Bob Uecker Milwaukee, WI Legend

Backtracking A Bit

As mentioned, I am not from here. I grew up on a farm south of a really small town in central/western, rural Kansas. How rural? Well, we had three TV stations (on a good day) and the radio. I grew up a Royals fan. One because they were on, but also from my paternal grandfather. He played USO games in WWII, made it to the minors, and established the game as a core sports love in me. The late 80s and early 90s got me to the age when things started to stick in my sports fandom.

The Royals had my heart until the 1994 baseball strike ruined everything. I, like many, didn’t like the money squabbling, but my real distaste came with how the Royals emerged as a cheap, non-competitive team. Being a young, impulsive kid I latched on to the also relatively close Colorado Rockies, and super fun offense of the Blake Street Bombers, and ball-flying mountain air. I ultimately ended up living in Denver for a period that included the 2007 Rockies World Series run. Shortly after that, work pulled me up here.

A Wild Relocation

I moved to Milwaukee in September of 2008, and my girlfriend, now wife, Misty, followed in January. This timing was notable for two reasons. First, it was right smack in the middle of the 2008 recession, which only made me second guess the move almost every day. Second, it was in the middle of the Brewer’s first playoff run since the 1982 World Series. To be honest, the Brewers never hit my radar outside of when they came to Coors Field during the Denver stint. I knew they had some good players, such as 2007 rookie of the year, Ryan Braun, and that they recently signed C.C. Sabathia for the playoff run. But not much else. I also did not know what I was in for my first trip to Miller Park.

I Know That Voice

Shortly after the move, I caught a game with my college friend, Derek, who moved up a couple of months before me. Sabathia was on the mound, the stadium had the same electricity as Coors the previous season as fans saw years of shortcomings melt away in real-time with the playoffs on the horizon. It was already sucking me in when the next moment happened. We were walking through the concourses when Derek saw it hit me as it hit him: that voice on the radio broadcast.

I am an 80s-born, 90s-formed kid who loves baseball, so Major League is canon. The best parts of that movie include the comedic baseball musings of one Harry Doyle. I am just young enough to miss the Johnny Carson Era and most of the Miller Lite commercials did not make any of my three stations, so a comedy movie was all I knew of Bob Uecker. My assumption was he was simply the announcer picked due to being willing and able to be on camera in a film. Well, that was dead wrong.

This was not Bob creating a character, Bob Uecker WAS Harry Doyle.

The All Important Game Two

My second game was game three of the 2008 NLDS, which the Brewers won. I saw that one with Misty. She is from San Diego, and her movement from there included stops in WA and Denver. Milwaukee was unknown before this game. She had worries about the move, which included further distance from the Pacific and downsizing to a smaller town.

Our game started with her arriving two hours from the first pitch. She just finished a 16-hour drive from Denver bringing my car to Milwaukee. We linked up at Derek’s place, I gave her a Brewers t-shirt I bought the day before and we rolled to the ballpark. It was cold and raining. She dressed like a true Californian in the cold: hoodie, jeans, and flip-flops. We were in the LF SRO-only section.

Misty heard Bob’s voice, felt the big city electricity, and started to feel the comfort of the impending move. The Midwest welcome and community vibe put her over the top. Last night we reminisced about the game and the 7th inning stretch in particular. We sang the traditional “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” before the entire crowd burst out singing “roll out the barrel” as the “Beer Barrel Polka” played directly after. She saw the fun and excitement of a regional tradition-giving character and felt the stadium inviting her to join in and be a part of it.

Neither of us was looking for a new baseball team, but it was irresistible.

Bob Uecker, Milwaukee, WI and Brewers Legend and X-Factor

Bob is the point of this, and I am finally here. Why is there a blog about Bob Uecker on a wedding service company website? I love baseball, this city, and Bob and this wedding company services Milwaukee. It just felt right to put this story here.

Yesterday was weird and tough and everything with Bob’s passing, but it was also cool. All the local radio stations dropped all other topics to talk about Bob and the guests were amazing. My absolute favorite was Bob Costas on 97.3 The Game. Costas summed up my experience hearing Bob at Miller Park impeccably. He pointed out that many, many people knew Bob Uecker for pop culture reasons. It all depended on age and location, but those tied into pop culture knew him from some combination of Miller Lite commercials, Johnny Carson Show appearances, and scene-stealing in the Major League movies. Costas went on that few too many knew Uecker for the absolute perfection of his game-calling.

Trips to Miller Park made that point early and constantly. One of my favorite parts of that incredibly well-facilitated ballpark is the always short lines to get a beer or use the restroom. And you never missed a moment of the game because Bob’s voice was right there keeping you engaged. That is absolute baseball perfection.

A Major Part of My Milwaukee Life

Bob Uecker, the electricity of 2008 and the fun community atmosphere of Miller Park grew on me quickly and strongly, but I was not alone. One of the friends I met early is a Boston native named Adam. We worked together, and like me, he was not looking for a new team to follow. Yet here we both were. A couple of years into our transplant journey a concept arose of getting college friends together for a ballgame in a new city as an annual tradition. Adam ran with it and graciously included me in expanding my friend group. He calls it the Boys of Summer and we are planning our 15th edition, but it all started here at Miller Park.

There was certainly a level of pragmatism given he lives here, but Milwaukee was also the perfect place to start. Traditions like that require a level of magical spark to take off, and he knew that Bob’s voice in Miller Park in this city would get it done.

Adam and I have gone to games every season. Misty and I lived next to the ballpark for a couple of years to maximize our going to games. Now, we make it a family affair with our kids. Anytime friends visit we prioritize a ballgame. I listen to the games on the radio in my car. The Brewers are a part of life in this city I chose to call home. Bob Uecker was always there on the airwaves, and he will continue to be there in front of the ballpark and the best seats in the house.

Another Part of Life

Baseball and the Brewers are part of my and many other Milwaukeean’s lives. Unfortunately, so is death and mortality. That’s all our reality. Bob Uecker knew he was no exception. Some of the most powerful stories from the radio broadcasts spoke about how Bob knew and embraced his mortality, and also how he embraced it. My friend Dave, who is in the radio business posted an appropriate story on social media this morning:

Brewers owner Mark Attanasio says Uecker was at peace with his mortality and would even joke about making a bobblehead of him in a coffin ⚰️
When you pushed a button, it would say, “Get up! Get up! Get out of here! Gone!”

Losing Bob was a sad day. Seeing things like Dave’s comment confirming he kept his trademark sense of humor until the end helped. Hearing about Bob and how much he was loved was incredible.

A Wedding Love Story Tie

Being in the wedding industry I get to witness major moments of countless love stories. I have been in and around weddings for over 20 years primarily as a DJ. The love stories and days of joy are why I love it. No one chooses to fall in love, it doesn’t work that way. Falling in love happens. I didn’t meet Misty planning to falling love with her, it just happened. We didn’t move to Milwaukee planning to call it home, it just happened. And we didn’t go to Miller Park planning to become Brewers fans, but like the rest, it just happened.

Most love stories start with some incident or trait that starts everything with a spark. Bob Uecker was the spark that started my almost two-decade love life with the city and the Brewers.

Thanks, Bob, with all the love from an adopted Milwaukeean to the one and only Mr. Baseball. Thanks for everything and rest well.

Josh Kingsley
Complete Milwaukee DJ
Sports fan for life, Milwaukee Brewers fan by choice