Uecker to have Heart Surgery [Update, reply 84-ish: Ueck back in the booth Friday 7/23]

[TheCrew07]

That's too bad, get well soon Bob!

[crewcrazy]

Definitely a shock, but thankfully it sounds like a routine procedure (or at least as routine as heart surgery can be). Knowing people that have gone through heart surgeries before, though, the recovery is typically more worrisome than the actual procedure. Here's to hoping Ueck can make a quick recovery, but he doesn't push himself to come back before he's ready.

[joepepsi]

Any chance they get Craig Coshun to do it? I know he works for FSN, but it seems like a deal could be worked out. Not saying I want him, just that he might be the most logical/easiest choice.

[Baldkin]

I vote for a different BF.netter each series doing color until Uke gets back.

[davego]

No chance for Tony Kubek? At least at homegames?

[bjkrautk]

Matt Lepay would be an ideal replacement....just named Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year, and he usually doesn't have a lot going on between April and July. Wonder if he's interested?

The only reason that I didn't mention Lepay is that he worls for Learfield Sports, and not Journal Communications. While I'm sure he'd do a great job of calling Brewers games (assuming he's a baseball fan), it creates an extra hurdle from a contractual / legal standpoint. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Lepay's contract includes restrictive covenants preventing him from doing pbp work for other outlets in the state. Not something that couldn't be worked around, but it's also not something that can be done at the drop of a hat (unless the employer gives their blessing, that is).

 

[Weeks4MVP]

I vote for a different BF.netter each series doing color until Uke gets back.

That or have Suppan do the color. Might as well get some use out of him.

 

Get well Uek!!!

[Bikeage77]

Get well soon "uncle" Bob!

[Flood Pants]

I wonder if they could coax Robin Yount into giving it a go. He was great on the radio broadcast last weekend. I don't know if he'd pan out to be a good color guy, but he seems like a great former Brewer to at least try in the role.

[Dragonbait]

Love that I'm not the only one who thought of Yount or Costas.

 

Heck.. see if MLB netowork would let us borrow Vasgergin (sp)

[PeaveyFury]

I agree that LePay would be a wonderful option considering that his schedule would be open until late August, while Laravee has to start doing Packer stuff in mid/late July. As mentioned, the Learfield affiliation would probably complicate things, but I hope the Brewers at least explore other options, as being stuck with Nelson or someone like Bill Michaels for a long period of time would be far from ideal.

 

Get well Bob!

[pitchleague]

as for the raspiness, I remember during the first weekend of spring training games he made mention of how he had "caught" a bug of some sort. During the 2nd weekend, he was still very raspy and he apologized and explained how he thought he'd be over it by now. Obviously he's still not over it. I have no idea if it's associated with his heart condition in any way.

 

as for Davey Nelson, I'll agree with others that he is actually pretty good/decent in a color role on the radio. I heard some of his White Sox games from back in the day and he was okay by me. I think his problem, and others have touched on this as well, is his trouble with scripted material. You put him in a position when he can just talk and react to the action on the field and he's fine. You ask him a question that requires a long answer, and he stumbles. And if he has to read off the telestrator it's pretty gosh darn awful.

 

Get well, Robert. I hope you return soon.

[BCZF]

Get well Uke..

 

We need ya..

[RockCoCougars]

Please God, no Matt Lepay. The only worse option would be Bill Michaels.

[MaxJ72]

It won't be the same without Uke. Get well soon.

 

Davey Nelson seems kind of scary. Hopefully those who said he wasn't too bad in Chicago are right.

[djoctagone]

what's jeff cirillo doing these days?

[bucks2281]

Please God, no Matt Lepay. The only worse option would be Bill Michaels.

 

Steve True would be much worse than Bill Michaels.

[RockCoCougars]

Please God, no Matt Lepay. The only worse option would be Bill Michaels.

 

Steve True would be much worse than Bill Michaels.

You know what, you are absolutely right. Have you ever watched the 'Sports Show' or whatever it's called, where the sports writers discuss the 'issues of the day' in Wisconsin sports on weekend TV? True looks like a deer in the headlights, and has trouble stringing four coherent words together without at least thrice as many 'um's'. That's my only exposure to him as I won't listen to his dreck on the radio, but he does seem a brutal trainwreck.

[Invader3K]

I don't think I could stand listening to Bill Michaels' voice for more than two minutes at a time.

 

Homer would probably go off on weird tangents during the game, like talking about Corey Hart turning around on a ball for two innings on end.

[RockCoCougars]

I don't think I could stand listening to Bill Michaels' voice for more than two minutes at a time.

 

Homer would probably go off on weird tangents during the game, like talking about Corey Hart turning around on a ball for two innings on end.

I think about 5 years ago, Michaels did fill in- for I believe Ueck's Hall of Fame induction during a weekend series against the Rockies. Powell was gone too. It was brutal, positively brutal.

[RobDeer 45]

Get will Bob. My summer will not be the same!

 

My friend said that Davey Nelson was the replacement.......please tell me that was a joke.

[1992casey]

Michaels worked with Wayne Larivee. I don't think Bill's skill set includes describing live action or working with another person. It's probably not fair to judge Larivee based on this one weekend.

 

Speaking of Larivee, I also remember him doing a Brewers-Cubs game on television (from the wrong pressbox) earlier this decade.

[hawing]

I guess we can look at this as a trial run for "Brewers baseball without Bob." I'll admit that I wasn't following each game quite as closely in 1991 (during Bob's last medical leave), so this will be all but new for me too.

 

There was a nice standing ovation for Bob during Tuesday night's game (prompted by his being shown on the videoboard). Anyone going today should expect something similar in the middle innings.

[1992casey]

Bob missed games due to knee surgery earlier this decade. During that time, Jim Powell was left pretty much on his own during games; I believe he had some pregame help, though.

 

During one game, Harry Kalas took over for an inning or two. If I remember correctly, once Bob was recovered to a point, I believe Jim would talk to him on the phone for a while during games.

[CheezWizHed]

there is no replacement for Ueck...

 

Hopefully this is something minor.

I think it is impossible to call any heart surgery minor. We can just hope for the surgery to be successful with no complications, and for Ueck to make a full and speedy recovery.

I think you mean any heart surgery is serious. There are major and minor degrees of everything. My daughter had heart surgery as a baby and it was considered pretty minor as heart surgeries go...

 

Aortic valve replacement (and aortic narrowing or something like that) sounds pretty major, but I know its a pretty common surgery also. Come back strong Ueck!