Opening Day in Milwaukee is a joyous occasion — fans line up in the parking lot hours before first pitch to tailgate ahead of baseball’s return to the city.
But this year felt a little bit different.
For the first time since 1971, Bob Uecker wasn’t in the radio booth.
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Chris Pope is a die-hard Brewers fan, but he was wearing a Milwaukee Braves jersey outside of American Family Field Monday. This wasn’t just any Braves jersey — on the back, in red lettering, it read: “Uecker.”
Pope wasn’t planning on coming to the ballpark to celebrate Opening Day this year, but he changed his mind after Bob Uecker died in January.
“He was the voice of the Brewers my entire life,” Pope said. “And when he passed away, it was like Wisconsin’s grandpa or favorite aunt (or) uncle, died. It was a big hole, and it still hurts.”
Uecker, known as “Mr. Baseball,” died in January at the age of 90. The Milwaukee native was the voice of his hometown Brewers for over five decades.
After a short video tribute, the team held a moment of silence for Uecker before the Brewers took on the Kansas City Royals. It was one of the many ways the organization plans to honor his legacy throughout the season.
His signature is etched into the grass in center field. A banner outside of the team’s press box reads, “We’ll miss you, Bob.” Brewers players also wore a Bob Uecker patch on their jerseys.
A public celebration in honor of Uecker’s life will be held by the team later in the season, according to a statement from the organization.
Many fans wore Uecker shirts or jerseys to commemorate the iconic broadcaster. That included Bill Morgan, an alder in Green Bay, who made the trip to Milwaukee Monday.
Morgan, 74, hasn’t been to a Brewers game in over a year. But he made sure he was in the stands when the first pitch was thrown at American Family Field Monday afternoon.
He said he did so to “salute the man (Uecker).”
“He just meant so much to the Milwaukee community and baseball itself,” Morgan said. “He was the ambassador to baseball.”
Todd Haagensen of Mount Pleasant has been coming to every Opening Day in Milwaukee since the 1990s.
He normally dyes his beard in blue and yellow. This year, he also had “Uecker” etched into the back of his head in blue.
“It’s going to be totally different,” Haagensen said about Uecker not being in the radio booth.
Pat Murphy, who won the National League Manager of the Year award last year, spoke to Uecker before many games last season as part of the radio broadcast.
He said he considered Uecker a friend.
“We had a job to do for five minutes in the show, but then there’s a friend coming to talk to you with a wealth of knowledge and great stories and just a beautiful spirit,” Murphy said during a pre-game press conference.
Brandon Woodruff, a Brewers pitcher, has been with the franchise for eight seasons.
“We’re (players) not going to get to see him (Uecker) walk through those doors and come in and greet everybody,” Woodruff said. “And I think … for everybody in this room that’s had the pleasure of meeting him, it’s a loss.”
“You can bet your bottom he’s going to be watching us play baseball, that’s for sure,” Woodruff added.
The Brewers lost to the Royals 11-1 Monday. The team is now 0-4 for the first time since the 2015 season.
