MILWAUKEE — Because the Milwaukee Brewers carried out a second of silence earlier than their residence opener to honor Bob Uecker, one fan determined retaining quiet wasn’t one of the best ways to pay tribute to the lovable, loquacious broadcaster.
“We love you, Ueck,” the spectator shouted.
Followers, gamers and executives merely couldn’t maintain again their appreciation for Uecker, who died Jan. 16 on the age of 90 after broadcasting Brewers video games for the final 54 seasons and arguably changing into essentially the most recognizable determine in franchise historical past.
The tributes to him have been throughout American Household Discipline because the Brewers misplaced 11-1 to the Kansas Metropolis Royals on Monday of their first residence recreation since Uecker’s dying. It was obvious from Brewers principal proprietor Mark Attanasio’s choice to put on one of many plaid blazers that Uecker usually favored.
“I did my greatest to discover a jacket in my closet that will be one thing he would put on,” Attanasio mentioned.
The grounds crew had Uecker’s signature embellished on the outfield grass. The Brewers wore patches honoring Uecker on their jersey sleeves, one thing that they’ll do all season. The primary pitches have been thrown by representatives of the Wounded Warrior Undertaking and the ALS Affiliation, two of Uecker’s favourite causes. The professional store bought a line of Uecker-themed garments, with parts of the proceeds benefiting charities Uecker had supported.
Exterior the press field entrance was a banner with the message “We’ll Miss You, Bob,” that included thank-you notes from followers who had signed it after Uecker’s dying.
Approach over within the higher right-field nook of American Household Discipline in a piece the place tickets aren’t bought, the Brewers positioned a large blue tarp bearing the message “I have to be within the entrance row,” a nod to a well-known Uecker line from one among his Miller Lite beer commercials.
“Clearly all of us miss him and want he was right here,” mentioned outfielder Christian Yelich, who had worn a plaid blazer to honor Uecker earlier than Thursday’s season opener at Yankee Stadium. “I feel he’ll be with us for this season and lots of seasons going ahead.”
Brewers followers got here up with loads of other ways to pay tribute to Uecker, who continued to broadcast residence video games final yr whilst he battled small cell lung most cancers.
Many spectators spent the minutes earlier than the sport lining as much as get their photographs taken flanking a Uecker statue in Part 422. One other statue exterior the stadium honoring Uecker was embellished with an indication that includes his trademark home-run name: “Stand up! Stand up! Get out of right here! Gone!” Different followers lined up Miller Lite beer cans on the base of the statue.
“He was the voice of our childhood summers,” mentioned David Horton of Fitchburg, Wisconsin, who positioned one of many beer cans on the base of the statue. “We had him on within the storage with our dads within the again yards. He was only a staple. We simply wished to pay our respects in a small means and present some love.”
This wasn’t the primary time followers had positioned Miller Lite cans on the base of that statue to pay tribute to Uecker. Lots of them additionally had accomplished so after Uecker’s dying, though the freezing temperatures assured the complete beer cans wouldn’t keep that means for lengthy.
“They mentioned the beer cans began popping, they usually thought it was Uecker doing it as a result of he was thirsty, preparing for opening day,” quipped Paul Stainbrook of Racine, Wisconsin.
The tributes continued round city.
Kopp’s, a neighborhood burger restaurant identified for its frozen custard, supplied a particular “Mr. Baseball” taste for Monday’s residence opener. It included beer nuts, chocolate-covered peanuts and a splash of Miller Lite. Kopp’s donated 20 per cent of the custard gross sales to the Make-a-Want Basis, in honor of Uecker’s profession batting common of .200.
Milwaukee liked Uecker due to what he meant to town. He stayed true to his hometown and continued working Brewers video games whilst his star rose from his Miller Lite commercials, his chats with Johnny Carson and his featured roles within the film “Main League” and TV’s “Mr. Belvedere.”
“There’s no one who was extra loyal or real,” Attanasio mentioned.
He additionally was beloved by gamers and made common pregame appearances within the Brewers’ locker room. Milwaukee’s gamers liked him a lot that supervisor Pat Murphy took day out from the Brewers’ division-clinching celebration final season to acknowledge Uecker in order that the staff may give him an ovation.
When that season ended with a heartbreaking loss within the NL Wild Card Sequence, Uecker walked right into a silent locker room and comforted gamers comparable to Devin Williams, who had given up a two-run, ninth-inning lead. Yelich mentioned the hardest a part of the evening was chatting with Uecker afterward and figuring out how badly the longtime broadcaster wished to see the Brewers win that elusive World Sequence title.
He would have been the best voice to assist settle a staff that simply received outscored 36-14 whereas opening the season with three straight losses to the New York Yankees.
“Ueck simply had a technique to put issues in perspective,” Murphy mentioned. “He had been by means of a lot. He knew he had. So he may calm you down. He may put you in the fitting mind set. He may joke about it. He had an exquisite means about him.”
However as Yelich famous, Uecker’s spirit will stay right here lengthy after his voice isn’t heard on Brewers broadcasts anymore. That thought supplied consolation to followers comparable to Heather Floyd-Gabrysiak of West Allis, Wisconsin, who made positive to reach for Monday’s recreation carrying a Brewers jersey with Uecker’s identify on the again.
“He’s all the time going to be right here,” Floyd-Gabrysiak mentioned. “Even when he’s not right here, you’ll nonetheless really feel him right here. He’ll nonetheless be part of it all the time.”
