The Milwaukee Admirals have announced their plans to honor the legacy of Wisconsin legend, Bob Uecker. Admirals President Jon Greenberg expressed his sadness over losing Uecker on behalf of the organization. In a statement, Greenberg said that the Admirals efforts to honor Uecker are “just a small token of appreciation for the person that gave so much to this community during his 91 years”.
Admirals players are already wearing stickers on their helmets that say “Ueck”. The affectionate nickname is printed in the classic blue and yellow Brewers colors, with a jersey-style font to match. On Wednesday, January 22nd, the team also held a moment of silence to honor Uecker before their game at the Panther arena.
However, the Admirals are also planning to honor Uecker’s longtime connection with the team. In the 1990s, Uecker appeared in several television commercials alongside Lloyd Pettit. Pettit became the owner of the Milwaukee Admirals in 1976 after a career as a Chicago sportscaster. The television commercials were extremely popular throughout their run in Wisconsin. Notably, one of these spots portrayed Uecker as he envisioned new uniforms for the Admirals. The uniforms were imagined to be brown and yellow plaid, an homage to Uecker’s own sport coat. The uniforms were created and worn for two games during the 2005 season, where they were a huge hit with fans.
In the wake of Uecker’s passing, the Admirals are planning to bring back the plaid jerseys for their final game of the season. The last game is set to be held on Friday, April 18th against the Chicago Wolves. After the game, the jerseys will be auctioned off. All of the proceeds from the auction will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Bob Uecker had worked closely with Make-A-Wish throughout his career. He helped grant many wishes and often aided the foundation in raising money.
Wisconsinites and baseball lovers alike have been morning the loss of the local legend. Bob Uecker passed away on January 16, 2025. He was the broadcaster for the Milwaukee Brewers from 1971 to 2024, and was well-known for his iconic voice, storytelling abilities, and great personality. Nicknamed “Mr. Baseball”, he left a notable impact on Wisconsin. In the days after his death, droves of fans left flowers, jerseys, and cans of Miller Lite at his statue at Miller Park.