Brewers pay tribute to legendary broadcaster Bob Uecker - ESPN

MILWAUKEE — Bob Uecker's Hall of Fame broadcasting career began only after the Milwaukee Brewers initially hired him as a scout.

Former Brewers owner and MLB commissioner Bud Selig said it didn't take long to realize Uecker might be better suited for a different role.

«The first scouting report Bob sent back here had mashed potatoes and gravy all over it,» Selig recalled Sunday during a pregame ceremony honoring the man who broadcast Brewers games for 54 seasons, became a national celebrity for his trademark sense of humor and died Jan. 16 at the age of 90.

The star-studded celebration was hosted by former NBC broadcast partner Bob Costas and featured Hall of Famers George Brett, Ted Simmons and Robin Yount as well as Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich.

«To say he loved this team, this city, and this state would be an understatement,» the Uecker family said in a statement. «Milwaukee was his home, and the Brewers were an extension of his family. Seeing that love reflected back means more than we could ever put into words. There is something truly special about this community, and Bob felt it every single day.

»Thank you for welcoming him into your lives, for making him part of your families, and for holding him in your hearts."

All the Brewers players wore special tribute uniforms with «UECK» instead of their own names on the back of their jerseys for Sunday's game to honor the man who probably is more synonymous with the franchise than any particular player.

The entire team joined Uecker's relatives behind the mound before Bob Uecker Jr. threw out the first pitch to Yount. The game featured commemorative baseballs and bases honoring Uecker.

The celebration of life comes with the Brewers owning the best record in