Mr. Baseball, Bob Uecker, Was A Mediocre Catcher But A Great Pitchman

Longtime Milwaukee Brewers announcer, actor, and former baseball player Bob Uecker passed away today, less than two years after being diagnosed with lung cancer. He was 90 years old and seemed to fill every one of these years with some form of adventure. Often it was related to the national pastime, which is how he earned the nickname “Mr. Baseball.”

More than that, Uecker had a magnetic personality, an undeniable presence in front of the camera, and a disarming self-deprecating humor borne out of a middling few seasons as a catcher in professional baseball. It says a lot about Uecker that, in spite of never hitting above .200 lifetime, he’s one of the most well-known and beloved players of his generation.

Again, it definitely wasn’t for his playing time. He was once asked how to catch a knuckleball and he responded that the easiest way was “to wait until it stops rolling and then pick it up.”

Growing up in the ’80s and ’90s he sometimes seemed like the most famous former athlete of any kind, always on television. He was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, had a featured role in the sitcom Mr. Belvedere, and had a big part in the three Major League films. He was inescapable, though no one with any sense would try to escape him. While all of this was happening he was a broadcaster for the Brewers for over 60 years.

“Bob was the genuine item: always the funniest person in any room he was in, and always an outstanding ambassador for our National Pastime. We are grateful for this baseball life like no other, and we will never forget him,” said MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred in a statement.

One of his great contributions was to the world of advertising, giving a series of brands an unimpeachable ambassador who also never cared about making fun of himself. Since this is a car site I’m going to focus mostly on the car ads.

Here’s one for local Milwaukee Buick dealer Ranks & Son, which is quite straightforward:

This is abnormal in that it’s quite normal. Here’s the Miller Light commercial he did around the same time, making fun of his lack of access:

Uecker also did at least three Chevy/Geo commercials in the early ’90s, all playing on the fact that no one wants Bob Uecker’s autograph.

In this commercial, you can get “$1,000 off” a Geo, which is worth more than Bob’s card, as he points out.

The “Son” here is absolutely absurd and delivered perfectly. I love it. See if you recognize the guy in this ad who isn’t a former baseball player:

That’s right, it’s John Michael Higgins!

Eventually, Rank & Son got the message and included a bit more humor in its later ads with Uecker:

Amazing.

RIP to a total legend.