Milwaukee, WI

Remembering Bob Uecker

Published

1 year ago

January 16, 2025

Obviously, this is a Milwaukee Bucks blog. However, today, it’s more than that. Today, it’s not just a Milwaukee Brewers one as well, but a Milwaukee one.

Today, we lost an absolute legend in Bob Uecker.

Let me be frank. I don’t know where to start with this, so I’m just going to type out whatever comes into my head.

Bob Uecker embodied baseball to perfection. In its simplest form, baseball is a children’s game where all that’s needed is a ball and a stick.

When Ueck talked baseball, everyone felt transported back to that euphoric, childhood state where so many of us first found our love for the game.

Ueck achieved that in such an easy way — by being himself. Whether it was a close nail biter of a finish or the Brewers were getting trounced 14-1, it was always a must-listen. You never knew what stories would unfold with him behind the mic.

In a day and age where stats and accolades are endlessly analyzed and arguments of who’s the GOAT are overwhelmingly debated, Bob Uecker was the exact opposite.

By constantly making himself the butt of every one of his jokes, he brought not just laughs, but a sense of nostalgia association with the game of baseball from childhood, where smiles and laughter are the synonymous definitions of the game.

When I think of Ueck, that’s what I think of — my childhood.

Growing up, my family didn’t have cable. In fact, we’d finally get cable in 2008, which was the year the Brewers made their first playoff appearance since 1982.

Contrary to what my then 7th grade-self was thinking, I’m glad we didn’t have cable up until then. It allowed me to listen to Ueck on the airwaves.

It created an endless amount of memories that I’ll cherish the rest of my life.

I’ll never forget Eddie Pérez’s walk-off HR against the Reds in 2003 and Ueck’s, ““It hit the pole!” call. And then Wes Helms’ walk-off HR against the Expos in 2004. For that one, my brother and I were listening to a radio under our bed after we had been told it was bedtime, only to jump out of bed and run around the house (the excitement began before Ueck even started his second “Get up!” call.).

Then, you have the shared experiences that so many of us will treasure together. Sitting outside on a warm summer night, crickets chirping, the radio on, a warm breeze hitting your face, the smell of the grill tickling your nose, and Ueck’s voice gracing the airwaves.

When you sit back and remember those moments, you think back to the simplicity of it all. Bob Uecker, by being himself and just speaking words into a microphone, crafted himself as the voice of summer. And to me (and I’m sure many of you), that exact scene is, and will remain, the definition of summer.

So tonight, I welcome you all join me by heading out and to grabbing a pack of Usinger’s bratwurst and a pint of Cedar Crest ice cream to go along with it. That’s what I’ll be having for dinner.

And afterwards, I’ll be headed down to Miller Park (yes, I still call it that) to lay flowers by Ueck’s statue. If you’re in the Milwaukee area, please join me in doing so.

Ueck was Milwaukee. He was Wisconsin. Milwaukee Brewers games will never be the same. However, it’s through conversation with fellow fans that we’ll mourn, celebrate, smile, and joke about Ueck’s life — because that’s what he’d want us to do.

So, with that being said, I welcome you all to leave comments about some of your favorite Uecker calls. I know it’ll help me and I hope it’ll help you too.

RIP, Mr. Baseball. We’ll never forget you.

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Tool secures tax incentives for $206M expansion in Menomonee Falls

Published

6 hours ago

February 17, 2026

Press Room

Milwaukee Tool secures tax incentives for 6M expansion in Menomonee Falls

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — The Menomonee Falls Village Board approved tax incentives Monday night for Milwaukee Tool as the company continues to plan a massive expansion to its facility off Good Hope Road.

The board approved one tax incremental district and amended another, laying the financial groundwork for Milwaukee Tool’s multi-phase, nearly $206 million expansion across almost 92 acres of land.

According to the deal, Milwaukee Tool will remodel an existing 164,000-square-foot building into an electric lab and research and development facility. The company will then construct new buildings over four phases, totaling 750,000 square feet by 2038.

The new development will be located in wooded land just northwest of their current facility off Good Hope Road.

Watch: Milwaukee Tool secures tax incentives for $206M expansion in Menomonee Falls

Milwaukee Tool secures tax incentives for $206M expansion in Menomonee Falls

“We are continuing to invest in and grow our Menomonee Falls campus, and the agreement provides flexibility to support that growth over the long term,” a Milwaukee Tool representative said in an email to TMJ4 Monday evening.

The contract also allows the company to build a private road connected to Fond du Lac Avenue if the development reaches 2,000 permanent employees, though that is not a minimum requirement for the development.

Both tax districts were passed by unanimous vote from the Village Board.

This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Milwaukee, WI

Wauwatosa sweep vaults Brookfield East in area boys basketball rankings

Published

18 hours ago

February 16, 2026

Press Room

Wauwatosa sweep vaults Brookfield East in area boys basketball rankings

Several top Milwaukee-area high school boys basketball teams are competing for conference titles and top seeds.
Brookfield East is named team of the week after two key conference wins put it in contention for the Greater Metro Conference title.
West Allis Central dropped in the rankings after its star player, Yusef Gray Jr., was reported to be out for the season.
Wisconsin Lutheran remains undefeated and holds the top spot in the area rankings.

It is a big week for several top high school boys hoops teams in the Milwaukee area, as programs make their final cases for top seeds and clinch conference titles.

Slinger and Whitefish Bay, locked in a dead heat for the North Shore title, are ranked just as close in our area rankings this week. Brookfield East earns our team of the week nod after a sweep of conference opponents gave it the inside track for a Greater Metro Conference title. West Allis Central kept winning last week, but the news that Iowa State commit and 6-foot-5 senior guard Yusef Gray Jr. is reportedly out for the season dropped the Bulldogs another couple spots.

Wauwatosa West dropping a barn-burner to Brookfield East drops it out of the top 10 this week, while Milwaukee Audubon Tech (13-7) has lost three straight games to drop out of others considered.

Here are our full area rankings, team of the week and games to watch in the week ahead.

AREA RANKINGS

Team (W-L), last week

Wisconsin Lutheran (21-0), 1
Port Washington (20-1), 2
Milwaukee Juneau (19-1), 5
New Berlin West (19-2), 3
Brookfield East (17-4), 9
Slinger (17-4), 4
Whitefish Bay (16-5), –
West Allis Central (19-2), 6
Golda Meir (16-2), 8
Howard Fuller Collegiate (18-2), 10

Others considered: Arrowhead (15-6), Germantown (12-8), Greendale (16-5), Hartford Union (15-6), Kettle Moraine (14-7), Lake Country Lutheran (16-3), Milwaukee Bay View (17-3), Milwaukee Vincent (12-2), Racine Case (17-4), Wauwatosa West (15-5).

TEAM OF THE WEEK

Brookfield East

Seemingly back to full health upon the return of breakout 6-foot freshman guard Max McMullen, the Spartans surged to the top of a cutthroat Greater Metro Conference race with two league wins by narrow margins last week.

Brookfield East completed a sweep of Wauwatosa last week, first beating Tosa East in double overtime on Feb. 10. Senior 6-3 guard TJ Platz scored 31 points with 11 rebounds to lead the win, with 6-foot senior guard Owen Counsell adding 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench. In a star-studded Feb. 13 meeting with Tosa West, the Spartans overcame 44 points from Matthew Kloskey and 29 from Jalen Brown of the Trojans to win a 100-95 track meet. Senior 5-9 guard Ronje Horton Jr. had a team-best 27 points, while McMullen added 25 in his return to action from a right arm injury. Platz had 20 points and a team-high eight rebounds, while 6-1 sophomore guard Davian White had 11 points off the bench.

The victories put Brookfield East at 11-3 in the GMC entering the week, putting it ahead of Germantown (10-4), Wauwatosa West (9-4) and Brookfield Central (9-4) among remaining conference title contenders. A win Feb. 17 over Central could clinch at least a share of the title for East, whose final league game is against West Allis Hale (1-13) on Feb. 20.

COMING UP

Milwaukee Lutheran at West Allis Central, 7 p.m. Feb. 19: Milwaukee Lutheran hung with WAC like few teams had before Gray Jr.’s injury earlier this year, and will look to avenge that 99-85 loss from Jan. 27.

Germantown at Whitnall, 7 p.m. Feb. 20: A pair of scrappy teams just outside the lead in their respective conferences lock up as they prepare for the WIAA postseason.

Arrowhead at Marquette, 4 p.m. Feb. 21: While both programs are not quite where they were two years ago, a rematch of the 2024 WIAA Division 1 state title could be the springboard for either program to make another deep postseason run.

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Milwaukee, WI

Doug Gottlieb goes on postgame tirade after Milwaukee beats Green Bay late

Published

1 day ago

February 16, 2026

Press Room

Doug Gottlieb goes on postgame tirade after Milwaukee beats Green Bay late

Because the whistles had been so plentiful, Stevie Elam’s defense in the waning moments had to be perfect.

It was ‒ depending on who you ask.

As a foul-ridden contest between rivals came to a close at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena on Feb. 15, UW-Green Bay guard Preston Ruedinger wisely attacked the rim with his team trailing by a point and the clock under 10 seconds. Expecting at the very least to draw some contact and a whistle, all he instead encountered was Elam stripping the ball away.

The freshman stripped Ruedinger, then sank two free throws to ice a 75-72 win for the Panthers to avoid what would have been the first sweep to their in-state foes since 2018-19.

“He had to get that ball pretty clean,” Milwaukee head coach Bart Lundy said. “They were driving with force. We had a couple plays before that where it looked like we stopped them and we did get whistled. But Stevie Elam’s strength as a true freshman, his hand strength is off the charts; it’s probably NFL-level.”

Lundy’s counterpart disagreed, to say the least.

“The last play of the game, just to get the ball they were grabbing us and holding us,” Phoenix head coach Doug Gottlieb said. “Again, I understand if you’re not calling that, that’s fine. You had the exact same play at both ends in the last play of the game.”

Gottlieb paused, ever so briefly, then aggressively slammed his fists into the table atop the dais.

“The exact same [expletive] play,” Gottlieb yelled. “The exact same play.”

Gottlieb was fed up with the officiating crew from the afternoon after receiving a technical foul and seeing his team shoot 18 free throws compared to Milwaukee’s 37. He specifically called out the technical he received in the second half with just under 7 minutes to play and his team up three, as well as a loose-ball foul on CJ O’Hara with 4:25 to go and his team up four.

“I need the new commissioner of the Horizon League to explain to me what a technical foul is when I don’t leave the box, I don’t curse, I’m not demonstrative,” Gottlieb said. “There was nothing, nothing that should have been called a technical foul. I know when I earn one. I did not earn one. The CJ play, we’re up [four] points, that dramatically changed the [trajectory] of the game.”

Postgame tirades aside, the Panthers had to overcome a huge night from Green Bay’s Marcus Hall to do so, as the junior from Schofield, Wisconsin, had 32 points and seven rebounds.

Central to Milwaukee’s efforts in doing so: free throws and Chandler Jackson, who scored 23 points.

Twenty-four of the Panthers’ free throws came in the second half, and they hit 22 of them – despite being one of the worst free-throw shooting teams in the country at 68.5% entering the day.

Milwaukee led for only 1 minute, 53 seconds in total.

After cutting the lead to one three times prior in the final minutes, the Panthers took the lead with 69 seconds left when Esyah Pippa-White was fouled going for a defensive rebound and hit a pair of free throws.

On the other end, Hall corralled his own miss and laid it back up with 45 seconds left to put the Phoenix up 72-71.

But Amar Augillard wisely drove to the basket on the other end, where he drew a foul much to Gottlieb’s chagrin and hit Milwaukee’s 19th and 20th free throws of the half.

“Our end, [if] you don’t want to call a foul, he drove into traffic, whatever,” the Phoenix second-year coach and former radio host said. “It’s the exact same play as the other end. Could not be more similar. And yet every time they drove in there it was a foul, and every time we did it was a miss.”

Milwaukee shot 19 more free throws than Green Bay despite drawing only five more fouls.

Jackson went 8 for 8 from the stripe as he finished two points shy of his career-high of 25 points, which he set in Milwaukee’s most recent game, Feb. 10 at IU Indy.

Initially thought of as a likely redshirt candidate, Jackson has become arguably the heavily injured Panthers’ most-consistent scorer of late. He’s averaging 14.1 points over his past eight games.

“To see Chandler from June to where he is now, he’s just a different guy, different player,” Lundy said. “When we inserted Chandler, we really inserted him for his communication. He helps everyone get better defensively. That’s what got him the opportunity and everything has grown from that. It wasn’t like he was in practice scoring at will on everyone. He talked. He communicated. He cared.”

Elam was the only other Milwaukee player to reach double-digit scoring, finishing with 11 points.

With the win, the Panthers moved a half-game clear of Youngstown State and Cleveland State for eighth place in the Horizon League, which matters because the 10th and 11th place teams face off in a play-in for the conference tournament.

Green Bay left the building, meanwhile, in a tie for third – and forcefully demanding answers from the conference.

“All we ask is that there’s a fair game. That’s what we ask,” Gottlieb said. “CJ O’Hara goes and gets an offensive rebound, their player dives at his legs and CJ gets called for a foul. I need [Jill Bodensteiner] at the league, our new commissioner, to explain to me the disparity in the officiating. That’s what I need explained to me.

“I have no problem with their team, their staff. They played hard. They did what they do. They played tough and they played aggressive. I need somebody to explain to me, just those two. There are others I have massive issues with, including every time we touched them there was a foul in the second half.”

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