This past Saturday, I was invited to give a brief introduction and invocation at the Vince Lombardi Award of Excellence Dinner held at the Pfister Hotel. The organization raises funds for cancer research – the disease that claimed Coach Lombardi’s life.
I had the privilege of sitting with Don Tendick, his wife, son and daughter-in law. Don’s father was one of the founders of the dinner to honor the legendary coach. Even as a Bears fan, I am the first to recognize Mr. Lombardi’s greatness on the field, but more importantly, off the field, especially as a Catholic who wore his faith (daily Mass) on his sleeve.
When I reached the podium to deliver my remarks, I began by stating that when I arrived, I informed the receptionist that I was a special guest of Mr. Uecker. With that, I was immediately ushered to a seat next to the dishwasher in the kitchen. After a few polite laughs, I became serious. Perhaps it was the spirit of Minnie Minoso (my boyhood baseball idol from the Chicago White Sox) or the imagery of the late Ernie “Mr. Club” Banks, saying, “Let’s play two!” (both passed away recently) that directed my words as I stated:
Our honoree this evening, Mr. Bob Uecker, uses self-effacing humor to bring appreciation and joy to those who share a love for the game he so well represents. I say appreciation, because the 99 percent of us who have played the game of baseball never had the talent to play in the “bigs.” Our accumulated batting averages, fielding percentages or the ERAs never amounted to anything that would draw attention or that one could brag about.
Yet, true success came for many of us in the love of the game and the ability to be a part of a team: the smell of the freshly mowed grass in the spring, the crack of the bat or the smack of the leather catcher’s glove receiving a fastball. Bob Uecker leaves no doubt in the mind of every fan of his love for the game. He willingly plays the “fool” so that others may “appreciate” the exceptional talents that professional athletes display on the field.
There is a person who is forever young when Bob Uecker announces a ballgame. It is the joy of a person recapturing their youth, who would rather be a part of the action of the baseball game in whatever way possible – be it playing, announcing, cheering or listening – than to do or be anywhere else in the world. This type of joy is contagious. It fills our lives with a spirit that elevates us from the everyday doldrums and makes us a part of something so much bigger.
Showing posts with label Bob Uecker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bob Uecker. Show all posts
JS: Bob Uecker says he will cut back on workload
Brewers Hall of Fame radio voice Bob Uecker said on Newsradio WTMJ 620 Thursday morning that he will be cutting back on some of his road broadcasts during the 2014 season.Read more from Journal Sentinel: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/242753521.html#ixzz2t8XbRTuU
Uecker, who said on Sunday at the "Brewers On Deck" fan event that he turned 80 that day, not 79 as listed (he said his listed birth year of 1935 was wrong), has been doing radio broadcasts for the Brewers since 1971. He had some medical setbacks in recent years, including heart surgery, but never suggested he would cut back his schedule until now.
Uecker told Gene Mueller and Greg Matzek on WTMJ that he had been encouraged by owner Mark Attanasio and others to cut back a bit on his workload on the road but had declined to do so until now. He wasn't specific about how many games he will cut back and there was no talk about who would fill in for him to do radio broadcasts with Joe Block.
Uecker said he still planned to do all of the home games at Miller Park, so this is specifically a cutback on his travel with the team.
"Fifty-nine years (in baseball) is going to be enough where I think I want to kick back and relax a little bit," Uecker told Mueller and Matzek. "I'm going to make some of the trips but I'm going to spend most of my time, probably, at Miller Park doing the home games. The west coast trips, I think I'm going to kind of cut back on.
"Mark, he's been telling me the last five years I should cut back, take some time off. I never really wanted to do it. I always enjoyed the trips, being around the guys."
Uecker made it clear that this is not the first step toward retirement.
"Until I have problems getting around -- and I don't have any problems -- I'm going to stick around (broadcasting) and enjoy it," he said.
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I'm going to have a really hard time once he's done broadcasting completely. I would like to get Corey Provus back from the Twins(nothing against Joe Block who is good in his own right).
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