A biography for Bob Ueckerhasn’t been written yet.
“I was acting when I was playing baseball.”
“Not bragging by any means, but I could have done a lot of other stuff as far as working in films go and working in television... I had chances to do that stuff, but I like baseball, I really do.”
“I did stand-up, weird and ignorant stuff about my career - anything for a laugh.”
“I hit a grand slam off Ron Herbel and when his manager Herman Franks came out to get him, he was bringing Herbel's suitcase.”
“How do you catch a knuckleball? You wait until it stops rolling, then go pick it up.”
“In 1962 I was named Minor League Player of the Year. It was my second season in the bigs.”
“When I came up to bat with three men on and two outs in the ninth, I looked in the other team's dugout and they were already in street clothes.”
“I just grew the hair on my back. Facial hair just wasn't appealing to me. I liked it on my back, though.”
“On TV the people can see it. On radio you've got to create it.”
“When I looked at the third base coach, he turned his back on me.”
“I used to soak my mitts in a bucket of water for about two days. Then I'd put a couple of baseballs in the pocket and wrap it up with a rubber band. Today you don't have to do that, because catchers' mitts are more like first baseman's gloves.”
“I had been playing for a while, and I asked Louisville Slugger to send me a dozen flame treated bats. But when I got it, I realized they had sent me a box of ashes.”
“Anybody with ability can play in the big leagues. But to be able to trick people year in and year out the way I did, I think that was a much greater feat.”
“After getting out of the service and going into baseball I never wanted to do anything else.”
“I make fun of situations and try and find the humor in things, but it's never at the expense of the other guy.”
“Let's face it. Umpiring is not an easy or happy way to make a living. In the abuse they suffer, and the pay they get for it, you see an imbalance that can only be explained by their need to stay close to a game they can't resist.”
“The way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until it stops rolling and then pick it up.”
“The biggest thrill a ballplayer can have is when your son takes after you. That happened when my Bobby was in his championship Little League game. He really showed me something. Struck out three times. Made an error that lost the game. Parents were throwing things at our car and swearing at us as we drove off. Gosh, I was proud.”
“Baseball hasn't forgotten me. I go to a lot of old-timers games and I haven't lost a thing. I sit in the bullpen and let people throw things at me. Just like old times.”
“Where would I be without baseball? Who am I without baseball?”