Bob Uecker, Cardinals World Series champion and clubhouse jester, dies at 90

Any baseball player will tell you that keeping the clubhouse loose and in good spirits is integral to team cohesion. For the St. Louis Cardinals in their championship season of 1964, Bob Uecker filled that role admirably. Uecker, who played as the backup catcher for the Cardinals in 1964 and 1965, died on Jan. 16, 2025, at the age of 90.

The Cardinals acquired Uecker from the Milwaukee Braves prior to the 1964 season, and he slotted in behind starting catcher Tim McCarver. On the season, Uecker hit only .198 in 40 games, but his value lay in his contributions in the dugout. According to McCarver, "If Bob Uecker had not been on the Cardinals, then it's questionable whether we could have beaten the Yankees."

Uecker was the Opening Day catcher in 1965 after McCarver fractured his finger, and he proceeded to catch one of Hall of Famer Bob Gibson's worst games in his career. Gibson went only 3.1 innings and allowed five runs on six hits. In 53 games, Uecker hit .233 and was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies after the season.

Uecker's quips carried him farther than his unremarkable career as a player ever could. Two years after retiring at age 33 in 1967, Uecker began doing work on television for the Braves, who had moved to Atlanta in 1966. His television career expanded in 1970, when he started performing on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson. Eventually coaxed back to Milwaukee by Bud Selig, the owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, a new expansion team, Uecker split time behind the mic on radio and television.

Uecker eventually became among the most beloved figures in Milwaukee, broadcasting for 53 seasons from 1971 to 2024 and spawning several signature phrases, including "Get up! Get up! Get outta here! Gone!" which was placed in writing above the lights in the Brewers' stadium, then known as Miller Park.

Although Uecker is best known for his broadcasting work, his contributions to the Cardinals in 1964 shouldn't be overlooked. His gift of gab kept the team's spirits high, and the loss of his quick wit will be felt throughout the baseball world.