After having to wait a few hours before finally celebrating their second consecutive National League Central Division championship, the Milwaukee Brewers’ kept the champagne on ice a little bit longer after their walk-off victory over the Phillies Wednesday night at American Family Field.
Not that anybody minded one bit.
The additional delay was necessary as the Brewers wanted to wait for Hall of Fame broadcaster and franchise icon Bob Uecker to make his way down from his broadcast booth to the clubhouse.
And once Mr. Baseball walked through the doors, well … it was time to let loose.
Bob Uecker, everybody pic.twitter.com/2tS2w0Q15F
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 19, 2024
Manager Pat Murphy paused the shenanigans for a moment to pay tribute to Uecker, a Milwaukee native who broke into baseball with the then-hometown Braves in 1962, joined the Brewers’ broadcast team in 1971 and has been behind the microphone ever since.
“There is no one who epitomizes being a champion as much as this guy does,” said Murphy, who was recording his pregame radio show with Uecker when the Cubs fell to the A’s earlier Wednesday, officially clinching the division for the Brewers.
Uecker, as always, spoke from the heart.
“I don’t know if this is champagne or if I peed my pants,” Uecker exclaimed, a smile across his face. “I’ll find out tomorrow!”
And then, the 90-year-old joined the party, celebrating with a group so young that most weren’t even born yet when he played perhaps his most famous role: announcer Harry Doyle in “Major League.”
Though he’s trimmed his workload in recent seasons and no longer travels with the team, he’s still treated like a teammate by Brewers players who hooted and hollered when Uecker joined them for an on-field picture after the celebration.
The legend, Bob Uecker!!#ThisIsMyCrew | @SophiaMinnaert pic.twitter.com/BMiJ5R7vn0
— Bally Sports Wisconsin (@BallySportWI) September 19, 2024
Main Photo Credits: Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
