Hondo Mahatma

Hello fellow radio fan! After a lifetime as an NFL fan, at the ripe age of 60 years old I finally, thankfully, discovered the joy of baseball. As a Wisconsin native, part of my newly found fandom is due largely to listening to the truly great Bob Uecker and his classic announcer work for the Milwaukee Brewers. "Living legend" is a over-used term, but Uecker is a living link all the way back to the 1950s era of baseball (he signed with Milwaukee Braves in 1956). With a 67 year career he played or crossed paths with most of the greats, and Uecker speaks with a unique knowledge and insight about the game. Furthermore, Uecker is a truly funny person with a quick, self-effacing wit who can entertainingly fill the slow parts of a game like no one else in MLB broadcasting. To see his comedic talent in action, just take a look on YouTube to see Uecker put Johnny Carson in stitches! Uecker is that rare gem who is still sharp and vital at 89 years old. And as life goes, who knows how much longer he will be gracing the airwaves... so I treasure every single game Bob Uecker calls. Bob Uecker is one of the greats of sports broadcasting - and in the same strata as Vin Scully, Harry Carey, and Phil Rizzuto. To answer your third question, "why radio?"... I am a big fan of the golden age of radio, from the late '30s through the '60s. Listening to games each day from all over the country on the MLB radio app (despite not being perfect) provides that same special "theatre of the mind" as those classic radio broadcasts. And like you, the audio-only approach allows me to multi-task and be active rather than sitting passively in front of a tv. In closing, listening to baseball on the radio (by blu-toothing the audio stream from my iPhone to a vintage transistor radio), is one of the great, simple joys of the summer. What fun! Hondo PS The attached photo is Uecker at a 1964 World Series game - shagging pre-game fly balls with a tuba borrowed from the band!