His most iconic ‘Major League’ call

On By Littum

To many non-baseball fans, Bob Uecker, who died Thursday at age 90, was first and foremost a funny actor.

His humor shone through in many Miller Lite commercials and a starring role in the television 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 film were ad-libbed, giving him the opportunity to be his authentic, spontaneous self (which also included a few random profanities).

Opening Day in Cleveland

Speaking for the lowly Cleveland Indians, Harry Doyle instantly shows how bad things are for the home team, drinking on the job to numb the pain.

“Listen to the roar of this crowd,” Doyle says, holding the microphone to capture the sound of a near-empty stadium. “Yessir, they love this club here in Cleveland!”

‘Juuuuuust a bit outside!’

Doyle’s words meshed perfectly with the film’s physical comedy – especially the pitching adventures of Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn, played by Charlie Sheen.

There may not be a more oft-quoted baseball phrase than Doyle’s “Juuuuuuust a little outside!”

‘It was like Terminator…only slower’

Harry Doyle chronicled Vaughn’s many ups and (mostly) downs, with this one scene allowing him to rattle off as many “tatter” words as possible while also noting, “That baby’s gotta be gone for the winter.”

‘No one listens anyway’

Harry bemoans the fact that in another Indians loss, they only got “one (expletive) hit”.

“The Indians win it!”

Somehow this ragtag team manages to come together and actually become a winner. And Harry leads the celebration.

Losing costs it in ‘Major League 2’

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 has just had enough.