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

[stalton]

Uecker Doing Well

 

Super-Ueck is right. He wants to start calling home games after 6 weeks post-surgery. That's crazy. Course so is being able to walk 2-3 miles/day this soon after major heart surgery.

[hawing]

Bob is talking to Cory and Davey (mostly Cory) on the phone during the 2nd inning of Saturday's game. If you're reading this after the fact, it'll be on Gameday Audio. Cory invited Bob to call a play, but Bob doesn't want his doctors to hear him and break down the door.

 

Bob says not to panic over the team, since it's only May. You heard it from the man.

[TooLiveBrew]

He's on the Fox broadcast now, too, but I'm sure just about everyone knows that

[hawing]

Bob was in the radio booth during the 2nd inning of Thursday's game (as was mentioned in the June 24 IGT). Tonight I found this blurb on madison.com:

MILWAUKEE — Legendary announcer Bob Uecker made a special visit

to the broadcast booth Thursday afternoon during the Milwaukee

Brewers' game against Minnesota and his return on a regular basis

appears imminent.

 

 

 

Cory Provus, the play-by-play man for the Brewers Radio Network,

said on the broadcast that Uecker, who has been out of commission

since undergoing heart surgery April 30, will be back full time

later this week or sometime next week.

 

 

 

"I'm getting better, I'm feeling stronger," said Uecker, who

thanked fans for the mail, cards, "and postage due on those

cards."

 

 

 

Uecker isn't ready to write off the Brewers, who entered

Thursday's game at 31-40 and in a tie for fourth place in the NL

Central.

 

 

 

"It doesn't take much of a winning streak to get you back over

the .500 mark and back in it," Uecker said, according to the Brewers

blog on the radio flagship station, WTMJ-AM in Milwaukee.

 

I only heard the tail end of Bob's appearance on the radio broadcast, and frankly got the impression when he said he'd be back next week that it would be for another visit - not to be fully back on the job. That this possible return doesn't seem to be cited anywhere else makes me skeptical that Bob could already be back for more than a visit.

 

It's terrific news to hear that his recovery is progressing, though. He sounded noticeably better on the radio today - none of the hoarseness that was so noticeable in March and April.

[crossface21]

I read just the opposite yesterday, per the game notes from TH. That Uecker's progress had actually slowed down a bit and there was no timetable for his return. And when he does return, it'll probably only be for home games the rest of the year. I guess this just shows that who knows what's really gonna happen. The sooner he gets back, the better.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/97036519.html

[hawing]

Well, a recovery that is "slower than (Uecker) would like" doesn't alarm me as much as a recovery that's slower than his doctors would like. I'm going to guess for the moment that the Capital Newspapers person heard him say "next week" during his visit and took that literally. The real outcome lies probably somewhere in between, and of course the very most important thing is for Bob to fully recover, even if that takes longer than he would like.

 

Meanwhile, for those who missed Bob's visit on Thursday and don't have or don't want to cue up Gameday Audio, here's a link to his comments.

[Brewtacular]

Any news?

Uecker and baseball, it's just not summer without 'em!

[areacodes]

Cory mentioned on the broadcast last night that he had talked with Bob and that things were going well. He said something along the lines of: We expect him back real soon.

[JohnBriggs12]

I'm concerned but not overly surprised by the lack of any news on his return. I personally knew someone that had this procedure at around the same age as Uecker. It was not a simple case of just recovering from surgery and being back to normal in a couple months. It takes time and effort to regain strength but more importantly stamina. I wish Bob the best.

[Invader3K]

Just saw a tweet from John Jagler, that WTMJ is going to have a big announcement regarding Uecker at 7:30 AM this morning.

 

EDIT: Announcement is that Uecker is returning this weekend, starting on Friday!

 

Welcome back Uke!

[hawing]

The Brewers' Facebook page reports the same: Bob in the booth Friday vs. the Nats. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[crossface21]

I don't know if I'm more excited to be able to listen to Uke or that I won't have to listen to Davey Nelson anymore.

[hawing]

Welcome back tonight, Bob! A (Brewer) nation turns its lonely ears to you.

 

And thanks to Cory for stepping up admirably, and to Davey for giving it a go.

[hawing]

The New York Times had a feature on Uecker recently. As if his cardiac woes weren't enough this year, he had 3/4 of his pancreas removed in January and now needs insulin shots.