'This one's for Ueck': Brewers dedicate first World Series title to Bob Uecker

The Milwaukee Brewers won the first World Series championship in franchise history on Wednesday night, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5. Within minutes, the celebration turned to the man who wanted to see it more than almost anyone: Bob Uecker, the team’s longtime broadcaster, who died in January 2025.

“He’s smiling, man. He’s smiling,” Christian Yelich told Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal on the field. “I really wish he could have been here to see this. … But like we said a bunch, he’s been with us a lot. We keep him close to our hearts. And this one’s still for Bob.”

Who is Bob Uecker?

Uecker was the voice of the Brewers for 54 seasons, according to Fox Sports, and was known far beyond Milwaukee as “Mr. Baseball.” He died in January 2025 at age 90 from small-cell lung cancer, months after calling his final Brewers postseason game. Fox Sports reported his diagnosis was never made public, though those closest to him knew, including Yelich.

USA Today described a clubhouse figure who kept players “in stitches” and who spent more than half a century with the franchise. His dream of seeing the Brewers win a World Series went unrealized in his lifetime.

When did Bob Uecker die?

Uecker died in January 2025. The renewed attention this week comes from the Brewers’ title run, not from any new development about him. His name came up again and again during the series, from the broadcast booth to postgame interviews.

How the Brewers honored Uecker during the World Series

The tributes built through the series:

• Game 1: Hall of Famer Robin Yount and the Brewers’ broadcast team wore Uecker’s blazers, the AP and MLB.com reported.
• Game 4: During the annual Stand Up To Cancer moment after the fifth inning, every Brewers player lined up in front of the dugout held a placard reading “UECK,” Fox Sports reported. “It just feels like it’s fitting, the obvious choice to make,” Yelich said afterward.
• After Game 5: Manager Pat Murphy, whose postgame messages to the team from Uecker had become a postseason staple, invoked him on the trophy stage. “I know the man Ueck upstairs is looking down,” Murphy said, according to USA Today. “I think about the city of Milwaukee, the state of Wisconsin. They pushed us through.”

Yelich’s bond with Uecker

Yelich, acquired from the Miami Marlins in January 2018, built a close friendship with Uecker. USA Today recalled Yelich’s tears after Milwaukee’s wild-card elimination in October 2024, when Uecker was already sick.

On the eve of the World Series, Yelich described spring-training dinners that could stretch four or five hours because of Uecker’s stories, including about friends like Hank Aaron. “He lived such a crazy, awesome life,” Yelich said. “It was a joy being around him.”

After the clincher he added, per USA Today: “This one’s for Ueck. Ueck, I love you, man. And we did it.”

Fox’s Uecker tribute

Fox closed its coverage with a tribute that paired Uecker’s voice and famous radio calls with highlights from Milwaukee’s 2026 run. “As Ueck looks down from above, proud of his boys, we thought ‘what would this title run have sounded like in his words,’” Kevin Burkhardt said in introducing the piece, USA Today reported. The clip is posted on Fox’s site.

For the full story of Game 5 itself, see our World Series coverage on today’s list.

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