MILWAUKEE (AP) 鈥� Milwaukee Brewers fans offered one more toast to on Tuesday during a dedication ceremony for a giant downtown mural of the longtime broadcaster who died last year.
鈥淲e鈥檝e always said that Ueck鈥檚 legacy would echo forever, especially in this community and the baseball community,鈥� Lane Grindle, one of Uecker鈥檚 former broadcast partners, said while standing in front of the mural that鈥檚 80 feet wide and 100 feet high. 鈥淎nd this behind me is one of those echoes. We also always said Bob is larger than life, and now he literally is exactly that.鈥�
Uecker broadcast Brewers games for 54 seasons before at the age of 90. Milwaukee has ever since for the loyalty he showed to his hometown even after developing into a national celebrity for his appearances in movies, television shows and commercials.
There already are two statues of him at American Family Field 鈥� one outside the stadium and another at the top row to pay homage to his 鈥淢ust be in the front row鈥� line from one of his most famous Miller Lite commercials. Now, he鈥檚 being honored downtown as well.
The mural features Uecker wearing one of his trademark plaid blazers and has his signature along with his 鈥淢r. Baseball鈥� nickname. The mural is located on the north fa莽ade of the Wintrust Financial Center building on 731 North Jackson Street.
Installation of the mural began in mid-May. It was designed by Mauricio Ramirez, who produced a similar to honor four years before the Milwaukee Bucks the two-time NBA MVP to the Miami Heat. The Antetokounmpo mural is 53 1/2 feet high and 56 1/2 feet wide.
Tuesday鈥檚 dedication ceremony included appearances from Brewers manager Pat Murphy, outfielder Christian Yelich and president of baseball operations Matt Arnold, as well as several of Uecker鈥檚 family members.
鈥淗e was truly interested in the players,鈥� Murphy said. 鈥淗e really cared about them. He remembered things. It didn鈥檛 matter if you were at Yeli鈥檚 status or a kid just brought up from Triple-A. He was at home in that cIubhouse. He knew that was his family year in and year out.鈥�
Yelich discussed how Uecker鈥檚 celebrity status helped make him a master storyteller.
鈥淚t was special to get to know Ueck over the years and get to see him in his environment, just with the guys, hanging out, telling stories, getting to be himself,鈥� Yelich said. 鈥淭hat was special, just getting to be around him, go to dinners, be his friend and just hear about his life and experiences and all the things he got to do, not only in baseball but outside of it, with some of the acting stuff and the 鈥楾onight Show鈥� and astronauts calling him, presidents calling him and all kinds of crazy stuff that he got to do. It was just a privilege to get to hear it.鈥�
The first 500 people of legal drinking age to arrive for the dedication ceremony received a can of Miller Lite, courtesy of Molson Coors, to participate in a celebratory toast in Uecker鈥檚 honor as they rewarded him one more time for his dedication to the city.
鈥淟oyalty was his brand,鈥� Brewers president of business operations Rick Schlesinger said 鈥淗e had been offered opportunities to go national, to do things, to work for other teams. I know George Steinbrenner of the Yankees kept trying to poach him. Milwaukee was his home and his love, and he never left us.鈥�
___
AP MLB:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
