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One of a kind. Tim McCarver said Uek was the funniest guy he ever met. A few personal memories:
Getting his 1963 Topps card as a kid and wondering who this Bob “You-ecker” guy was.
We acquired him a year later and I complained to my dad, “Why did we get Uecker, he’s lousy?! We should have just kept Gene Oliver.”
The infamous tuba incident before a 1964 world Series game. Bob Howsam hated that and never liked Uek.
Living in the dorms at the U of Wyoming in the ’70s. My roommate and I would watch Johnny Carson every weeknight, and “rooted” for Uecker to be a guest as he was always hilarious.
One line in particular I remember from one of those Carson shows back then – recall it like it was last night:
Johnny: “Did you ever win any awards when you were playing?”
Uek (in that great dead-panned style): “Sure, I got a few awards…..minor league player of the year
one year…………course I was in the major leagues at the time.” 🙂He will be missed.
One thing in looking at his baseball stats. You just have to wonder how he ever made it to the big show. Traditionally catchers could and can make it on defense but he wasnt very good at that. But he waa a great ambassador for the game. May Mr. Baseball rest in peace.
He often pointed out the fact that anyone blessed with the talent and ability to hit .300 can stick around in the Big Leagues. But to be a .200 hitter and still retain the ablility to trick people year in and year out was a much greater accomplishment…Mr. Baseball certainly possessed an incredibly rare sort of talent.
Thanks for that, 4Ever. I recall seeing a clip from the Carson show in which the Ueck told the story behind that team photo.
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