitter.com/EJRBC8Cjj4
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) January 16, 2025
Uecker began his MLB career with his hometown Brewers for two seasons before spending two years with the St.Louis Cardinals, where he won the World Series in 1964. He finished his career spending part of the 1967 season in Atlanta after the Phillies traded him to the Braves. A career .200 hitter, Uecker hit .202 in 96 games for the Phillies.
Uecker joined the Brewers radio booth in 1971, first doing color commentary but eventually working up to calling games. He was part of the Milwaukee airwaves all the way through to this past season. Despite not working every game in his later years, he called the Brewers' Game 3 NLDS loss to the New York Mets, which turned out to be his final call.
Uecker's decision to get into broadcasting resulted in many accolades over the years. He has been inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, the Radio Hall of Fame, the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame, the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame and the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
'Juuuust a bit outside'
"Dubbed 'Mr. Baseball' by none other than the King of Late Night, Johnny Carson, Uecker didn’t confine his wit, antics and self-deprecating humor to the ballpark or the game broadcast," according to MLB.com's Dan Cichalski.
Playing the role of broadcaster Harry Doyle in the “Major League” movies, Uecker's famous "Juuuust a bit outside" line became the most well-known line in the first installment and possibly the entire series.
In addition to his turn as Harry Doyle, "Ueck" made multiple late-night TV appearances, appeared in popular Miller Lite commercials and in sitcoms, hosted “Saturday Night Live” and WrestleMania, and even appeared in a speedo in Sports Illustrated.
We at That Ball's Outta Here join the Brewers, Phillies and all of the baseball world in mourning the loss of a great baseball man and send our most heartfelt condolences to the Uecker family.