A steady stream of mourners made their way to American Family Field throughout the day on Thursday to pay their respects to beloved Milwaukee Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker, who died earlier in the day one week short of his 91st birthday.
Baseball fans gathered around a statue of Uecker that stands outside the ballpark, leaving items such as baseballs, a catcher’s mitt and several cans of Miller Lite, which Uecker once touted in a series of iconic ads for the Milwaukee-born beer brand.
One fan walked up to the statue and placed a baseball atop of a can of Miller Lite and quickly left. Some placed flowers at the base of the statue. Another dropped off a DVD of Major League, a classic movie in which Uecker starred. Others stood in silence.
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Dan Roberts sipped from a can of Lite after placing a Uecker bobblehead and flowers on the statue.
“I needed to come show my last respects. It’s really hard,” Roberts said with a tear streaming down his face. “It reminds me of my childhood. Growing up listening to games with my grandpa in the garage.”
Roberts said he knew Uecker’s days on the air were likely coming to an end soon because of his age, but it didn’t lessen the blow upon hearing the news of Uecker’s passing.
“Every year, you thought how much longer will we be graced with his broadcasts,” Roberts said. “Some of my favorite memories of him are the locker room celebrations and him going crazy. He was still so vibrant and so full of life.”
Charlie Wacholz described Uecker as the “voice of summer for us growing up and for our dads.”
“He has a lasting legacy as an icon, as an ambassador and a multigenerational voice of the Brewers,” Wacholz said. “I just wanted to come down, pay my respects and leave a beer and have a beer and see what was happening.”
A Milwaukee native, Uecker’s connection to professional baseball in the city dates back to his days as a player with the Milwaukee Braves. Uecker would then spend 54 seasons calling Brewers games on the radio, which had been the second-longest tenure among active major league baseball broadcasters.
Abigail Sheetz stood alone gazing at the Uecker statue late on the dreary afternoon, bracing against a cold wind.
“I grew up around Milwaukee and I’ve been going to baseball games since I was two or three years old. He was the voice of my childhood. I cannot imagine a summer without hearing his voice again,” Sheetz said, her voice breaking and tears in her eyes. “It’s how I connected with my grandfather, my uncles, my entire side of my mom’s family. I remember just sitting and listening to his broadcasts. The reason my grandfather and I are so close right now is because we would listen to Mr. Baseball together.”
Sheetz said Uecker had a profound impact on her life even though she never had the opportunity meet him in person.
“He was that voice I always knew as being associated with Brewers baseball and is the reason I’m still a Brewers fan,” she said. “His understanding of the game made listening so much more interesting. He could break things down in a way nobody else could. He also made it fun. He was so fun to listen to. He’s an absolute legend and he will for sure be missed.”
