Zitat des Tages von Bob Uecker:
I knew when my career was over. In 1965 my baseball card came out with no picture.
The way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until it stops rolling and then pick it up.
I had slumps that lasted into the winter.
Any teammate of mine that had a kid and a boy that was capable of playing baseball, I think I set a terrific example of 'Don't do this' and 'Don't do that.' And that's one of the things that I'm most proud of.
When I looked at the third base coach, he turned his back on me.
Let's face it. Umpiring is not an easy or happy way to make a living. In the abuse they suffer, and the pay they get for it, you see an imbalance that can only be explained by their need to stay close to a game they can't resist.
You know, I was once named Minor League Player of the Year... unfortunately, I had been in the majors for two years at the time.
I didn't get a lot of awards as a player. But they did have a Bob Uecker Day Off for me once in Philly.
In 1962 I was named Minor League Player of the Year. It was my second season in the bigs.
Baseball hasn't forgotten me. I go to a lot of old-timers games and I haven't lost a thing. I sit in the bullpen and let people throw things at me. Just like old times.
I used to soak my mitts in a bucket of water for about two days. Then I'd put a couple of baseballs in the pocket and wrap it up with a rubber band. Today you don't have to do that, because catchers' mitts are more like first baseman's gloves.
If a guy hits .300 every year, what does he have to look forward to? I always tried to stay around .190, with three or four RBI. And I tried to get them all in September. That way I always had something to talk about during the winter.
Anybody with ability can play in the big leagues. But to be able to trick people year in and year out the way I did, I think that was a much greater feat.
I set records that will never be equaled. In fact, I hope 90% of them don't even get printed.
Sporting goods companies pay me not to endorse their products.
Sure, women sportswriters look when they're in the clubhouse. Read their stories. How else do you explain a capital letter in the middle of a word?
Career highlights? I had two - I got an intentional walk from Sandy Koufax and I got out of a rundown against the Mets.
I think my top salary was maybe in 1966. I made $17,000 and 11 of that came from selling other players' equipment.
When I came up to bat with three men on and two outs in the ninth, I looked in the other team's dugout and they were already in street clothes.
Hey, I think it's easy for guys to hit .300 and stay in the big leagues. Hit .200 and try to stick around as long as I did; I think it's a much greater accomplishment. That's hard.
How do you catch a knuckleball? You wait until it stops rolling, then go pick it up.
After getting out of the service and going into baseball I never wanted to do anything else.
I signed a very modest $3,000 bonus with the Braves in Milwaukee. And my old man didn't have that kinda money to put out.
