Milwaukee, WI
Remembering Bob Uecker
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.
Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam talks greater involvement, Giannis future
Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam says that he will have a greater involvement with the team and that includes the decision on if to re-sign Giannis Antetokounmpo.
In his first press conference to discuss on-court basketball matters with the Milwaukee Bucks, one in which the organization introduced Taylor Jenkins as its new head coach on May 6, co-owner Jimmy Haslam didn’t waste any time in providing a bit of clarity with the direction of the franchise the Haslam Sports Group bought into in 2023.
Haslam, who said he anticipates being around the Bucks more often going forward, flatly stated the team will decide either trade superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo or continue to build the team around him by the NBA draft, which will be held June 23-24.
It was a stark departure from the last calendar year, when the organization and locker room navigated through a consistent barrage of trade speculation about the two-time Most Valuable Player.
“I just think before the draft is a natural time, right, because if Giannis does play somewhere else we ought to get a lot of assets,” Haslam said. “And that’s [general manager] Jon [Horst’s] job to do. And if he’s here, you build the team differently.”
Haslam then took a beat to add, without a prompt, “I just want to stress though, that our relationship with him – despite what is reported by certain ESPN writers – is very positive.”
Questions about Antetokounmpo’s future with the organization didn’t entirely dominate Jenkins’ reintroduction to Milwaukee, as the former Bucks assistant and Memphis Grizzlies head coach was able to lay out some aspects of his vision for the team, his partnership with Horst and how he seeks to re-establish a winning culture.
But Jenkins did acknowledge the looming decision on which direction the team is going to take with – or without – Antetokounmpo was a key point in the hours long discussions he had with co-owners Haslam and Wes Edens, as well as Horst.
“It’s a big one,” Haslam said of the decision over the future of its franchise cornerstone. “It’s a big one. And you gotta get it right. And Jon knows it and Wes knows it. And we didn’t hold back with Taylor. We just said, listen, he may or may not be with us, so don’t come because of that because you want to be straight up with people.”
Horst added that Antetokounmpo did not meet with Jenkins in the interview process, but the head coach and the star have spoken.
And, Antetokounmpo gave an endorsement on the hire to the Journal Sentinel.
“I think he’s an incredible person,” Antetokounmpo said. “Obviously, he’s an incredible coach. I was able to be with him in 2019 and we made the Eastern Conference finals.
“After that he left, he was one of the first coaches that left the coaching staff and went to Memphis and he had an incredible six years in Memphis. He made them contenders in the West. He had incredible culture in Memphis.
“I had the conversation. I don’t think Milwaukee is just getting just a good coach, I think they’re getting a good person. And that’s where it starts with. Having a good person around that’s gonna be able to set the tone, that set the culture and what Milwaukee Bucks basketball is all about. He’s a really good coach.”
As for the prospect of being coached by Jenkins, Antetokounmpo said, “We’ll see.”
And clearly that is the approach the organization is taking as well.
“Giannis has brought Milwaukee its second championship and the first in 50 years,” Haslam said. “He’s a phenomenal player. He’s a phenomenal person. He’s arguably one of the best basketball players in the world and we will do what’s best for Giannis and what’s best for the organization.
“We don’t know whether Giannis will stay with us or not, but we’ll work through that with Giannis in the coming weeks.”
For his part, Antetokounmpo addressed how he was going to approach his immediate future with the team on April 12.
“Nothing – phone on do not disturb,” he said after the Bucks’ season finale in Philadelphia. “Working hard every single day to improve my game, be in the best physical shape that I can be and just stay away from it – all of it.
“I feel like this season, not just because of the way it went, it was draining for me for sure and how everybody approached my situation and the Bucks situation. But again, if it was draining for me, it was definitely draining for the team and for the organization, but I feel like sometimes people just don’t listen.
“They listen to the sources, and the main source is me. It is what it is. So again, do not disturb phone, go about my day, improve and come back better.”
MILWAUKEE – This week marks Teacher Appreciation Week and, as many teachers are honored throughout the week, one local educator is in the running for one of the nation’s top honors.
America’s Favorite Teacher
What we know:
Tina Gleason, a teacher at Golda Meir School in Milwaukee, is in the running to become “America’s Favorite Teacher” and needs the support of the community to earn the title.
Gleason is going up against thousands of teachers nationwide. But each week, that list narrows down.
This week wraps up the quarterfinals – where Gleason will rely on public vote to move on.
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Gleason has been teaching for 31 years. Almost half those years have been catered to STEM and sustainability education.
“I think it’s just an honor to be recognized,” said Tina Gleason. “I’m just excited to be in the running at all, I had no idea I’d make it to the quarterfinals.”
How to vote
What you can do:
Voting for the quarterfinals ends on May 7 at 9 a.m. A single vote is free – while a larger quantity requires a donation to The Planetary Society.
Help Tina Gleason become America’s Favorite Teacher by casting your vote here.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by America’s Favorite Teacher.
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