Happy Baseball Birthday... Sports Illustrated

Happy Baseball Birthday #60 to Sports Illustrated.

Sports Illustrated was first published on August 16, 1954, with a picture of Milwaukee Braves slugger Eddie Mathews gracing the cover.

Happy Baseball Birthday..."Mr. Baseball"

Today's Happy Baseball Birthday is Milwaukee Brewers play by play announcer  Bob Uecker. 

Uecker was born on January 26, 1935, in Milwaukee,  Wisconsin.

Growing up in Milwaukee, Bob loved baseball and the Minor League Brewers.

Minor League baseball was replaced by big league baseball when the Boston Braves moved to Milwaukee in 1953.

Uecker was signed by his hometown Braves in 1956.

The play by play man for the Milwaukee Brewers since 1971, 

Uecker played  six seasons in the big leagues for the  Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, and the Atlanta Braves.

In those six years as a big leaguer, Uecker played in 297 games, blasting 14 home runs, with 74 RBI, while hitting .200.

I remember watching "Mr. Baseball" on Johnny Carson many times in the 1970s, with Uecker never failing to make me laugh about his many baseball feats.

Uecker is beloved in the Brew City, and, of course, by many baseball fans who have seen the movie Major League, and the voice of the loveable "Harry Doyle."

Uecker became the voice of the Brewers in 1971, and has been in the tv baseball booth since doing some of the first ABC Monday Night Baseball games.

Bob was also on the NBC "Baseball Network" in the 1990s.

Bob's baseball feats include hitting a HR off  HOFer Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers, being a catcher on the 1964 World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals, and being a Ford Frick Award winner in 2003.

Today we celebrate the great baseball life and times of Bob Uecker.

Happy Baseball Birthday Mr. Uecker!

1953 Milwaukee Braves Pin

I saw this awesome Braves pin from their first year in Milwaukee, thought it would be cool to share it.

The pin is from the Braves first season in Milwaukee, 1953.

The Braves, now in Atlanta, played in Milwaukee through 1965 before moving south to the Georgia capital.

The Braves won consecutive National League Pennants in 1958 & 1959, beating the Yankees in the '57 Series, then losing the '58 Series to the Bronx Bombers.

Before moving to Milwaukee the Braves played in Boston, sharing the city with the Red Sox.

In 1914 the "Miracle Braves" won the first World Series in franchise history.

The Braves won the N.L. Flag by 10 games over perennial Senior Circuit powerhouse New York GiantS.

For more terrific Milwaukee Braves stuff go to their Facebook page...Facebook.com/Milwaukee Braves.