CHICAGO — Bob Uecker, the baseball Hall of Famer and longtime play-by-play announcer for the Milwaukee Brewers who was beloved by fans nationwide for his passion for America’s favorite pastime, has died. He was 90.

A voice of the Milwaukee Brewers for 54 years, those in Chicago also loved Uecker. Current Cubs radio announcer Pat Hughes worked with Uecker in Milwaukee before joining Chicago’s North Side baseball team.

“He was hilarious, he was spontaneous,” Hughes told WGN News.

Uecker was known for his sense of humor, knowledge and love of the game.

“I marveled at how fast his wit was and just how funny he was,” Hughes added.

In a written statement, the Chicago Cubs honored Uecker’s iconic voice, lamenting a loss being felt across Major League Baseball (MLB).

Among the multitudes of people blessed to be in Uecker’s presence was White Sox play-by-play broadcaster Len Kasper.

“When I think of Bob, I think of literally the funniest human being I’ve ever met. No one has made me laugh harder than Bob, on and off the air,” Kasper said.

Uecker’s humor transcended baseball, eventually catching the eye of Hollywood.

“He was Johnny Carson’s favorite guest and he had his own sitcom,” Kasper added.

Uecker’s appearance in the baseball comedy, ‘Major League,’ would bring him more national attention and beer commercials.   

But Kasper says there’s was nothing Uecker loved better than doing radio play-by-play in his hometown of Milwaukee. The Brewers honored the legend with a statute at Miller Park, positioned not in a luxury, field-level seat but high up on the last row of the ballpark where the real fans are, who can never forget the man known as ‘Mr. Baseball.’ 

In a statement released by the Milwaukee Brewers, Uecker’s family said he had battled small cell lung cancer since early 2023. Uecker would have turned 91 on Jan. 26.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.