It was just over a month ago that longtime Milwaukee Brewers play-by-play announcer Bob Uecker passed away at the age of 90. The former major league baseball catcher called Brewers games for 54 years, which was the second-longest tenure with one team among active MLB announcers prior to his death.
On Saturday, as the Brewers opened up their spring training schedule, radio play-by-play announcer Jeff Levering welcomed the listening audience to the first Brewers radio broadcast since Uecker’s passing with a tribute to his last legacy in the radio booth.
“Just to the right of Lane (Grindle), a bouquet of flowers and a chair with Bob Uecker’s name on the back,” Levering said. “For the first time since the inaugural season in 1970, there will be a season without hearing Ueck’s voice.”
In a very emotional opening to the broadcast, Levering shared that the mission of the broadcasts will still be the same. Just as Uecker would have it, they will talk Brewers baseball, share a laugh, and may cry as well.
“The weight of his loss is felt by everybody,” added Levering. “Not just in this group, or in the organization, but around the world. He was our mentor, but more importantly, he was our friend, and we miss him dearly.”
The Milwaukee Brewers announced on Sunday that the team will honor the late Uecker with a commemorative patch on the sleeve of their jerseys for the entire 2025 season. The patch is designed with Uecker’s signature laid on a plaid accent, which the team says represents the colorful sports coats he used to wear.
The team plans to hold a public celebration of life honoring Uecker sometime this season as well.
While no official announcement has been made by the organization, it is expected that Levering will move into the full-time play-by-play role for the Brewers radio network, with Grindle serving as game analyst. Levering enters his ninth season as a play-by-play announcer for the Brewers after joining the club in 2015.
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