I Love Bob Uecker

Bob Uecker is irreplaceable.

He's the voice of summer. He is baseball in Milwaukee.

When I think of summer, I think of the Brewers. When I think of the Brewers, I think of Bob Uecker.

The man is hilarious. It doesn't matter whether the Brewers are winning or losing. Uecker always makes listening to the game worthwhile. He's so entertaining. He makes me laugh out loud. He makes me happy. He lifts my spirits. He's a treasure.

I'm so sorry to learn that Uecker will be undergoing heart surgery on Friday and facing 10-12 weeks of recovery.

On the bright side, and there definitely is a bright side, Uecker's heart problem can be repaired.

He'll be back.

From FOX 6:

Bob Uecker has made a 40-year career out of delighting baseball fans with his self-deprecating sense of humor. Even facing heart surgery at the end of the week, that didn't change.

Addressing reporters Tuesday afternoon, the Milwaukee Brewers radio announcer opened up by joking that he called a press conference to announce that he was joining the Brewers' active roster. Then he turned serious -- well, as serious as he could be. "I'm looking forward to getting it done and getting back to work," Uecker said.

The 75-year-old Uecker will have his aortic valve replaced Friday morning, and will be away from the team for up to three months while recovering.

Uecker plans to broadcast home games Tuesday and Wednesday, then return to the booth as soon as he can after the procedure Friday. He said he would likely return to do only home games at first, but eventually return to traveling with the team. "I've been in baseball 55 years," Uecker said. "This is all I know. Or want to know, for that matter."

Uecker said he hasn't had any pain or other symptoms, beyond occasional breathing issues during his daily swim.

But his doctors have been monitoring a heart murmur, and a recent scan revealed that his problems were escalating and he needed surgery soon.

One of Uecker's doctors, Jim Kleczka of Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin, said Uecker's aortic valve will be replaced, as will part of his enlarged aortic root. "I don't know if I'd call any heart surgery routine," Kleczka said. "But it's a commonly done operation."

Uecker said he had a similar procedure on a different heart valve several years ago, but only needed a few weeks to recover then. "That's the bottom line, it has to be done," Uecker said.

Milwaukee manager Ken Macha and several Brewers players, including Prince Fielder, Trevor Hoffman and Rickie Weeks, were on hand for Uecker's news conference.

"I'm a part of the club, too," Uecker said. "I've been here forever. These guys, when I walk in the clubhouse, I'm like one of them. That's the way they treat me." Uecker says he'll be watching and listening to games during his absence.

"Winning's great, losing's bad, and when they lose, I feel bad," Uecker said. "I hate it. I played. Well, I didn't play, but I sat around."

...Uecker said he looks forward to going to the ballpark every day, and doesn't foresee retirement any time soon.

"I don't ever want to quit," Uecker said. "I don't want to become a jibberish idiot on the air, either. I'll know when to quit."

More, from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Leave it to Bob Uecker to immediately apply his unique brand of humor to the sobering news of a serious health problem.

"A lot of you don't know, and some do, I have been added to the active roster of the club," said Uecker.

Thus began a news conference Tuesday afternoon at Miller Park in which it was revealed that the Brewers' Hall of Fame radio voice has a leaking aortic valve as well as an enlarged aorta.

Uecker, 75, will undergo heart surgery Friday morning at Froedtert Hospital to repair those problems.

...In his 40th season in the Brewers' radio booth, Uecker is expected to be out of action 10 to 12 weeks. The surgery will be performed by cardiac surgeon Alfred Nicolosi, who will replace the valve and a portion of the aortic root.

After that procedure, Kleczka said he would determine if additional bypass surgery is necessary.

...Attending the news conference were manager Ken Macha and several players, including Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, Craig Counsell, Casey McGehee, Trevor Hoffman and Jim Edmonds. When mentioning the support of the team, Uecker choked up.

"Hopefully, I'll be ready to go back to work in a relatively short period of time," he said. "I'll miss this. I look forward to coming to the ballpark every day. It's the highlight of my day."

Fielder said the players considered Uecker a key part of the team and wished him a speedy recovery.

"He's one of us," said Fielder. "He's always got a good attitude. Whenever he's around, it's always fun. The way he is, with his personality, you don't worry as much. You just think things will work out for the best."

Before the start of the fifth inning of the Brewers' game Tuesday evening against Pittsburgh, Uecker was shown on the Miller Park video board with the message "Get Well Soon, Bob." He received and acknowledged a standing ovation from the crowd.

Uecker originally hoped to go on the West Coast swing to San Diego, Los Angeles and Arizona that begins Thursday. Instead, broadcast partner Cory Provus will take over all play-by-play duties with help from Davey Nelson, who also serves as an analyst for Brewers television coverage on FS Wisconsin.

After that trip, WTMJ-AM will announce further plans for radio broadcasts without Uecker, who has been calling games for the Brewers since 1971. Uecker was honored for his longtime radio work with the 2003 Ford C. Frick Award and induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

"A lot of people have problems worse than mine," said Uecker. "I wasn't worried about it because they told me I could swim, you know. It was just in the last three months that this thing started to increase in size. I know, because I saw it (on a scan) yesterday."

Though admittedly "woozy" at times while taking medication for the heart condition, Uecker said he never considered skipping the 2010 season or calling it a career.

..."I don't think I'm ready (to quit) until someone tells me to, (team owner) Mark (Attanasio) or someone. Then we'll probably have a scuffle."

Uecker, of course, was again joking. He was absolutely serious about returning to work as soon as possible, however, beginning with home games at some point.

"When they think I'm ready to travel, I'm going to go," Uecker said. "And I'll keep going."

Video here, from WISN.

This summer won't be the same without Uecker on the air, our beloved "Mr. Baseball."

I'm so grateful that he chose to stay in Milwaukee with the Brewers, opting not to move to a larger market.

That sort of loyalty is rare. It hasn't gone unnoticed or unappreciated.

I wish Bob Uecker all the best and I'll be praying for his speedy recovery.

I'm looking forward to July.