‘A Wisconsin treasure’: Candlelit tribute honors Bob Uecker at his favorite restaurant
Mr. Baseball has been going to The Jackson Grill for decades; a tribute now sits at his go-to table in the wake of his death
Updated: 10:33 PM CST Jan 16, 2025
IT THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, YOU NEVER KNOW WHO’S GOING TO WALK THROUGH THIS LITTLE PLACE NOW STANDS A CANDLE LIT TRIBUTE IN THE WAKE OF HIS DEATH. HE WAS A PIECE OF YOURSELF, YOU KNOW. HE’S A FIXTURE IN THE CITY AND A FIXTURE IN MY HEART. EVER SINCE I WAS A YOUNG MAN. KEVIN MURPHY SAW MR. BASEBALL DOZENS OF TIMES IN HIS 12 YEARS AT JACKSON GRILL, THE RESTAURANT FILLED WITH UECKER PICTURES AND KNICKKNACKS. SINCE THE MILWAUKEE NATIVE HAS BEEN COMING HERE FOR DECADES. HE WOULD JUST BRIGHTEN THE WHOLE ROOM. OBVIOUSLY, HE HAD THAT LOCAL STAR POWER OF, HEY, I’M DINING WITH BOB UECKER. YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I’LL ALWAYS REMEMBER. UECKER VISITING THE SUPPER CLUB MONTHLY DURING BASEBALL SEASON BROWN. HE WAS A SNACKER. HE LIKED THE ESCARGOT AND THE BRUSCHETTA AND THE SHRIMP APPETIZER, LEAVING A LASTING IMPACT ON THE STAFF AND ITS CUSTOMERS. IT WAS SURREAL HAVING SOMEONE THAT YOU, ONE OF LIFE’S NARRATORS, ALMOST BE IN HERE ENJOYING A NICE MEAL AND A NICE DRINK, SWINGING A SOFT LITTLE LINE DRIVE, BASE HIT TO CENTER. HE WAS OUR TREASURE AND HAD A WONDERFUL LIFE AND TOUCHED A LOT OF PEOPLE, INCLUDING MYSELF. THE JACKSON GRILL WILL BE KEEPING UP UECKER’S CANDLE LIT TREY DAERR HIS CANDLE LIT TRIBUTE UP THERE BY HIS TABLE. THE STAFF TELL ME THEY’RE A
‘A Wisconsin treasure’: Candlelit tribute honors Bob Uecker at his favorite restaurant
Mr. Baseball has been going to The Jackson Grill for decades; a tribute now sits at his go-to table in the wake of his death
Updated: 10:33 PM CST Jan 16, 2025
Next to an empty table and chairs in the corner of The Jackson Grill stands a candlelit tribute with pictures of Bob Uecker: a way of honoring the iconic Brewers announcer and the man staff considered a regular at their supper club in the wake of his death.Uecker had gone to The Jackson Grill — and its original location — for decades. The inside of the restaurant is filled with pictures of Mr. Baseball, posters, and bobbleheads. Kevin Murphy is a manager at The Jackson Grill and has worked there for 12 years, running into Uecker numerous times. “He would just brighten the whole room, obviously. He had that local star power of, ‘Hey, I’m dining with Bob Uecker.’ You know, this is something that I’ll always remember,” Murphy said.Murphy said Uecker would come in a few times a month during baseball season. The supper club’s owner, Andy Radjenovich, described the baseball icon as a “snacker” who ordered the escargot, shrimp and bruschetta. “It was surreal having someone that’s one of life’s narrators being here, enjoying a nice meal and a nice drink,” Radjenovich said. “It’s heartbreaking. I feel for his family and his friends and anyone in Milwaukee. He was a part of everyone’s life.”The candlelit tribute will be kept up by Uecker’s table. The staff are looking into other ways of honoring the Milwaukee legend in the future.”You lose a piece of yourself. He’s a fixture in the city and a fixture in my heart ever since I was a young man,” Murphy said. “He’s a Wisconsin treasure. He will be missed.”
MILWAUKEE —Next to an empty table and chairs in the corner of The Jackson Grill stands a candlelit tribute with pictures of Bob Uecker: a way of honoring the iconic Brewers announcer and the man staff considered a regular at their supper club in the wake of his death.
Uecker had gone to The Jackson Grill — and its original location — for decades. The inside of the restaurant is filled with pictures of Mr. Baseball, posters, and bobbleheads.
Kevin Murphy is a manager at The Jackson Grill and has worked there for 12 years, running into Uecker numerous times.
“He would just brighten the whole room, obviously. He had that local star power of, ‘Hey, I’m dining with Bob Uecker.’ You know, this is something that I’ll always remember,” Murphy said.
Murphy said Uecker would come in a few times a month during baseball season. The supper club’s owner, Andy Radjenovich, described the baseball icon as a “snacker” who ordered the escargot, shrimp and bruschetta.
“It was surreal having someone that’s one of life’s narrators being here, enjoying a nice meal and a nice drink,” Radjenovich said. “It’s heartbreaking. I feel for his family and his friends and anyone in Milwaukee. He was a part of everyone’s life.”
The candlelit tribute will be kept up by Uecker’s table. The staff are looking into other ways of honoring the Milwaukee legend in the future.
“You lose a piece of yourself. He’s a fixture in the city and a fixture in my heart ever since I was a young man,” Murphy said. “He’s a Wisconsin treasure. He will be missed.”
