Remembering Bob Uecker: Man behind the nickname ‘Mr. Baseball’ once played in Boise | Opinion

Bob Uecker died on Jan. 16 at age 90. He was well-known as a broadcaster and a favorite guest of talk show hosts.

Uecker appeared on Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show” over 50 times, entertaining us with his self-deprecating humor about his playing days in the minor and major leagues. In fact, I recall that it was Carson who gave Uecker the nickname “Mr. Baseball.”

For those of us who watched, worked or played at Braves Field in the 1950s and early ‘60s, Uecker’s passing brought back fond memories of a time when baseball was the prominent summer pastime; and the ballpark a place where families and friends would gather to enjoy more than just the game.

Braves Field was the home of our Boise Braves, a Class C minor league affiliate of the Milwaukee Braves, and a place where Uecker played catcher in 1956 and 1958.

Tagging along with my family to all the home games, I recall Uecker being the self-designated clubhouse prankster who entertained us with more than his baseball skills.

Uecker was a good baseball player for our Braves. At least I thought he was at the time since he always received loud cheers from the fans when he came to bat. I now wonder if the cheers were more because of his colorful personality than his hitting abilities, as his lifetime batting average was .200.

However, Uecker’s defense provided him with major-league opportunities. The parent team Milwaukee Braves promoted him in 1962, but then over the next four years, he also had stints in St. Louis, Philadelphia and with the Chicago Cubs.

It seemed that defense and a colorful personality were not enough to make him a starting catcher, as he found his greater gifts as a broadcaster and baseball comedian.

As a young boy, I recall Uecker being among many Boise Braves players who either frequented or lived in a small one-room cottage which my parents owned and was located adjacent to our family home across from what was then Boise Junior College.

Names such as Rafael Gomez, Dave Scranton, Bobby King, John Garofalo and Tom Brown also come to mind as visitors or players who found a place for overnight stays or visits to our small cottage at the end of our dirt driveway.

The Braves’ final season was in 1963 in the old Pioneer League. Minor league baseball did not return for another 12 years, but found other locations, including a brief time at Borah High School’s baseball field.

The Braves’ field, once one of the more beautiful and well-maintained minor league baseball parks, was leveled and eventually replaced by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

Once baseball returned in 1975, it no longer had a familiar home, and other forms of entertainment had taken precedence. Television and expanded outdoor recreational opportunities stifled baseball’s attempted resurgence, and Braves Field’s loss was a significant blow.

Today, the Boise Hawks have been a consistent presence since 1987 and have been affiliated with several major league teams, but they are now independent. Games have been played at Memorial Stadium since it was built in 1987, providing a much-needed consistent venue for baseball.

Uecker will be remembered by a few of us senior citizens with fond memories of Boise during a time when Braves Field and “Mr. Baseball” provided a venue and entertainment never forgotten — and always treasured.