RIP Bob Uecker (Mr. Baseball)

[stevearino]

https://www.mlb.com/news/bob-uecker-dies

Bob Uecker, who in TV Land was best known for his 5-year run as George Owens on the hit '80s sitcom "Mr. Belvedere," has died of Lung Cancer at age 90.

Born on January 26, 1934 in Milwaukee (although for MANY years his IMDB and Wikipedia entries erroneously listed his year of birth as 1935), Robert George "Bob" Uecker was the eldest in a family of 3 children growing up in Milwaukee.

He began his 6-year career in Pro Baseball in 1962 at age 28--initially for 2 years in the Milwaukee Brewers, followed by 2 in the St. Louis Cardinals before concluding his Major League career in the Atlanta Braves before retiring from Pro Baseball--after which Johnny Carson gave him the nickname "Mr. Baseball."

But Bob Uecker's knowledge of Sports went BEYOND Baseball, however.

Since 1971, Bob had been the voice of the Milwaukee Brewers--a role he still maintained every season to the end, even as he portrayed family patriarch George Owens on the '80s sitcom "Mr. Belvedere" for 5 seasons from 1985-1990, a loose adaptation of the "Mr. Belvedere" series of movies from the 1940s (themselves based on the 1945 novel "Belvedere" by Gwen Davenport).

Besides "Mr. Belvedere," Mr. Baseball's OTHER known acting role was as Harry Doyle in the "Major League" series of films for Paramount (later Warner Bros.)

He also did a series of Miller Lite Commercials during the 1970s, soon after retiring from Playing Pro Baseball.

To cut this long Obit short, RIP Mr. Baseball.

01/26/1934 - 01/16/2025

[Merry24]

Will Remember.

[TVShowAddict]

He passed away 10 days before his birthday, 90 years old is one hell of a run! Rest in peace!

[Dude111]

Very sad...........

[TMC]

'Mr. Belvedere' cast pay tribute to Bob Uecker following his death

Christopher Kuhagen
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

To many in Milwaukee and Wisconsin, Bob Uecker was the iconic voice of Milwaukee Brewers baseball for generations.

For others, like Tracy Tofte (Wells), he was her second dad.

Uecker played her father George Owens on the family sitcom, "Mr. Belvedere," a show that aired on ABC in the mid to late 1980s.

Tofte, who played Heather Owens on "Mr. Belvedere," was "absolutely heartbroken" upon learning that Uecker died on Thursday.

She posted a lengthy tribute to her TV dad, even noting a personal experience she had with Uecker just last month at his home in Menomonee Falls.

"I knew he was sick, which made the visit even more important to me," Tofte wrote. "Even with a walker and on paid meds, he was cracking jokes and making me laugh."

Making people laugh, she said, is what Uecker did all the time while on set back in the 1980s. He hadn't changed.

"I’ll always treasure the memories from Mr. Belvedere – there were so many," Tofte wrote. "Bob was the glue that held us together and kept us grounded. He never took anything too seriously, and his #1 goal was always to make us laugh."

She recalled days spent on his boat on Lake Michigan, like so many others have, or seeing him at the ballpark whether it was in Los Angeles or Milwaukee.

"Bob had a rare gift of making everyone feel special," Tofte wrote. "He appreciated everyone — no matter their status. He was a truly good human, inside and out."

One of his other TV children also remembered Uecker.

"90 years and still gone too soon," Brice Beckham, who played Uecker's youngest son on the show, Wesley, wrote on Instagram, along with a series of photos representing Uecker's well-traveled life. "Bob Uecker was one of a kind, the only person I know who had, not one, but two statues dedicated in his honor.

"He never failed to make us laugh and I count myself lucky to have called him “Dad” for those five formative years. We’ll miss him as he takes his seat 'in the front row.' "

[80sTrivia]

So sad to hear of his passing...

[TMC]

Originally Posted by TMC

'Mr. Belvedere' cast pay tribute to Bob Uecker following his death

Ilene Graff posted a message on Facebook:

My darling Bob Uecker. He changed my life and made every working day a joy, and every tape day a challenge not to crack up. A true mensch--he was the heart and soul of our show. I loved him so much--he leaves an enormous legacy. My heart is with his wife Judy (the real wife) and family. His memory will always be a blessing.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by TMC

'Mr. Belvedere' cast pay tribute to Bob Uecker following his death

Bob Uecker was not only Mr. Baseball, but he also had a successful acting career, including his role in the popular TV sitcom Mr. Belvedere.

[Bonniegirl]

Very sad ! I really liked him. He was very funny on Mr. Belvedere and seemed to be a really good guy in real life !

Rest in Peace, prayers to his family, friends and fans, being he was a baseball player along with an actor I'm sure he had many fans !

[Mace Dolex]

So good to hear Tracy got to see Bob before his passing.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Mace Dolex

So good to hear Tracy got to see Bob before his passing.

A post shared by on Jan 01, 2022 at 12:00pm PDT

[TVQuack]

This was so sad when it happened

[TMC]

The cast of Mr. Belvedere have rare reunion to honor late costar Bob Uecker at event hosted by The Milwaukee Brewers

A post shared by on Jan 01, 2022 at 12:00pm PDT

A post shared by on Jan 01, 2022 at 12:00pm PDT

[TJ]

The Milwaukee Brewers will host a public memorial on August 24 for "Mr. Baseball" Bob Uecker, giving fans a chance to mourn, remember, and celebrate the life of the beloved broadcaster who died in January.

Among those attending will be Uecker's television family from the 1980s sitcom Mr. Belvedere, where he played family patriarch George Owens.

The cast members made time to speak with TMJ4's Susan Kim over Zoom about why they wouldn't miss this opportunity to honor their former colleague and friend.

Mr. Belvedere cast to reunite in Milwaukee for Bob Uecker memorial