Milwaukee Brewers radio broadcasts will, sadly, never sound the same.

Bob Uecker, the voice of the team on the airwaves for 54 years, a Baseball Hall of Famer and local, statewide and national icon, died Thursday, the Brewers announced.

He was 90 years old.

“Today, we take on the heaviest of burdens. Today, we say goodbye to our beloved friend, Bob Uecker,” the team said in a statement. “Ueck was the light of the Brewers, the soundtrack of our summers, the laughter in our hearts, and his passing is a profound loss. He was the heart and soul of Wisconsin and a dear friend. Bob loved people; his presence warmed every room and he had a way of welcoming all of us into his world as if we were lifelong friends. “Saying goodbye to Bob shakes us all. He was so much more than a Milwaukee Brewers icon. He was a national treasure. Bob entertained us with his words and storytelling, so it is no surprise that his passing now leaves us at a loss for our own words. “There is no describing the impact Ueck had on so many, and no words for how much he was loved. We are left with a giant void in our hearts, but also remember the laughter and joy he brought to our lives throughout the years.”

Uecker faced a private battle with small cell lung cancer since early 2023, his family released in a statement.

“He brought joy to countless listeners through his wit, charisma, and love for baseball, Milwaukee, and all of Wisconsin, creating a legacy that will forever be cherished,” the family said. “While his contributions to the game are noteworthy, it is his kindness, humility, and love for family and friends that we will hold closest to our hearts. “We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support during this difficult time as we grieve and celebrate the man we were so lucky to call ours.”

Born in Milwaukee and a graduate of Boys Tech High School, Uecker signed his first professional contract with the Milwaukee Braves in 1956 and made his major-league debut for them in 1962.

A catcher, Uecker went on to play 297 games over a six-year career, also suiting up for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves before calling it quits after the 1967 season at age 33.

Uecker finished as only a .200 hitter but could lay claim to having homered off three eventual Hall of Fame pitchers in Sandy Koufax, Ferguson Jenkins and Gaylord Perry. His crowning achievement as a player was earning a World Series ring in 1964 with the Cardinals.

After a short-lived stint as a scout, Uecker began his broadcasting career in 1969 with a two-year run in the booth with the Braves before returning home and starting his legendary run in 1971 with the Brewers. Along the way, Uecker also called national games on multiple networks from the 1970s into the 1990s.

“Get up! Get up! Get outta here! Gone!” became Uecker’s trademark catchphrase whenever a Milwaukee player hit a home run.

Uecker went on to be honored by the organization in multiple ways decades later, from being inducted into the Walk of Fame outside then-Miller Park in 2003; to being added to the team’s Ring of Honor in 2005; to having a statue bearing his likeness dedicated in his honor both outside the ballpark (2012) as well as inside (2014).

He was also inducted into the inaugural class of the team’s Wall of Honor in 2014.

“I am heartbroken with the loss of my dear lifelong friend, Bob Uecker. I can’t begin to describe how much he meant to me, let alone what this loss is for Brewers fans, the state of Wisconsin and countless others worldwide,” Bud Selig, commissioner emritus of Major League Baseball and former Brewers owner, said in a statement. “Bob had the easiest way of making others feel at ease, share a laugh and always left people feeling a little better. Nobody was his equal. “I am so grateful that Bob’s friendship was a constant presence throughout most of my life. For over fifty years, rarely did a day pass where we missed a conversation, a sharing of stories, and countless laughs. That cannot be replaced and is a giant loss, but I am lucky to have experienced that kind of enduring friendship. “Sue and I are thinking of Judy, Bob’s children Sue Ann and Bob Jr., and all of Bob’s family during what is a difficult time for all of us.”

In 2021, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers declared Sept. 25 “Bob Uecker Day” with Uecker having reached 50 years in broadcasting. True to form, when invited to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Brewers’ game against the New York Mets, Uecker instead took the cover off a pitching machine that did the honors for him.

His 54 years on the microphone made Uecker the fourth-longest tenured broadcaster in major-league history, behind only Vin Scully and Jaime Jarrin of the Los Angeles Dodgers (67 and 64 years, respectively) and the still-active Denny Matthews of the Kansas City Royals (56 years).

Along the way, Uecker was lauded multiple times for his broadcasting chops and longevity.

Tops on that list was his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003 after earning the Ford C. Frick Award, which is awarded annually to a broadcaster for major contributions to the game. Uecker is also a member of the Radio Hall of Fame (2001), the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame (2011) and the NationalAssociation of Broadcasters Broadcasting Hall of Fame (2012).

While calling Brewers games was Uecker’s original claim to fame, he became nationally known as an entertainer as well beginning in 1969 with a long run of appearances on “The Tonight Show,” where his “Mr. Baseball” persona and wry sense of humor earned him national acclaim.

Uecker’s notoriety reached new levels in the 1980s both with his turns in those famous Miller Lite commercials, but also on the TV screen in the ABC sitcom “Mr. Belvedere,” a guest-hosting spot on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” as an announcer for multiple WWF “WrestleMania” events and then in the motion picture “Major League,” in which he played – go figure – a radio play-by-play man, Harry Doyle.

Uecker also authored what could best be described as a humorous autobiography in 1982, appropriately titled “Catcher in the Wry.”

Multiple health issues later in Uecker’s life forced him to cut back on his broadcasting schedule. He underwent multiple heart surgeries and survived pancreatic cancer as well as a bite from a brown recluse spider, melanoma and COVID-19.

Uecker also endured the heartache of losing not one but two of his adult children, Steve (2012) and Leeann (2022).

Through it all, Uecker was a renowned philanthropist who devoted time and money to a number of local and national charities, including the MACC Fund, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the ALS Foundation, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Wounded Warriors.

Cancer research, and organizations that battle heart disease and cystic fibrosis also benefited from Uecker’s efforts.

“It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the passing of Bob,” the Uecker family said in a statement shared by the Brewers. “To many, he was an announcer and entertainer whose humor and voice transcended the game, but to us he was so much more. “Bob faced a private battle with small cell lung cancer since early 2023, which he met with the same strength and resilience that defined him. Even in the face of this challenge, his enthusiasm for life was always present, never allowing his spirit to falter. “He brought joy to countless listeners through his wit, charisma, and love for baseball, Milwaukee, and all of Wisconsin, creating a legacy that will forever be cherished. While his contributions to the game are noteworthy, it is his kindness, humility, and love for family and friends that we will hold closest to our hearts. “We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support during this difficult time as we grieve and celebrate the man we were so lucky to call ours.”

Uecker’s final appearance at American Family Field came on Oct. 3, and he called the fateful ninth inning of the Brewers’ heartbreaking 4-2 loss to the New York Mets in Game 3 of the teams’ National League wild-card series.

“I’m telling you,” he said in the moments following. “That one had some sting on it.”

All told, Uecker’s run in baseball lasted 69 years.

He is survived by his longtime partner, Judy, daughter Sue Ann and son Bob Jr.

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