Bob Uecker’s iconic ‘Harry Doyle’ role the stuff of legends | Opinion
Jan 16, 2025
First, let’s start with the name … Harry Doyle.
What a name. What a movie character. What a legacy from such a spot movie role.
On a day when millions across the country are mourning and celebrating the life of Bob Uecker — easily one of the most colorful characters in baseball history — in these parts it’s difficult to separate Uecker from his iconic role as Indians baseball announcer in the 1989 baseball comedy “Major League.”
Corbin Bernsen, top left, Tom Berenger and Charlie Sheen starred in 1989’s “Major League.” (Paramount Pictures)
In Cleveland, Uecker was Harry Doyle. Harry Doyle was Uecker. The role aged beautifully and stayed with him for 36 years until his death Jan. 16 at age 90.
MLB Network mourns the passing of Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Uecker. pic.twitter.com/wpt3EKZvtN
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 16, 2025
Uecker was the longtime voice of the Brewers and became a national celebrity through appearances on “The Tonight Show” starring Johnny Carson, Miller Lite commercials and then later in the 1980s as a regular on the popular TV Show “Mr. Belvedere.”
For Clevelanders, Uecker will always be Harry Doyle, the wise-cracking straight-faced announcer for a fictional rag-tag Indians club that defied the odds – all the while cracking us up during the film’s 106 minutes.
Uecker reprised his Harry Doyle role in the franchise’s two sequels, 1994’s “Major League II” and 1998’s forgettable “Major League: Back to the Minors” but nothing tops Uecker’s performance in the original film.
While Ricky Vaughn (Charlie Sheen), Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger), Roger Dorn (Corbin Bernsen) and the rest of the gang took care of the baseball antics on the field, Uecker’s Doyle explodes onto the screen like a runaway comet and never stops blazing.
The calls are legendary, iconic and unforgettable:
• “Listen to the roar of the crowd!”
• “Heywood (Brewers pitcher Pete Vuckovich) leads the league in most offensive categories, including nose hair. When this guy sneezes, he looks like a party favor.”
• “This guy threw at his own son in a father/son game.”
• “Just a reminder, coming up is our ‘Die Hard Night’ here at the stadium. Free admission to anyone who was actually alive the last time the Indians won a pennant.”
• “Haywood swings and crushes this one toward South America. Tomlinson is gonna need a visa to catch this one.”
There is also the line for which he will always be remembered: “Juuuuuust a bit outside!”
It almost never happened. In Jonathan Knight’s book, “The Making of Major League,” director and Northeast Ohio native David S. Ward said the original scripted line was “First pitch a little high …” Uecker later improvised his sarcastic take and in an instant an iconic sports movie line was born.
Uecker spent just two days on set of “Major League” because of his broadcasting schedule. Uecker said saying his lines and filming came naturally.
“Basically, David told me to be Harry Doyle,” said Uecker. “Do whatever. Just be the guy. Having a baseball background and being a broadcaster, this was easy for me.”
Many of Doyle’s lines were ad-libbed, according to Uecker: “David gave me the freedom to do these other lines that weren’t written.”
As were the affectionate monikers for the Indians, including the “Sons of Geronimo,” “Erie warriors” and “Friends of the feather.”
Before the release of the film, the Indians for decades were one of Major League Baseball’s worst franchises. The rags-to-riches story of the Indians has been beloved for nearly four decades. Without Euecker, “Major League” would have been a good baseball comedy. With Euecker, “Major Leauge” is a great baseball comedy.
Uecker as Doyle was more than one-liners, though. He won our hearts as Doyle because he made us believe he cared about the Indians. Loved the Indians. So much so that at the end of the film when the Indians beat the Yankees in a one-game playoff to win the American League pennant, and Doyle excitedly says, “The Indians win it! On my god, the Indians win it!” you can feel how much he cares, how much he loves the Indians.
There’s also a line in the film in which Doyle laments another tough Indians loss. He shouts, “We got one (bleep bleep) hit?” His partner covers the microphone and tells Doyle, “You can’t say that on the air.”
Doyle’s reply: “Don’t worry, no one’s listening anyway.”
He was wrong. Cleveland and baseball fans everywhere have watched, listened and laughed for years at the exploits of Harry Doyle, the greatest mythical Cleveland sports legend.
Uecker is no longer here but fortunately, the legend of Harry Doyle carries on forever.