Movies

Bob Uecker, Baseball Icon and Film and TV Star, Dies at 90

BBG News

One of the most cherished personalities in the realm of baseball and pop culture has passed away. Known primarily for his role as a radio broadcaster for Milwaukee Brewers baseball games since 1971, Bob Uecker‘s fame extended beyond sports into film and television due to this position.

Regrettably, it has been announced that broadcaster Uecker has sadly passed away at the age of 90. The team, the Brewers, shared that he had been courageously fighting small cell lung cancer during the past few years.

During the 2024 season, Uecker continued his role as the radio announcer for the Brewers, who clinched the National League Central division title. Uecker played a prominent part in the festivities that followed their division-winning triumph.

Before stepping into the world of broadcasting, I, too, had a stint as a major league player. Primarily serving as a backup catcher, I was summoned to the Milwaukee Brewers in 1962 and also played for the St. Louis Cardinals (where I contributed to their World Series victory in 1964), Philadelphia Phillies, and Atlanta Braves during my six-year professional career.

Following his career as a player, Uecker returned to the Milwaukee Brewers organization, taking on the role of their radio announcer. This position lasted for him until his passing, spanning from 1971 till then. During the ’80s and ’90s, he also called numerous baseball games broadcast nationally, including several World Series. In 2003, Uecker was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Beyond his radio work for the Brewers, Uecker gained nationwide recognition and became a well-known television personality in the 70s and 80s. His fame expanded through numerous talk show appearances, particularly on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson who coined his playful nickname “Mr. Baseball.” Later, he also starred in a series of popular Miller Lite advertisements.

Currently, Uecker is best known for his part as the witty commentator Harry Doyle in the Major League movie series. In these films, Uecker’s exasperated commentary on the team’s mishaps has become iconic baseball phrases, such as “Juuuust a bit outside,” which he uttered during a particularly off-target pitch by Charlie Sheen’s character, Ricky Vaughn.

Additionally, Uecker was known for his six-season stint as the amiable patriarch on the ABC sitcom “Mr. Belvedere.” In this role, he portrayed George, the leader of a Pittsburgh household whose staff included an English butler, depicted by Christopher Hewett.

The charming and modest personality of Uecker made him an excellent talk show guest and beer promoter, yet he was genuinely exceptional as a broadcaster and storyteller. In recent times, his commentary on Brewers games, available via the MLB app, was captivating – regardless of whether the team won or lost. His absence will be felt, but his legendary calls, both from real matches and fictional ones, will endure forever.

80s Movies That Could Never Be Made Today

Big (1988)

In this movie, despite varying recollections among viewers, the following is accurate: Tom Hanks portrays an older version of Josh Baskin, a boy who made a wish to be big at a carnival game. After the transformation, Hanks’ Josh departs from home for New York City and secures employment at a toy company. The plot becomes peculiar when it involves a 12-year-old character who deceives his family by making them believe he has been missing for months while enjoying life in an upscale Soho apartment. He also develops romantic feelings for one of his coworkers, Elizabeth Perkins’ Susan. Although nothing is explicitly shown, the relationship between Josh and Susan strongly suggests that they may have had an adult-like relationship. This film was not only financially successful, but it also catapulted Tom Hanks to nationwide adoration. The 1980s were certainly a peculiar decade.

Can’t Buy Me Love (1987)

Movies from the 1980s often depicted awkward individuals attempting to infiltrate popular social groups through deceit or money. The film “Can’t Buy Me Love” exemplifies this trend, with a socially awkward character (portrayed by Patrick Dempsey) using his saved $1,000, initially intended for a telescope, to bribe a popular girl (Amanda Peterson) into feigning a romantic relationship. The deception proves successful, and Dempsey’s character soon behaves like an arrogant jerk towards others. It seems that the movie’s underlying message – that money can buy love and people will forgive even unkind behavior if one believes they are fundamentally good – might not resonate as positively in today’s society.

Dream a Little Dream (1989)

In a less elaborate segment, the movie “Dream a Little Dream” showcases an unusual and uncomfortable plotline from the ’80s cinematic era. This plot revolves around a teenage girl named Lainie (Meredith Salenger), who’s in a harmful relationship with an abusive boyfriend. A fellow student, portrayed by Corey Feldman, secretly harbors feelings for her and attempts to help her escape the abusive situation.

The plot twist comes when Lainie’s parents take the side of the abusive boyfriend over their daughter, even considering a move to another town because she refused to comply with his demands after he physically harmed her. In an appalling turn of events, Lainie’s mother drugs her own daughter, allegedly for her protection. This disturbing plotline unfortunately led to the production of a sequel.

Heathers (1989)

In 1989, the idea of high school students harming or even killing each other wasn’t as sensitive or alarming as it is today. A movie titled Heathers, which follows a girl (Winona Ryder) and her boyfriend (Christian Slater) as they plot to kill their rivals in ways that make the deaths look like suicides, was seen as dark satire about teenage cliques back then. Nowadays, such acts of violence among children are not amusing; they’re tragic realities. Despite this, Heathers continues to be a popular movie, leading some filmmakers to attempt modern adaptations. Interestingly, when the Paramount Network tried to reboot Heathers for television a few years ago, they found that the original film might not be adaptable today – the premiere of the show was delayed numerous times due to real-life school shootings. Eventually, the show did air, but it underwent heavy editing; the final episode was actually a combination of the last two episodes.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

In the first Indiana Jones sequel, Indiana Jones and his companions encounter an Indian cult known as Thuggees, who have kidnapped children from a nearby village to work in a mine. This mine is concealed beneath a palace, where Indy is served a bizarre dinner filled with exotic foods like snakes and monkey brains – a depiction that would undoubtedly cause controversy in modern times due to its inaccurate portrayal of Indian culture and cuisine. Additionally, the film’s intense scenes were so alarming that they prompted the creation of the PG-13 rating by the MPAA, as it was too intense for a PG rating but not extreme enough for an R. Today, imagine if a family-focused movie featured a villain who brutally pulled out people’s hearts from their chests!

Revenge of the Nerds (1984)

In this long-running comedy, there’s an unexpectedly harsh edge for a story supposed to be about underdogs. It’s littered with offensive jokes targeting the LGBTQ+ community and racial slurs, as well as a plotline where a fraternity of misfits seek revenge on a sorority by invading their house and spying on them using hidden cameras. The climax involves the leader of the nerds disguising himself as a popular girl’s boyfriend, sleeping with her under false pretenses, only for her to instantly fall in love with him despite his deceitful actions. A remake was attempted around the mid-2000s but failed at the last moment before filming commenced. This movie might only be relevant today as a gritty reboot that critiques the idea that socially awkward individuals deserve love, fame, or success merely because they faced bullying from popular peers.

Short Circuit (1986)

As a film enthusiast looking back, you might recall “Short Circuit” as a delightful comedy about an unexpectedly sentient robot challenging its military programming. However, if it’s been a while since you’ve seen it, you may not remember that the pivotal Indian roboticist Ben Jabituya was portrayed by Fisher Stevens in brownface. Interestingly, this character, though initially only a supporting role, became so popular that he was promoted to the human lead in “Short Circuit 2.” Despite the success of the series in the ’80s, Stevens has since expressed regret, stating that the role lingers in his memory and is something he would not reprise.

Sixteen Candles (1984)

In the realm of cinema, John Hughes was well-known for creating humorous and empathetic depictions of teenagers through movies like “The Breakfast Club,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” and “Sixteen Candles.” However, it’s now difficult to ignore the offensive stereotype present in “Sixteen Candles” – Long Duk Dong, a foreign exchange student who unfortunately embodies many harmful Asian stereotypes. This character is accompanied by a gong sound effect whenever he appears on screen. Years later, Molly Ringwald, the film’s star, acknowledged that Long Duk Dong was a “grotesque stereotype” in an essay for The New Yorker. The essay also discussed Hughes’ films’ portrayal of women and their casual homophobia, which have marked his work as significant relics of their time rather than something reflective of our current era.

Soul Man (1986)

In 1986, astonishingly, a comedy was produced that revolved entirely around the controversial practice of blackface. The movie, titled “Soul Man“, follows a self-indulgent college student named Mark (played by C. Thomas Howell), who manages to get into Harvard Law School but is disappointed when his wealthy father refuses to pay the tuition. In an attempt to secure a scholarship for African American students, Mark drastically tans himself using excessive pills and dons a wig. Remarkably, this questionable disguise works initially. The film seems to have good intentions, as it appears to be poking fun at Mark’s ignorance, and becoming black is not the easy ticket to Harvard he thought it would be. However, much of the humor in the movie feels disturbingly insensitive. It’s more likely that a remake of “Gigli” will surface in the 2020s than a revival of “Soul Man“.

Zapped! (1982)

In the film “Zapped!”, a teenager is bestowed with telekinetic powers and instead of using them for good, he exploits them to embarrass girls he dislikes by stripping them in public. Surprisingly, this character is portrayed as the movie’s hero. After Scott Baio’s character Barney obtains supernatural mental abilities due to a botched science experiment, he spends the next 90 minutes mistreating most women in his life, including the one kind girl at school. It’s acceptable for a film to contain sexual themes, as they have been a significant aspect of cinema for more than a century. However, “Zapped!” repeatedly uses abuse for comedic effect.

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2025-01-16 19:53

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