For many non-baseball fans, Bob Uecker, who died Thursday at age 90, was first and foremost, a hilarious actor.
His humor shone through in many Miller Lite commercials and a starring role in the TV series “Mr. Belvedere.” But when Uecker was able to combine baseball and the big screen, magic happened.
His role as play-by-play broadcaster Harry Doyle in the movie “Major League” combined all of Uecker’s talents into one unforgettable performance.
Perhaps the greatest part of the Harry Doyle story is that most of Uecker’s lines in the movie were ad-libbed, giving him the opportunity to be his authentic, spontaneous self (which also included a few random profanities).
Opening Day in Cleveland
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As the announcer for the lowly Cleveland Indians, Harry Doyle instantly shows how bad things are for the home team, drinking on the job to help dull the pain.
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“Listen to the roar of this crowd,” Doyle says as he holds the microphone to capture the sound of a nearly empty stadium. “Yessir, they love this club here in Cleveland!”
‘Juuuuuuust a bit outside!’
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Doyle’s words meshed perfectly with the movie’s physical comedy – in particular the pitching adventures of Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn, played by Charlie Sheen.
There may not be a more often-quoted baseball phrase than Doyle’s “Juuuuuuust a bit outside!”
‘That looked like the Terminator … only slower’
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Harry Doyle chronicled Vaughn’s many ups and (mostly) downs, with this one scene allowing him to rattle off as many “tater” words as possible, while also remarking, “That baby is definitely going away for the winter.”
‘Nobody’s listening anyway’
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Harry bemoans the fact that in yet another Indians loss, they only got “one (expletive) hit.”
‘The Indians win it!’
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Somehow, this ragtag team manages to come together and actually become a winner. And Harry leads the celebration.
Losing takes it toll in ‘Major League 2’
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Uecker was so popular in the role that he returned five years later to reprise the role in 1994’s “Major League 2” (and again in 1998’s “Major League: Back to the Minors”).
In this scene, Harry’s just had enough.
