TBNL: Bob Uecker passes away

Baseball lost one of its greatest ambassadors on Thursday. Legendary Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker passed away at age 90.

Uecker’s career on the diamond wasn’t overly notable. After seven seasons in the minor leagues, the sparingly-used backup catcher spent parts of six seasons in the majors with the Braves, Cardinals, Phillies, and Braves again (the second time after their move to Atlanta), appearing in just 297 games. He slashed .200/.293/.287 with 14 homers across 843 career plate appearances.

Uecker won a ring with the Cardinals in 1964 but didn’t play at all in the World Series following “the tuba incident.” MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy (who wrote an excellent tribute to Uecker that is absolutely worth your time to read) can explain:

The tuba incident, as it turns out, might be a perfect representation of who Uecker was: a man who found the fun in every situation and tried to ensure everyone around him did, too.

Uecker’s focus shifted to stand-up comedy after the 1967 season. The shift seemed like a natural one for the boisterous storyteller. His love still focused on baseball though.

Bud Selig was part of the group that purchased the Seattle Pilots out of bankruptcy and relocated the team to Milwaukee, renaming them the Brewers. Selig hired Uecker as a scout for the team. Months later the plan would be abandoned — McCalvy suggests there was a scouting report submitted covered in mashed potatoes — and Uecker would join the club’s radio broadcast team.

By the following season, he’d found a permanent home and it’s apparent that’s where he belonged.

Uecker called Brewers games for 54 seasons from the booth and spent several years regularly calling nationally broadcast games on ABC and NBC. Many former and current broadcasters around the sport have learned from or worked with Uecker in some fashion over the years.

Uecker’s presence wasn’t limited to baseball, however. His success and personality helped him make more than 100 appearances on late-night TV, star in a series of Miller Lite commercials, land a role in the popular sitcom “Mr. Belvedere,” and ultimately helped get him cast as Harry Doyle in the “Major League” trilogy. He also wrote a pair of books, hosted “Saturday Night Live” and made multiple appearances at WWE’s Wrestlemania.

The Hall of Fame recognized Uecker with the Ford C. Frick Award in 2003.

The Brewers have two statues of him in their stadium.

Elsewhere, around the league …

• 38 players in MLB/NPB/KBO history have reached the 500-homer mark in their careers. I noted in December that there will be a 39th member of the club this year, once Jeong Choi hits five more home runs in Korea. There is a potential 40th member, too. Takeya Nakamura of the Seibu Lions sits at 478 career home runs in the NPB. He needs 22 to reach 500.

• Martin Maldonado batted just .119/.174/.230 in 147 PA for the MLB-worst White Sox last season before being released. The 14-year veteran with a career 70 OPS+ will get another opportunity, signing a minor league deal with the Padres. San Diego has zero catching depth so the move makes sense for Maldonado, who will be 38 in August.

• Kyle Tucker and the Cubs avoided arbitration, agreeing to a $16.5M deal for the coming season. Tucker had filed for $17.5M while the team filed at $15M.

• Roasny Contreras started the 2024 season with the Pirates and was traded to the Angels in May. He was claimed on waivers by the Rangers after the season. Then by the Reds. Then the Orioles. That’s five different clubs in 12 months (through the last three he didn’t suit up for). Baltimore designated him for assignment on Thursday evening, putting him back in limbo once again.

• The Mets are bringing outfielder Jesse Winker back on a one-year, $7.5M deal.

• Remaining free agent sluggers Pete Alonso and Anthony Santander are reportedly open to short-term deals at this point in free agency. Alex Bregman is still holding out for a longer contract.

• Multiple reports suggest the Mets expect Alonso to sign elsewhere but until he does sign they can’t be ruled out.

• MLB’s international signing period opened on Wednesday. Roki Sasaki is expected to announce where he will sign by early next week. I’ll share some collective thoughts on the int’l prospects of note at some point after Sasaki signs.

Baseball birthdays

70 players in MLB history were born today, but just six topped the 10.0 WAR mark in their careers:

• Albert Pujols, first baseman/designated hitter, 101.4

• Jimmy Collins, third baseman, 53.3

• Dizzy Dean, right-handed pitcher, 46.2

• Jack McDowell, right-handed pitcher, 27.8

• Erskine Mayer, right-handed pitcher, 13.4

• Buck Jordan, first/third baseman, 11.7

Collins was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1945. Dean in 1953. Pujols will be first eligible in 2027.

Today in baseball history

1964: American League owners vote down a proposal by Charlie Finley to move the Kansas City Athletics to Louisville, Kentucky.

1970: Curt Flood files a lawsuit challenging the reserve clause. He would lose the suit, but the judge’s decision would help open the doors for arbitration and free agency.

1974: Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford are elected to the HOF.

1996: Interleague play during the 1997 season is approved by MLB’s Executive Council and the Player’s Association.

2001: Dave Winfield and Kirby Puckett are elected to the HOF.

2003: Owners agree to change a rule allowing batboys to be under the age of 14. The decision is prompted following an incident during the prior World Series where then-4-year-old Darren Baker had to be grabbed out of the way of a play at the plate by Giants first baseman J.T. Snow.

2003: Gary Carter is elected to the HOF.

2014: MLB owners agree to expand instant replay.

2015: Baltimore signs Chris Davis to a seven-year, $161M extension, the largest contract in club history.

2017: The World Series Champion Cubs visit the White House for the first time since 1888.

2018: Hideki Matsui is elected into the NPB Hall of Fame.

2020: Carlos Beltrán is fired by the Mets for his connection to Houston’s sign-stealing scandal. Beltrán never actually got to manage a single game for the team.