Five ways Bob Uecker made himself an American icon

That was one aspect of Uecker, who handled those duties for the Brewers from 1971 through last season and became one of the most respected broadcasters of his time. Uecker was honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003 with the Ford C. Frick Award in recognition of his outstanding broadcasting career.

Late-night guest

However, many of us outside of the Upper Midwest grew up knowing Uecker as the former catcher who spent six MLB seasons bouncing between three teams and putting up a career batting average of .200 and OPS+ of 63. Uecker acknowledged that career that wasn't exactly Hall of Fame-worthy and it became one of his calling cards, using stories of his playing days to crack up legendary late-night hosts and endear himself to a nation.

Saturday Night Live host

When he hosted Saturday Night Live in 1984, among other things, he joked about how the St. Louis Cardinals didn't technically invite him back to the reunion of the 1964 World Series champions.

Television commercials

Poking fun at himself was one of Uecker's most beloved characteristics, and it was the thing that made him iconic in the eyes of so many when he appeared in commercials for Miller Lite beer in the 1980s.

"Major League" movie franchise

But being behind the microphone was one thing that was a natural for Uecker, and the combination of his humor and baseball savvy helped him transform into Harry Doyle, the all-too-honest voice of the Cleveland Indians in the "Major League" movie franchise.

While Uecker may not have made a name for himself on the diamond during his playing days, his wit, humor and knowledge of the game transformed him into someone who we could all relate to in some way. He made many of us love baseball even more than we did and smile even more than we were, a gift that will continue even after his passing.

Rest in peace, Mr. Baseball.