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APRIL 01, 2013
AA.COM/AMERICANWAY
{ LEGEND }
FortheLoveoftheGame
Baseball isawayof life forbroadcast legendand formerMLBplayer
BOBUECKER
.
D
“ .
”
-
endary
TonightShow
hostJohnny
Carson,BobUecker
playedfive
seasons in themajor leaguesbutperhaps is
best known for spending42yearsdoing ra-
dioplay-by-playonmorethan4,000games
forhishometownMilwaukeeBrewers.(He’s
alsowell known to sports fans around the
world forplayingadrunkensportscaster in
theMajorLeaguefilm franchise—seepage
17 formoreon
MajorLeague
—and foryuk-
king itup ina seriesofMillerLitecommer-
cialsinthe1980s.)Forhisaccomplishments,
78-year-oldUeckerhasbeenhonoredwith
a spot in theBaseballHall ofFame, aplace
in theRingofHonor atMillerPark inMil-
waukeeandabronzestatue justoutsidethe
Brewers’ homefield. “Believeme, itwasn’t
formyplaying,”hecracks.
More than fourdecades intohis loveaf-
fairwithbaseball,Uecker isstillenchanted.
“Every season’s ahighlight. Every
game’s
a
highlight,”he says. “Forme, it’s about the
playersand the fansand theways that I’ve
somehowbeenabletobeapartoftheirlives.”
Ongamedays,Ueckerarrivesat theball-
parkat3p.m.Formanyyears,he’d immedi-
atelysuitupinaBrewersuniformandthrow
battingpracticetothestartinglineupbefore
headinguptotheannouncers’booth.From
the press box, where he calls the team’s
games,Ueckersayshesees“mostlyfamiliar
faces”at everyhomegame. “It’s likewatch-
ingbaseballwithmy friends,”hesays. “And
then thereareall thosepeople listeningon
the radio, takingmewith them into their
lives—their livingrooms, theirrestaurants,
their offices. At first pitch, we’re all good
friends.”
Beginninghis43rdseason inMilwaukee,
Ueckershowsnosignsofturningo¤hismic.
“Believeme, I’ll knowwhen it’s time tostop
doingthis,”hesays.“Butthattime isn’tnow.
Istill lovethisgametoomuch.”
AmericanWay
askedthe iconicannounc-
er to recall some of his favoritemoments
fromalmosthalfacentury inthegame.
THESHOTHEARD ’ROUNDTHEWORLD
“When
Bobby Thomson
of the Giants
hit thatwalk-off home run against Ralph
Brancaof theDodgers in ’51, comingback
from a 13.5-gamedeficit only a fewweeks
earlier, that was really something. ‘The
Giantswinthepennant!TheGiantswinthe
pennant!’ I’veheard thatcall [by legendary
GiantsannouncerRussHodges]athousand
times, and it still stirs the soul. The voice
is elevated. The crowd is thundering. It be-
comesamoment that’sbigger thananyone
play, anyonegame, anyonemoment. It be-
comestimeless.Baseballcandothat.”
THEROCKYMOMENT
“This is oneof thosemoments that people
will never forget: back in the ’88WorldSe-
ries,Dodgersvs.A’s.
KirkGibson
,seriously
injured, comingup againstDennisEcker-
sley, bottomof theninth inning, downby
one, battling itoutoversevenpitches tohit
a two-runwalk-o¤homer towin thegame.
Watching that guywho couldbarelywalk
fist-pumphiswayaroundthebases—that’s
whatbaseball isallabout.”
BREWERSCOOKING
“Back in ’87, the Brewers had a really hot
season.
Paul Molitor
had a 39-game hit-
ting streak, andeveryat-batwas just a joy
to call. Thedeeperwe’d get into the game,
ifMolitor hadn’t hit yet, you’re just hold-
ingyourbreath,wondering if he’s going to
pokeoneoutthereandkeepthestreakalive.
You’remakingthosecalls,andbaseballfans
identifyyouwith thecalls,with theplayers,
withthegame.Youbecomeapartofthemo-
ment, likesomehow it’smeandMolitorthat
didsomethingtogether.Truth is, it’salways
about theplayers. I’vegotno job if they’re
notdoingtheirs.”—².³ ´µ¶
milwaukee
