Beloved broadcaster and former catcher Bob Uecker was at the heart of the celebration as the Milwaukee Brewers punched their ticket to the National League Championship Series on Saturday night, defeating the rival Chicago Cubs in a cathartic 3–1 victory.
Manager Pat Murphy made it clear who they were playing for.
“We love it for Ueck,” Murphy told TNT after the win. “He’s meant so much to this organization, but more importantly, what he meant to these players — especially last year. To win this for him is really, really special.”
Uecker, who passed away in January at age 90, was far more than just a baseball personality. A Milwaukee native with a brief Major League playing career and a famously modest .200 batting average, he became a national treasure through his humor, storytelling, and 54 unforgettable seasons behind the Brewers’ microphone. His iconic voice and self-deprecating charm made him a beloved fixture not only in Wisconsin, but across American pop culture — from his roles in the Major League films to sitcoms like Mr. Belvedere and those classic Miller Lite commercials.
A Win for Ueck
Moments after the final out, Brewers players gathered near the mound and unfurled a large flag bearing Uecker’s name. It was a symbolic passing of the torch — from the voice who defined generations of Milwaukee baseball to a new group determined to author the franchise’s next great chapter.
Andrew Vaughn broke a 1–1 tie with a fourth-inning blast, while William Contreras and Brice Turang added homers of their own. The Brewers, who have endured several postseason heartbreaks in recent years, finally broke through for their first playoff series victory since 2018.
This team — patched together after losing key stars like Willy Adames and All-Star closer Devin Williams in the offseason — finished with the best record in baseball at 97–65. They didn’t win with star power — they won with grit. On Saturday, five pitchers combined for a four-hitter, capped by a six-out slash from Abner Uribe, the longest of his young career.
Murphy summed up their identity perfectly:
“You can call them the average Joes — but I say they’re the above-average Joes.”
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A Team That Mirrors Its Legend
In many ways, the Brewers perfectly reflect Uecker’s personality — humble, underestimated, but relentlessly joyful. Uecker wasn’t just a broadcaster; he was a clubhouse staple. Players decades younger gravitated toward him, not for advice — though he gave plenty — but for stories.
Christian Yelich recalled earlier this season:
“Lunch with Ueck was like buying a mystery ticket — you had no idea where the conversation was going, but you knew it’d be great.”
Even during his quiet battle with cancer last year, Uecker never stopped visiting the team. He insisted on calling games, telling jokes, and treating the ballpark like home. When the Brewers clinched the NL Central last season, Murphy wrapped his arm around Uecker in the champagne-soaked clubhouse and roared:
“There is no one — no one — who epitomizes a champion like this man right here!”
The players chanted his name: “UUUUUECK!”
One More Ride — For Bob
immediately, the Brewers move on to face the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers — the same franchise that crushed their dreams in the 2018 NLCS.
This time, they’ll do it with Uecker’s name waving beside them.
His photo hung in the clubhouse Saturday, smiling among the players he inspired.
They couldn’t give him a World Series while he was here.
But they’re determined to win one for him immediately.
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