Bob Uecker, Baseball Announcer as Artist

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Photo by Patrick McDermott - Getty Images

Bob Uecker

After 54 years at the microphone, Milwaukee Brewers baseball announcer Bob Uecker recently died at 90. I will miss him. His play-by-play broadcasts had been my companion. 

Bob Uecker was an artist, no, not just an artist at calling a baseball game, but a creative artist. Like other great artists, painter Pablo Picasso, musician Louis Armstrong, photographer Ansel Adams and writer Leo Tolstoy, Uecker’s art was singular. Multitudes of artists become exquisitely proficient but never arrive at a memorable style. 

An artistic style develops through a combination of personal elements that reflect the artist's individuality, emerging from the creator’s personality, life experiences, and clever choices. It's the distinctive way to present personal expression. 

Distinctive Style 

Based on his individuality and humor, Bob Uecker possessed that distinctive style. His self-deprecating demeanor was unique in sports circles, and it made him beautifully appealing. But more than poker-faced humor, he had wit, the ability to use words or ideas in an amusing and imaginative way.  

Developing a unique style is an organic process that often emerges as you practice and refine your skills. It's not about consciously trying to be different, but rather allowing your individuality to shine through your work. 

Baseball fans follow the sport of baseball because they cannot play the major league game. Bob Uecker was every baseball fan, every guy who sits in a bar, drinks beer, and watches sports with his buddies who poke fun at each other. Uecker was perfect for Milwaukee because the city is a beer town filled with blue collar workers and small businesspeople. 

Make Me Laugh 

If I was in my car, listening to a Brewers game, I kept hoping Uecker would make me laugh. Many times, I’d rather listen to him announce the game than keep track of the action. The score? Sometimes, I did not know it. One time, a highway patrol officer stopped me for speeding. I said I was so involved with Uecker’s wit that I lost track of my speedometer. He drove away without even a warning ticket. 

Baseball lore is littered with Uecker’s self-humor. A handful of his quips sums up his style. There are hundreds more.

• I spent three of the best years of my life in 10th grade.
• I hit a grand slam off Ron Herbel and when his manager Herman Franks came out to get him, he was bringing Herbel's suitcase.
• When I looked at the third base coach, he turned his back on me.
• When I came up to bat with three men on and two outs in the ninth, I looked in the other team's dugout and they were already in street clothes.
• “I'd set records that will never be equaled, 90% I hope are never printed” – Uecker's Hall of Fame speech 

Through natural wit, Bob Uecker’s announcer style became innovative, reflecting his individuality. His artistry emerged from his personality, life experiences, and creative choices. It was this distinctive way he called a baseball game, weaving baseball lore through deadpan humor that singled him out as an artist of the top rank.