Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
baseball. Beer commercials and late night TV. Major League Baseball and Mr Belvedere.
Bob Uecker Became a pop culture fixture for generations, in a wide range of roles from backup catcher to broadcaster, publicist and actor.
Add the Milwaukee Admirals to that list.
When it comes to guys like Uecker, who calls himself a “former major leaguer,” the Admiral always has a front-row seat with him.
Uecker, a Milwaukee native, died Thursday at his home in Menomonee Falls. He was 90. His death triggered an outpouring of memories in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the sports world and Admirals fans.
The Admiral's relationship with Uecker dates back more than thirty years.
While playing in the International Hockey League in the early 1990s, the Admirals found themselves looking for a way to increase their visibility. then owner Lloyd PettitA former Chicago broadcaster who had called Blackhawks, Cubs, White Sox and Bears games, management contacted Uecker. Would he be interested in starring in a commercial for the team?
Uecker was already the star of a Miller Lite commercial (“I had to sit in the front row!”), just a few years removed from his iconic role as broadcaster Harry Doyle in the hit 1989 film. Major League Baseball (“Juuust a bit Outside”) and five seasons as George Owens on the ABC sitcom Mr Belvedere. But if it means helping Milwaukee and its hockey team, Uecker is on board.
“Bob was very, very open to the idea of running,” the Admiral chairman said. Jon Greenberg. “Part of his whole deal is, 'I'm a Milwaukee native. If I can do anything to help Milwaukee, I'm going to do it. It's fun. I totally love this.'
“He said it never felt like work.”
Despite his rise to fame, including national broadcast work for ABC and NBC, and more than 100 guest appearances on the show. The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson – Uecker’s ties to Milwaukee never wavered. After beginning a six-year MLB career with the Milwaukee Braves, he returned to the city in 1971 to serve as the Brewers' announcer. His irreverent sense of humor was noticeable during his playing days, and he settled into the Milwaukee broadcast room and held the role for 54 seasons. In 2003, Uecker was awarded the Ford C. Frick Award by the National Baseball Hall of Fame for his contributions to the game.
The response to the Admirals' first ad was great, and the team itself is one of the most famous marketers in sports. A series of ads followed called “The Adventures of Lloyd and Bob.” Pettit plays a low-key, deadpan character to complement Tock's playful comedy. Lloyd's wife, owner Jane Pettitand the coach Phil Wittliff Also participated.
Like Uecker, Greenberg has deep roots in Milwaukee. In 1984, he became the Brewers' bat boy; he eventually became the team's director of media relations. when Harris TooleGreenberg, who owned a minority stake in the Brewers, purchased the Admirals in 2005 and Greenberg was named president of the AHL team.
The Admirals took the ice for two games in 2006 wearing jerseys reminiscent of the distinctive plaid sport coats of the 1970s that had become one of Uecker's trademarks. Greenberg still has a jersey signed by Uecker hanging in his office. Over the years, the two became friends. Greenberg still thinks back to when he met Uecker more than 40 years ago.
“That's as low as you can get,” Greenberg joked of being a Batboy. “But he was very good to Bat Boy. To a lot of us, Bob was larger than life. It felt like we were just one of those guys, and that was important.
The Admirals would like to thank Uecker for all he has done for the team and the city. This past weekend at Texas, players' helmets were adorned with “Ueck” stickers. The Milwaukee Bucks will also observe a moment of silence at their home game on Wednesday as the team looks for ways to further honor Uecker.
After all, Greenberg explained, “Bob only cared about Milwaukee.”
About two decades in the American Hockey League, TheAHL.com feature writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor for SiriusXM NHL Network Radio . In 2016, he received the AHL's James H. Ellery Memorial Award for outstanding coverage of the league.
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