Baseball's Funniest Man Honored

Finally, Bob Uecker will be in the front row for something - the Hall of Fame ceremony.

The popular Milwaukee Brewers' broadcaster was picked Thursday for the Ford C. Frick Award and will be inducted into the announcers' wing of the Hall on July 27.

"Bob Uecker is baseball's funniest man, which has made him a household name not only in Milwaukee, but across America," Hall president Dale Petroskey said.

"As a former major league player - a better one than he gives himself credit for - Bob has a deep knowledge of the game. But it's his unique ability to make baseball fun for everyone that sets him apart."

The 68-year-old Uecker was a backup catcher who hit .200 in six seasons and played on the 1964 St. Louis team that won the World Series. But it was his humor that zoomed him to national prominence, and he turned his jokes into starring roles on television and the movies.

His line - "Must be in the front row!" - in a beer commercial where he gets shunted from the box seats to the bleachers became a catchphrase throughout the country.

In fact, at Miller Park where the Brewers play, the team sells "Uecker Seats" - high in the upper deck and obstructed, they go for $1.

His wry description on a wayward pitch - "Juuuust a bit outside!" - in the movie "Major League" is still often-repeated by announcers and fans at ballparks all over.

Despite his popularity, which led to a top role in the television show "Mr. Belvedere" and about 100 appearance on Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show," Uecker is much different on the radio.

Uecker joined the Brewers' announcing team in 1971, and his broadcasts rarely include the standup humor that has made his a favorite on the banquet circuit. He's known for being self-effacing, rather than parading himself around as a celebrity.

"A couple of times, I've come out of the game early and heard him on the speaker in the clubhouse," Brewers' slugger Richie Sexson said before Thursday's exhibition game against Texas. "He's awesome, he's Mr. Baseball. He's the nicest person you'll ever meet."

Uecker will join former players Eddie Murray and Gary Carter and Dayton Daily News writer Hal McCoy at the ceremonies in Cooperstown, N.Y.

"He may not have had a Hall of Fame career on the field, but he certainly has had one in the booth," said Robin Yount, a Hall member who only played for the Brewers. "Throughout my career in Milwaukee, of all of the people I've known in the organization, he's one of my closest friends."

Uecker made it to the majors in 1962 with the Milwaukee Braves and batted .250 in 64 at-bats. It turned out he would never hit higher than that in any season.

Uecker went on to play with St. Louis, Philadelphia and Atlanta. He hit 14 career home runs with 74 RBIs in 297 games.

"Career highlights? I had two," he once joked. "I got an intentional walk from Sandy Koufax and I got out of a rundown against the Mets."

The Frick Award, named for the former broadcaster who became commissioner, was picked by a seven-member panel of announcers that included Bob Costas, Joe Garagiola, Curt Gowdy, Ernie Harwell, Joe Morgan, Vin Scully and Curt Smith.

Uecker was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2001 and is a five-time winner as Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year.

He did network broadcasts of the World Series, league championship series and All-Star game in the 1970s and 1980s, and now is heard on WTMJ radio in Milwaukee and the Brewers' radio network.

Commissioner Bud Selig, whose family owns the Brewers, and Uecker go back a long time. Earlier this month during an exhibition broadcast, Uecker spotted Selig in the press box and pulled him into the booth with a hearty, "Hey, Buddy!"

"Bob and I have been friends for the past three decades and I'm sure Brewer and baseball fans everywhere share his joy and excitement over this well deserved honor. It is a great tribute to his wonderful career," Selig said.

Uecker got his big break off the field after opening for Don Rickles at Al Hirt's nightclub in Atlanta in 1969. That performance caught Hirt's attention, and the musician set him up to appear on Carson's show.

Over the years, Uecker's deadpan humor rarely strays far from baseball.

"The biggest thrill a ballplayer can have is when your son takes after you," he kidded. "That happened when my Bobby was in his championship Little League game. He really showed me something. Struck out three times. Made an error that lost the game. Parents were throwing things at our car and swearing at us as we drove off. Gosh, I was proud."

By Ben Walker