The world of sports suffers from a dearth of funny men.

One can canvas entire sports for humorous characters and find nary a one. Who’s funny in football these days? The Mannings — brothers Peyton and Eli — can induce a wry smile occasionally with their back-and-forth. And Pat McAfee — is he funny or just loud? Basketball features Sir Charles and Shaq, who are more honest than funny. Bill Raftery maybe? He has his moments. But to find true wit in roundball you have to go back to Abe Lemons, or at least Al McGuire.
A true, genuine, sui generis funny man of sports died last week. Bob Uecker passed away at the age of 90.
Uecker, who bore the ironic title of “Mr. Baseball,” became a staple on late-night television. He made over 100 appearances on The Tonight Show and put Johnny Carson in stitches for minutes at a time. His Hall of Fame acceptance speech reduced the greats of the game — Willie Mays, Joe Morgan, et al. — to tears.
He parlayed a forgettable baseball career as a catcher into a highly successful broadcasting career and an acting résumé that included the big screen, television, and memorable commercials. He was beloved in his hometown of Milwaukee and throughout the baseball world.
Raised in the Beer City, he claims to have actually been born across the Illinois state line while his parents were on an “oleo run.” I grew up in Milwaukee and have heard much about such southern expeditions. See, Wisconsin did not allow yellow coloring in margarine — to protect the butter trade — so frugal Wisconsinites drove across the line to buy, in bulk, Illinois oleomargarine, which was cheaper than butter, and also yellow. Uecker’s mother, great with child during one of his family’s excursions, bore Bob on an exit ramp, beneath an overhead light, in the backseat of a 1937 Chevy, just across the border. Or so says the Ueck.
He signed a contract in 1956 with the old Milwaukee Braves, he said, for $3,000. This made his father, a Swiss immigrant, angry. Said Uecker, “My old man...