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I bought this book because I remember reading the first run paperback in 1982. I grew up in Milwaukee and remember when it was Bob Uecker and Merle Harmon in the booth doing the play-by-play on 620AM WTMJ during the Brewers' 1982 World Series run...Actually, I remember sneaking my transistor radio into my bed and listening to the broadcasts as young as 6-ish. I don't know how many people remember the Miller Lite commercials where Uecker would congratulate "Catnip" Hunter and harass the umpire from the "front row" of the nose bleed seats. How about Mr. Belvediere? I can't believe this copy is part of the 13th printing from 1987. I really can't believe there was no "sequel" to this book! This book starts off sharp, witty and zany and never stops. I knew he played for the Milwaukee Braves and the (ultra-hated since 1982) St. Louis Cardinals, but I didn't know he was traded to the Santa-assaulting, battery-tossing, have their own courthouse under the Vet Philadelphia Phillies. Must reading is...well...the entire book! Who else could take a .200 career spanning the eons of 6 long years with 3 teams (all the while with a no-trade clause) and winnow it down to a meager 216 pages (counting the ultra-concise 2 page appendix). Who else can say they were a platoon catcher with Tim McCarver and (allegedly) have caught for Steve Carlton? And who can then say they caught batting practice with a tuba, posed left-handed for his 1965 St. Louis Cardinals trading card as a right-handed batter? Who can further acclaim that they passed out after catching a knuckleball and started off his broadcasting career by pondering the number of pebbles that comprised the warning track in the now demolished Milwaukee County Stadium? Finally, who can say they have spent over 50 years in baseball? Who could then brag that they have spent the majority of that time with their hometown teams (Milwaukee Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers)? This is an insanely hillarious look at one man's journey through a sport that many children still dream of playing. The next time you watch the Brewers on satellite or at Miller Park, take a radio or tune your internet connection/XM satellite radio to the Milwaukee Brewers radio broadcast on 620AM WTMJ. Follow that up with a fun read through this book and you will have an insight in to one of the best people and baseball and a true representative and ambassador for one of the best cities in America, Milwaukee, WI.Read full review
A gift for a Milwaukee baseball fan.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I think Bob Uecker "live" is one of the funniest guys on the planet, and hence my expectations were pretty high for this book. Frankly it reads more like a ghost-written series of somewhat amusing anecdotes that didn't sound to me like they (for the most part) came from Uecker's mouth. Maybe I'm just not enough of a "baseball nut."
Great book! If you are a Brewers fan or a fan of baseball, this is a fun read. I bought this book to replace the paperback copy I lost. I have read it more than one time and get a kick out of it everytime.