RIP Bob Uecker

[micropolitan guy]

He hit only 14 career homers, but three of them were off HOFers (Koufax, Jenkins, G. Perry). He also homered off of Ray Sadecki (2), Denny LeMaster, Ken Holtzman, deck Ellsworth, Hal Woodeshick, Joe Gibbon and Wade Blasingame, accomplished pitchers for his era, and three others against nondescript pitchers.

 

[Deskgrunt50]

I went down a YouTube rabbit hole for a while last night, about all things Uecker.

My goodness, so much great material.

And there's a very special place for anyone with a main goal of making people laugh and have fun. It's almost enough obscure just how great he was at calling a game. One of the best to ever do it.

 

[nietsroob17]

An interview with his Belvedere daughter from one of the Milwaukee's affiliates.

 

[DanOregon]

I can't believe that show lasted five years - or that they thought a sportswriter in Pittsburgh could afford a butler while his wife was going to law school.

 

[DanOregon]

I hadn't seen a picture of the Uecker statue before. Usually the commentary is if it "looks like the subject or not." I just can't get over how perfect the pose is. Usually these things are very "aggrandizing" - but this pose perfectly summed up Uecker, and I imagine he approved it, which says even more.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Mr. Belvedere -- a sportswriter w/a butler. Funnier than anything else Uecker ever said or did!

 

[playthrough]

I can't believe that show lasted five years - or that they thought a sportswriter in Pittsburgh could afford a butler while his wife was going to law school.

And apparently it was going to be canceled at one point but fans made enough of a stir that it was brought back?

Was never a top-30 show yet the ratings it had then would be considered boffo now.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

Thought he was a sportscaster, not a sportswriter.

 

[HanSenSE]

Thought he was a sportscaster, not a sportswriter.

The lead in "Everyone Loves Raymond" was a sportswriter, no? Never saw either show, too busy doing real sports journalism.

 

[UNCGrad]

Watched a lot of "Everybody Loves Raymond." Patricia Heaton had a great fastball in those days.

And obviously, Peter Boyle was always hilarious.

 

[micropolitan guy]

Watched a lot of "Everybody Loves Raymond." Patricia Heaton had a great fastball in those days.

And obviously, Peter Boyle was always hilarious.

Patricia Heaton's father or brother, I forget which, was a sportswriter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

 

[DanOregon]

Thought he was a sportscaster, not a sportswriter.

Started as a sportswriter, later became a sportscaster since it allowed for more cameos by the likes of Reggie Jackson, Mickey Mantle, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Willie Mays, Edwin Newman, Bubba Smith, Tony Danza, Mr. T and Hank Aaron. My goodness, going through the IMDB on that show, I think I saw an appearance by about half the leads of sitcoms from the '80s. Jason Bateman? Doris Roberts? Nancy Cartwright? Kellie Martin? Tricia Cast? Richard Kind? Jaleel White? Caren Kaye?, Brian Robbins? Edie McClurg? Danny Cooksey AND Nedra Volz? Donna Pescow, Seth Green? and Robert Goulet made FOUR appearances. Just plain odd.