Evers proclaims Saturday “Bob Uecker Day”

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Mr. Baseball is getting his own day in Wisconsin. On Saturday, the state will celebrate “Bob Uecker Day” to honor the Milwaukee-native and longtime Brewers play-by-play man.

Uecker is celebrating his 50th season calling Brewers games this year. To honor that achievement and the 87-year-old’s storied baseball and entertainment career, Gov. Tony Evers has proclaimed Saturday, Sept. 25, as “Bob Uecker Day.”

“Bob is a homegrown Milwaukeean who has tremendous pride and love for the sport, his hometown, and his home state, and is more than deserving of this statewide day of celebration of his career, legacy, and achievements,” Evers said.

Evers also echoed the sentiments of many lifelong Brewers fans who have grown up listening to him call their games by adding that Uecker has narrated many of his favorite baseball memories.

Evers’ proclamation notes many of the highlights of Uecker’s long career, which started with him being the first hometown player signed by the Milwaukee Braves organization, and then going across the state to play for the team’s minor league affiliate in Eau Claire. Uecker, of course, went on to play for the big-league club, making his debut in April 1962, before being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals a year later.

After winning a world championship in St. Louis, Uecker bounced over to the Philadelphia Phillies before returning to the now-Atlanta Braves to close his career at the end of the 1967 season. In 1971, Uecker moved behind the microphone for the Brewers, who were in their second season in Wisconsin after their move from Seattle.

Evers noted that it was the late Johnny Carson who gave Uecker his nickname Mr. Baseball during his appearances on the Tonight Show. This came at a time when Uecker was branching out into television and movies, as well as the long running “Miller Lite All Stars” advertising campaign.