Bob Costas Delivers Perfect Bob Uecker Tribute At Brewers Ceremony

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How do you say goodbye to an absolute legend?
The Milwaukee Brewers held a celebration of life for Bob Uecker on Sunday at American Family Field. A former journeyman catcher in the major leagues, Uecker became one of the best-known personalities in the sport as the Brewers' play-by-play broadcaster for 54 years before passing away at age 90 in January.
It was a tall task, but the Brewers delivered a spot-on ceremony, down to every minute detail. But without one crucial guest, the whole thing might not have carried the same weight.
Bob Costas pays touching tribute to friend Bob Uecker
One of the few broadcasters whose legacy can live up to Uecker's is Bob Costas, and it just so happened that the two worked together for most of the 1990s calling baseball together on NBC.
Costas emceed the hour-long ceremony for Uecker in Milwaukee, and he hit all the right notes, seamlessly weaving in touching anecdotes with lighter moments to remember Uecker's famous sense of humor.
"Being Bob Uecker's broadcast partner for several years on NBC was memorable," Costas began. "Being his friend for a lot longer than that was memorable. And yeah, he was one of the funniest people who ever lived, he was one of the most distinctive personalities that the great game of baseball has ever known, but beyond that, if Ueck was your friend, he was your friend for life."
Most importantly of all, Costas knew his audience: Brewers fans, who will always carry a fierce loyalty toward Uecker as the hometown kid who never, ever forgot his roots.
“Today, here in the ballpark, which was Bob’s real home, this is a chance for all of you to say goodbye and thank you to your friend and to the man who more than anyone else, personified your team: Mr. Baseball, Bob Uecker,” Costas continued. “There was a lot more to Ueck than the public persona. There was a lot of heart.”
Few will ever have more of an impact on a sports franchise than Uecker did on the Brewers. And it was fitting to have a legend on hand to remember him properly.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Milwaukee Brewers On SI please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org