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Longtime Brewers Announcer Bob Uecker Dies At Age 90

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Longtime Brewers Announcer Bob Uecker Dies At Age 90


Summertime in Milwaukee will never be the same.

For the last 54 years, Bob Uecker’s voice let Milwaukeeans know that another long, cold winter had come to an end, that spring had finally arrived and with it, Milwaukee Brewers baseball and another summer of sunshine and warmer weather.

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Uecker provided the soundtrack for those months, bringing Brewers games to fans as they made their way to summer cottages, enjoyed days on the lake or just relaxing in their own backyards.

This summer, though, will be different after Uecker passed away Thursday at the age of 90, following a brief and private battle with cancer.

“He’s really the heart of Milwaukee baseball,” Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said.

That might be an understatement because in many ways, Uecker epitomizes Milwaukee baseball.

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Long before he called his first Brewers came in 1971, the Milwaukee native was a standout prep baseball player for Boys Tech High School. After graduating in 1956, he became the first local player signed by the hometown Milwaukee Braves, who brought him to the big leagues in 1961.

Uecker would spend six seasons in the majors and was part of a St. Louis Cardinals team that won the World Series in 1964. After closing out the 1967 season in Atlanta, where the Braves moved following the 1965 season, Uecker retired and started his broadcast career with WSB-TV.

Milwaukee, though, was always home and Uecker return to the city where he became a scout for the fledgling Brewers franchise, which Bud Selig had brought to town after a one-year run as an expansion team in Seattle.

While scouting wasn’t Uecker’s forte, Selig knew where his friend would shine and sent him up to the broadcast booth where he joined Merle Harmon and Tom Collins, a spot he’d never relinquish.

Along the way, Uecker’s natural gift for entertaining and comedy led to more than 100 appearances on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, who gave Uecker the nickname “Mr. Baseball,” syndicated shows like “Bob Uecker’s Wacky World of Sports,” a starring role in the ABC sitcom “Mr. Belvedere” and starring roles in classic films like “Major League.”

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Oh, and enshrinement in baseball’s Hall of Fame.

But no matter where Uecker’s fame led him, he never strayed too far from his hometown and never considered giving up his “real job” with the Brewers, so much so that up until recently, he never worked under a contract.

“Every year we asked,” said president of business operations Rick Schlesinger. “And every year he said, ‘No, a handshake is good enough for me.’”

Uecker called some of the franchise’s greatest moments, including it’s first — and to this date, only — trip to the World Series in 1982 but was also behind the mic during a lot of forgettable years, during which his humor kept fans tuning in every night.

When the franchise’s fortunes started to turn for the better, Uecker was still there helping teach a new generation of players what it meant to play in Milwaukee and brining their successes to a new generation of fans.

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“He had the unique ability to relate to all of us,” former Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun said. “He’d lived the game through our eyes. He understood how challenging a season could be at different times. And so to be able to go to him just to talk about life more so than baseball, was something that I think we all looked forward to. The season can get challenging. It can feel stressful at times. I think he was just a source of consistency and calm for all of us, and we valued his opinion, right? He just always had a unique ability to say the right thing, to give good advice, to make you laugh, to not take things as seriously and to just bring joy to our lives.”

The Brewers never made it back to the World Series before Uecker passed away and it will be somewhat bittersweet if they get there without him making the call, but time marches on and as different as it will be, so will the Brewers, who are planning ways to honor their franchise icon this season.

“Bob Uecker is not replaceable,” Attanasio said. “He was a true man of the people, without saying he was a man of people.”



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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Jewish community to honor those killed in Australia terror attack at Hanukkah event

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Milwaukee Jewish community to honor those killed in Australia terror attack at Hanukkah event


MILWAUKEE — To honor those who were killed on Sunday in Sydney, Australia during a Hanukkah event, Chabad of Milwaukee will be honoring the memory of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was killed, and all those affected at the Hanukkah Festival and Gelt Drop event at Bayshore Mall in Glendale on Sunday evening, according to Rabbi Levi Stein.

“Acts of hate and violence are meant to spread darkness and fear,” Stein said in a statement. “Tonight we are choosing to respond with more light.”

Rabbi Schlanger was among the 16 victims killed during the terrorist attack that occurred at the “Hanukkah by the Sea” event held at Bondi Beach in Australia.

Sean Gallup/Getty Images

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A Star of David is visible among the ornamentation at the Brodyer Synagogue at the ordination of new Rabbis Shlomo Afanasev and Moshe Baumel on August 30, 2010 in Leipzig, Germany.

To honor the memory of Rabbi Schlanger and those affected, Chabad of Milwaukee will be handing out electric tea lights to those in attendance, giving out coins for Tzedakah (Charity), as well as encouraging everyone to do additional good deeds throughout the evening.

CEO of Chabad Lubavitch of Wisconsin, Rabbi Mendel Shmotkin, urged the Milwaukee community, Jewish and not, in a statement, “to come together tonight, not only as an act of solidarity with the Jewish people, but as a declaration that all good people stand on the front lines of this moral struggle.”

“This is a moment for Jews and non-Jews alike to recognize that we are on the same side of history,” he said. “History has also shown that when good people stand together, evil loses.”

Chabad will also be increasing security, Stein said, and will also be working closely with local law enforcement to ensure that everyone remains safe and warm during the event.

Rabbi Schlanger’s wife, who was also shot but survived, was the roommate and classmate of Stein’s wife, Leah. “This tragedy hits painfully close to home,” Stein said.

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“Tonight, we gather not just to celebrate Chanukah – but to reaffirm that light, goodness, and humanity will always outshine the darkness,” Stein added.

Southeast Wisconsin communities speak out

In a statement sent to TMJ4, Forward Latino, a local non-profit, non-partisan, service and advocacy organization in Franklin, called out to everyone to “join us in a moment of remembrance and prayer for those whose lives were lost, and then to recommit ourselves to standing against hate and bigotry in all their forms.”

“We are confronted with the painful reality that hate and antisemitism continue to be actively and passively promoted, while too few speak out with the urgency such moments demand,” the statement continued. “During this holiday season, a time of faith, reflection, and renewal, we must each look inward and ask ourselves, ‘What can I do to help eliminate hate?’”

The Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Whitefish Bay posted a statement on social media thanking the Wisconsin Jewish Security Network, local law enforcement and everyone who works to keep the Jewish communities safe.

“Hanukkah is a holiday rooted in resilience – a reminder that even in moments of darkness, light endures,” the JCC wrote. “At the JCC, we believe the antidote to antisemitism is Jewish Joy, Connection, and Community, and we will not allow hate to silence our traditions or our plans to celebrate Hanukkah with our community today and for all eight nights.”

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“Tonight, as we light our candles, we do so with broken hearts and in defiance of hate everywhere,” Co-Chair of the WisDems Jewish Caucus said in a statement sent to TMJ4. “We are resilient, and our community has never, and will never, hide away in response to this sort of violence.”


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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Admirals fall to Wolves, losing streak now 5 games

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Milwaukee Admirals fall to Wolves, losing streak now 5 games


(Courtesy: Milwaukee Admirals)

Ryan Ufko and David Edstrom scored goals for the Admirals, but they dropped a 4-2 decision to the Chicago Wolves on Saturday night at historic Panther Arena.

Big picture view:

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The loss extended the Ads losing streak to five games.

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By the numbers:

The Wolves grabbed an early lead when Bradley Nadeau potted his ninth goal of the season 8:21 into the game.

David Edstrom and the Admirals league-leading power-play knotted the score at one with just under seven minutes to play in the frame. With the penalty winding down, Cole Hara’s shot from between the wheels was deflected in by Edstrom for his fifth tally of the year.

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However, the Wolves would score two more to close out the frame, including one by Domonic Fensore with just 0.7 seconds left in the first.

Milwaukee would get one back during the second period courtesy of a Ryan Ufko power-play marker. Stationed in the high slot, Ufko took a feed from Daniel Carr and ripped a one-timer over the shoulder of Chicago netminder Amir Miftakhov.  

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The Ads pressed for the tying goal and had a 6-on-4 advantage late in the third period, but Chicago’s Justin Robidas scored an empty-netter to seal the deal for the Wolves.  

What’s next:

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The Admirals will hit the road for their final three games before the Christmas break, beginning Wednesday morning at 11 a.m. against the Wolves. The Ads’ next home contest will be on Saturday, Dec. 27 at 6 p.m. against the Grand Rapids Griffins.

The Source: The Milwaukee Admirals provided this report.

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Downtown Milwaukee temporary steam outage, We Energies restoring service

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Downtown Milwaukee temporary steam outage, We Energies restoring service


An issue at the Valley Power Plant caused a temporary steam outage for downtown Milwaukee buildings on Saturday, Dec. 13.

Steam service interrupted

What we know:

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According to We Energies, the gas supply to the Valley Power Plant was interrupted on Saturday morning, causing it to go offline. The plant produces steam for downtown buildings for heating.

We Energies says it has restored service to the steam system and is bringing steam back to customers, but the restoration process requires steam pressure to build back up in the steam system. Once pressure reaches safe levels, steam service can be delivered to customers.

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Customers should begin to see service return over the next few hours, and some are already restored.

We Energies says it does not anticipate any more steam outages, and that this issue is not affecting electric or natural gas service.

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Show canceled

What we know:

The Marcus Performing Arts Center says its building has been impacted by the steam outage and, as a result, had to cancel its 1 p.m. matinée performance of The Pigeon Gets A Big Time Holiday Extravaganza!

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Ticket holders will be contacted directly to get further information about next steps.

All other shows at the Marcus Performing Arts Center will go on as scheduled.

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The Source: We Energies and The Marcus Performing Arts Center sent FOX6 the information.

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