Bob Uecker, Golf (Joke) Legend

Bob Uecker was a Hall of Fame baseball broadcaster who transcended the sport, becoming a comic celebrity with his appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and in Miller Lite commercials. He coined iconic phrases like “Juuuuust a bit outside” in the Major League film franchise. He was also a prolific golfer, and though he was the first to admit he wasn’t a great player, his sense of humor more than made up for it. Here is Milwaukee Brewers play-by-play announcer Brian Anderson on their first time playing together.

[Editor’s note: This is from Anderson’s Instagram and has been lightly edited.]

My first year with the Brewers. I was still very nervous to be around Ueck. We played golf with a friend of his. He tells me on the putting green before we tee off, “This asshole [his friend] is going to try to ride in the cart with me. Don’t let him switch his bag with yours. I want to ride with you.” My pride swelled. I was so happy Ueck liked me enough to want to spend the next four hours in my cart.

Just as he’s saying that, I look over at the two carts. His friend, Lanny, is switching my bag with his, as predicted! He nods at me, I walk over, tried to stop him, made a small fuss, we grabbed each other’s golf bags, Lanny was verrrrry persistent. I did not want to hurt his feelings, or fight him, and he was our host, so I relented. 

I walk back to the putting green and Ueck was staring a hole in me. He was very angry, calling me every name in the book, cussing at me under his breath. He barely talked to me the rest of the round, which was rain-shortened after nine holes. I was mortified.

Back at the hotel, it was just the two of us in the lobby. I was apologizing profusely and he started belly laughing, wiping tears from under his sunglasses. I was so confused. Then he said, “Don’t sweat it, B.! I told Lanny the same thing! Shoulda seen you two, ahahhahaha!”

He took great satisfaction in watching us jockey for position with our golf bags on his cart, each assuming we were the “preferred friend.” Then he told everyone on the bus, everyone at the clubhouse, everyone in the booth and cracked himself up. He stayed in character for three hours for that bit! Got me sooooo goooood.