Milwaukee pays tribute to Bob Uecker in Brewers' first home game since his death

MILWAUKEE (AP) — As the Milwaukee Brewers conducted a moment of silence before their home opener to honor Bob Uecker, one fan decided keeping quiet wasn’t the best way to pay tribute to the lovable loquacious broadcaster.

“We love you, Ueck,” the spectator shouted.

Fans, players and executives simply couldn’t hold back their appreciation for Uecker, who died Jan. 16 at the age of 90 after broadcasting Brewers games for the last 54 seasons and arguably becoming the most recognizable figure in franchise history.

The tributes to him were all over American Family Field as the Brewers lost 11-1 to the Kansas City Royals on Monday in their first home game since Uecker’s death. It was apparent from Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio’s decision to wear one of the plaid blazers that Uecker often favored.

“I did my best to find a jacket in my closet that would be something he would wear,” Attanasio said.

The grounds crew had Uecker’s signature decorated on the outfield grass. The Brewers wore patches honoring Uecker on their jersey sleeves, something that they’ll do all season. The first pitches were thrown by representatives of the Wounded Warrior Project and the ALS Association, two of Uecker’s favorite causes. The pro shop sold a line of Uecker-themed clothes, with portions of the proceeds benefiting charities Uecker had supported.

Outside the press box entrance was a banner with the message “We’ll Miss You, Bob,” that included thank-you notes from fans who had signed it after Uecker’s death.

Way over in the upper right-field corner of American Family Field in a section where tickets aren’t sold, the Brewers placed a giant blue tarp bearing the message “I must be in the front row,” a nod to a famous Uecker line from one of his Miller Lite beer commercials.

“Obviously we all miss him and wish he was here,” said outfielder Christian Yelich, who had worn a plaid blazer to honor Uecker before Thursday’s season opener at Yankee Stadium. “I think he’ll be with us for this season and many seasons going forward.”

Brewers fans came up with plenty of different ways to pay tribute to Uecker, who continued to broadcast home games last year even as he battled small cell lung cancer.

Many spectators spent the minutes before the game lining up to get their photos taken flanking a Uecker statue in Section 422. Another statue outside the stadium honoring Uecker was decorated with a sign featuring his trademark home-run call: “Get up! Get up! Get out of here! Gone!” Other fans lined up Miller Lite beer cans at the base of the statue.

“He was the voice of our childhood summers,” said David Horton of Fitchburg, Wisconsin, who placed one of the beer cans at the base of the statue. “We had him on in the garage with our dads in the back yards. He was just a staple. We just wanted to pay our respects in a small way and show some love.”

This wasn’t the first time fans had placed Miller Lite cans at the base of that statue to pay tribute to Uecker. Many of them also had done so after Uecker’s death, even though the freezing temperatures assured the full beer cans wouldn’t stay that way for long.

“They said the beer cans started popping, and they thought it was Uecker doing it because he was thirsty, getting ready for opening day,” quipped Paul Stainbrook of Racine, Wisconsin.

The tributes continued around town.

Kopp’s, a local burger restaurant known for its frozen custard, offered a special “Mr. Baseball” flavor for Monday’s home opener. It included beer nuts, chocolate-covered peanuts and a splash of Miller Lite. Kopp’s donated 20% of the custard sales to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, in honor of Uecker’s career batting average of .200.

Milwaukee loved Uecker because of what he meant to the city. He stayed true to his hometown and continued working Brewers games even as his star rose from his Miller Lite commercials, his chats with Johnny Carson and his featured roles in the movie “Major League” and TV’s “Mr. Belvedere.”

“There’s nobody who was more loyal or genuine,” Attanasio said.

He also was beloved by players and made regular pregame appearances in the Brewers’ locker room. Milwaukee’s players loved him so much that manager Pat Murphy took time out from the Brewers’ division-clinching celebration last season to recognize Uecker so that the team could give him an ovation.

When that season ended with a heartbreaking loss in the NL Wild Card Series, Uecker walked into a silent locker room and comforted players such as Devin Williams, who had given up a two-run, ninth-inning lead. Yelich said the toughest part of the night was speaking to Uecker afterward and knowing how badly the longtime broadcaster wanted to see the Brewers win that elusive World Series title.

He would have been the ideal voice to help settle a team that just got outscored 36-14 while opening the season with three straight losses to the New York Yankees.

“Ueck just had a way to put things in perspective,” Murphy said. “He had been through so much. He knew he had. So he could calm you down. He could put you in the right frame of mind. He could joke about it. He had a beautiful way about him.”

But as Yelich noted, Uecker’s spirit will remain here long after his voice isn’t heard on Brewers broadcasts anymore. That thought provided comfort to fans such as Heather Floyd-Gabrysiak of West Allis, Wisconsin, who made sure to arrive for Monday’s game wearing a Brewers jersey with Uecker’s name on the back.

“He’s always going to be here,” Floyd-Gabrysiak said. “Even if he’s not here, you’ll still feel him here. He’ll still be a part of it always.”

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Cans and bottle of beer, along with other items, adorn the base of the the Bob Uecker statue in front of American Family Field following a baseball game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Kansas City Royals on Opening Day, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

A fan kneels in front of the Bob Uecker statue outside American Family Field following a baseball game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Kansas City Royals on Opening Day, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

A Milwaukee Brewers fan wears a Bob Uecker jersey as he walks to his seat during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, March 31, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

A Bob Uecker memorial patch adorns a Milwaukee Brewers jersey at a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Milwaukee Brewers players and coaches walk across Bob Uecker's signature in the outfield prior to a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals on Opening Day Monday, March 31, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

A tribute to Bob Uecker is displayed prior to a baseball game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Kansas City Royals on Opening Day Monday, March 31, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Sean Woods, left, and David Woods observe the memorial at the Bob Uecker statue in front of American Family Field prior to a baseball game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Kansas City Royals on Opening Day Monday, March 31, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Bob Uecker bobbleheads adorn the dashboard of Joshua Stanelle's Milwaukee Brewers themed van prior to a baseball game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Kansas City Royals on Opening Day Monday, March 31, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Milwaukee Brewers fans gather near the Bob Uecker statue outside of American Family Field prior to a baseball game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Kansas City Royals on Monday, March 31, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

A Milwaukee Brewers fan observes the memorial at the Bob Uecker statue in front of American Family Field prior to a baseball game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Kansas City Royals on Opening Day Monday, March 31, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Gunfire erupted as thousands of protesters in Haiti clashed with police on Wednesday as they denounced a surge in gang violence and demanded that the government keep them safe.

At least a dozen heavily armed protesters opened fire on officers who responded outside the offices of the prime minister and the transitional presidential council. An AP journalist at the scene did not see anyone injured or killed.

It is the first major protest to hit the administration of Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, whom the council appointed as prime minister in November.

The whizzing bullets caused the crowd to flee in panic, with shoes, caps and sunglasses left strewn on the street.

The protest began peacefully. Some demonstrators brandished machetes while others clutched tree boughs or waved palm fronds as they weaved through the streets of Port-au-Prince, where schools, banks and other businesses remained closed.

Flaming tires blocked roads as protesters chanted, “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go and get them out!”

One organizer, who covered his face and declined to give his name for fear of reprisal, said the purpose of the protest was to “take over the prime minister’s office and burn down the CPT,” referring to the offices of Haiti’s transitional presidential council.

Discontent and anger is spreading as gangs that already control 85% of Port-au-Prince pillage once-peaceful communities.

Recent gang violence has forced more than 60,000 people to flee their homes in one month alone, according to the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration.

“We have never observed such large number of people moving in this short time,” said Grégoire Goodstein, the organization’s chief in Haiti.

In a visit to Port-au-Prince in early March, William O’Neill, the U.N. human rights commissioner’s expert on Haiti, described the capital as “an open-air prison.”

“There is no safe way to enter or leave the capital except by helicopter,” he said. “Gangs are invading previously safe neighborhoods, killing, raping and burning houses, businesses, churches and schools.”

Gangs also have pillaged communities beyond Port-au-Prince.

On Monday, they attacked the city of Mirebalais in central Haiti and stormed a prison, releasing more than 500 inmates. The attack on Mirebalais and the nearby town of Saut d'Eau left more than 5,900 people homeless, according to an IOM report released Wednesday.

A recent U.N. report found that more than 4,200 people were reported killed across Haiti from July to February, and another 1,356 were injured.

O’Neill has called on the international community to do more to support a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police that is helping Haitian officers quell gang violence.

However, the mission only has about 40% of the 2,500 personnel envisioned and has struggled to hold back gangs.

Associated Press reporter Dánica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico contributed.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Protesters surround an Army vehicle during a protest against insecurity in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Demonstrators run for cover from tear gas fired by police during a protest against insecurity in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

A woman sweeps debris next to a blazing barricade set up by demonstrators during a protest against insecurity in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

A motorcyclist rides past a burning car during a protest against insecurity in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Protesters try to pull down a sign during a protest against insecurity in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)