Results tagged ‘ Bob Uecker ’
From the broadcast booth to the top turnbuckle
It’s finally official: Bob Uecker is about to add another hall of fame to his bio.
Spring broadcast schedule set
Harry Doyle to appear at Brewers-Indians tilt
For those fans considering a trip to Cleveland next week for just the second Brewers-Indians series since 2001, here’s an added incentive: Harry Doyle will be in the house.
Brewers radio voice Bob Uecker, who conjured a boozier version of himself as Doyle in the 1989 film, “Major League,” will throw the ceremonial first pitch before the series opener on Monday night.
“I’ve already shot the promos for it, we’re doing the whole nine yards,” Uecker said before today’s game against the White Sox.
Monday is “Major League” night at Progressive Field, and all fans in attendance will get a bobblehead of fictional Indians closer Rick Vaughn, played by Charlie Sheen in the movie.
Uecker/Doyle had a bunch of great lines in the first installment of the “Major League” trilogy, but I think my favorite was the simple, “Taylor bunts!!!” Damian Miller used to do a killer impression of the line that was part Uecker, part Harry Caray, and got laughs every time.
I wonder if they’ll ask Ueck to wear this sportcoat on Monday night:
On Braun, Lawrie, Counsell, Uecker…
Catching up after a quality off-day:
- A league-leading 12 RBIs from May 3-9 gave Ryan Braun the National League Player of the Week Award. We’ll see what Braun has to play for himself Tuesday before the Brewers take on the Marlins.
- Braun rudely bumped my story about Brett Lawrie’s switch to second base from the top slot on Brewers.com down to No. 2. That move has been pretty well panned by actual and armchair scouts alike, but Reid Nichols is genuinely pleased with how it’s been going. One thing is sure — that kid, even with one of the weirdest batting stances I’ve ever seen, can really hit.
- Speaking of weird batting stances, or at least formerly weird, Craig Counsell is forcing himself into the starting lineup against right-handers. The Brewers face a bunch of righties coming up, so it will be interesting to see just how manager Ken Macha splits time between Counsell and Bill Hall.
- Tuesday afternoon, the Brewers are holding a press conference to induct Bob Uecker into the Braves Wall of Honor at Miller Park. I believe that’s on the field-level concourse at Miller Park, so check it out if you go to any of the games against the Marlins this week. I’m going to go out on a limb and say Uecker will have some great one-liners in his question and answer session. My favorite is that he signed with the Braves in 1956 for $3,000, which was a lot of money at the time, but his dad found a way to scrape it up.
Uecker on the passing of Merle Harmon – w/ a photo
Merle Harmon, the original radio voice of the Milwaukee Brewers, died Wednesday in Arlington, Tex. He was 82.
Harmon was also the final voice of the Milwaukee Braves before that team moved to Atlanta in 1966. He called Brewers games beginning in 1970, when the franchise shifted from Seattle to Milwaukee, through 1979, and was the Texas Rangers play-by-play man from 1982-89. Harmon also worked for both ABC and NBC during a broadcasting career that spanned 45 years.
Bob Uecker, who joined Harmon in the Brewers’ booth in 1971 and is still calling games today, issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon.
“Merle was a great friend and a wonderful partner in the booth, and the memories he leaves us with will be cherished forever,” Uecker said. “His dedication to family and broadcasting were second to none, and I will always be grateful for the latitude and direction he gave to me as I was entering the profession.
“My heart goes out to his family, and I speak for everyone at the Brewers in saying that this is a very sad day for all of us.”
ADDED that photo, courtesy of John Steinmiller, Ken Spindler and the Brewers. I recognize Harmon, of course, with the microphone, and that’s Uecker at far right, Robin Yount front right lying next to George Scott with Hank Aaron over Yount’s shoulder. Don Money is in the back row, third from the left. I assume that’s manager Del Crandall with the jacket on. Is that Jerry Augustine next to Uecker?
Help me out, gang.
Provus is radio pick; radio and TV schedule unveiled
The Brewers’ flagship radio station hired Cory Provus of WGN in Chicago to fill the vacancy in Milwaukee’s radio booth on the same day the Brewers unveiled their Spring Training and regular-season broadcast schedules.
Provus, a 2000 graduate of Syracuse University, appeared on AM 620-WTMJ in Milwaukee on Monday morning and will call his first game alongside Bob Uecker on Feb. 25, when the Brewers host the A’s at Maryvale Baseball Park. He handled Cubs pre- and post-game programming for WGN and often spelled play-by-play man Pat Hughes in the fifth inning of game broadcasts.
He replaces Jim Powell, who left in January for a higher-profile job with the Atlanta Braves after 13 seasons in the booth with Uecker.
The Feb. 25 game is one of 36 Brewers Spring Training games and all will be broadcast either on the Brewers Radio Network, MLB.com, FSN Wisconsin or Milwaukee’s WMLW TV. A total of three games will be broadcast on television, 19 on radio and 16 via MLB.com webcast.
During the regular season, Uecker and Provus will call all 162 games on the radio as usual, and a total of 157 games will be televised, with Brian Anderson (who has an excellent MLBlog, by the way) and Bill Schroeder back in the booth. That includes 136 games on FSN Wisconsin, 15 games aired locally in Milwaukee on WMLW and four national broadcasts.
On his blog, Anderson wrote that Telly Hughes will replace departed sideline reporter Trenni Kusnierek on TV broadcasts.
The national games, some with updated start times, include:
April 12 game vs. Cubs at 7:05 p.m. CT on ESPN
May 24 at Twins at 7:05 p.m. CT on ESPN
May 26 vs. Cardinals at 7:05 p.m. CT on ESPN
June 13 vs. White Sox at 3:05 p.m. CT on FOX
June 15 at Indians at 6:05 p.m. CT on ESPN
June 20 at Tigers at 3:05 p.m. CT on FOX
Sept. 5 vs. Giants at 3:05 p.m. CT on FOX
All of those times are subject to change, of course. The team’s complete 2009 broadcast schedule will be online soon.
Adam McCalvy
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