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# Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Dining With the Milwaukee Braves
Posted by Tuff Stuff

It's not often I can enjoy nearly six hours in a casino and have my sides hurt not from second-hand smoke but from laughing so hard. And I got to call it work at the same time.

In truth, it was pure pleasure to be able to attend the Milwaukee Braves Historical Association testimonial dinner that honored former Braves catcher and current Milwaukee Brewers radio announcer Bob Uecker. The event was held at the Potawatomi Bingo Casino in Milwaukee.

Among those in attendance, in addition to the guest of honor, was Commissioner Bud Selig, a long-time friend of Uecker's and the person who brought Uecker into the radio booth after a job as a scout didn't go over so well. Selig said in his introduction speech that when Uecker sent back a scouting report covered with mash potatoes and gravy stains, perhaps a different career was in order.

Other notables at the podium and in the crowd were retired umpire Bruce Froemming, former Milwaukee Sentinel writer Bud Lea, Johnny Logan, Andy Pafko, Felix Mantella, Eddie Matthews' son, former college basketball coach Rick Majerus, Ken Sanders and Brewers general manager Doug Melvin.

With a character like Uecker being honored, it was more about the stories than his stellar playing career. When Uecker was sent down to the minors by Braves manager Charlie Dressen in 1961, Dressen said, "There's no room in baseball for a clown." Uecker shot back at the podium in his usual deadpan manner, "I didn't like Dressen. Not for the fact he sent me down, I just didn't like him."

Uecker talked about the $3,000 signing bonus the Braves offered him to sign and how his dad couldn't come up with that kind of money. He spoke about damaging a tuba during batting practice by shagging fly balls with it prior to a game in the 1964 World Series and how he had to pay for the damages. It was the only action he saw on the field in that series.

But it was the personal side you got to see of Uecker, obviously connected to staff members, friends and former teammates, that was so much fun. Same goes with the commish. The only time you see Selig is on TV defending drug use in the game or possible labor disputes. To see the other side of him and how appreciative the people of Wisconsin are toward him for bringing baseball back to Milwaukee after the Braves left in 1965 was sweet, for lack of a better term, regardless of your thoughts about his leadership of baseball.

The former players were approachable, cordial and you got a sense as to why he days of baseball past are so cherished by the hobby and the readers of this magazine. Sign me up for next year and this time give Uecker as much time as needed to explain the story behind a picture of him seemingly trying to woo actress Phyllis Diller.     



 



Tuesday, May 12, 2009 11:07:00 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0]
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