Team
Entering his 39th year behind the mic as a Major League Baseball broadcaster for his hometown team calling play-by-play on WTMJ-Radio and the Brewers Radio Network, Bob Uecker will celebrate his 54th year in professional baseball in 2009.
Affectionately known across the country as "Mr. Baseball," Uecker has completed 28 seasons as the club's number one announcer. Uecker earned the 2003 Ford C. Frick Award and will forever be recognized in Baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. On July 27, 2003, he made one of the most memorable speeches in Hall of Fame induction history as he left his audience, including former President George H. Bush, in tears from laughter.
In 2003, Uecker also joined former Brewers general manager, Harry Dalton, as a member of the Brewers Walk of Fame, located near home plate outside of Miller Park. He and Dalton joined Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Hank Aaron, Rollie Fingers, Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Jim Gantner, Gorman Thomas and Cecil Cooper in receiving this special honor.
Uecker is highly respected in the industry, having been inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2001, where he joined such baseball broadcasting luminaries as Vin Scully, Mel Allen, Red Barber, Ernie Harwell and Jack Brickhouse as well as other American icons such as Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Edward R. Murrow and Orson Welles. He has been named Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year five times during his career and was inducted into the Wisconsin Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.
His big break can be traced to a 1969 visit with Al Hirt, who arranged an appearance for Uecker on the "Tonight Show," starring Johnny Carson. Uecker became one of Carson's favorite guests, making some 100 appearances before Carson retired in 1992. He also made appearances on the Mike Douglas and Merv Griffin shows, Late Night with David Letterman and as a guest host on Saturday Night Live.
A versatile talent, Uecker's credits go far beyond guest appearances and play-by-play. In 1985, Uecker launched a television acting career as one of the stars of ABC's sitcom "Mr. Belvedere," which put 122 episodes into syndication. He also hosted two syndicated television shows, "Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports" and "Bob Uecker's War of the Stars." He was one of the Miller Lite All-Stars in popular commercials for Lite Beer from Miller. Uecker was cast as a radio announcer in the film "Major League," which was filmed at County Stadium, and the sequel, "Major League II."
His experience broadcasting Brewers games both on radio and television gained Uecker national recognition as he went on to serve as play-by-play announcer for ABC Sports coverage of Monday Night Baseball, the League Championship Series and the World Series.
Uecker's accomplishments are not limited to the electronic medium. A former catcher who spent six seasons in the Major Leagues, Bob authored a book entitled "Catcher In the Wry," a humorous look back on the years he spent with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies. One of his career highlights as a player came in 1964, when he was a member of the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.
Despite his national attention and success, Bob never forgot his roots. His philanthropic efforts benefit several local organizations, including the United Performing Arts Fund, the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer Fund, the Milwaukee Symphony, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. In addition, Uecker is an advocate for organizations that battle cystic fibrosis and heart disease and is involved with the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. He also chairs the popular Bob Uecker Celebrity Fishing Tournament for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
For his efforts, Uecker was inducted into the Wisconsin Performing Artists Hall of Fame in 1993. The Hall of Fame was established in 1983 to honor nationally and internationally known performing artists with Wisconsin ties. In 1994, he was elected to the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame. In January 1995, he earned the "Big B.A.T." Award from the Baseball Assistance Team at a dinner in New York City for his continuing support of former Major League stars who are in need of assistance.
Cory Provus, 30, joins the Brewers for his first season as play-by-play announcer on WTMJ-AM and the Brewers Radio Network.
Provus began his Major League Baseball career in March of 2007 as the Chicago Cubs Pre and Post Game Show host. He also handled play-by-play duties, backing up Pat Hughes during games, and anchored the morning and afternoon drive sportscasts as a reporter for WGN-AM in Chicago.
In June of 2006, Provus was named the voice of the University of Alabama-Birmingham Blazers. At UAB, he handled radio play-by-play UAB football, men's basketball and baseball. He also hosted the weekly coaches radio and television shows. While at UAB, he was named the 2006 Radio Sportscaster of the Year by the Alabama Broadcasters Association.
Provus also has various experience hosting studio shows, managing production and doing play by play for various properties of International Sports Properties. Provus handled play-by-play for the Conference USA Football Championship game, the ACC Men's Basketball Tournament and various play-by-play duties for Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech baseball, football and basketball.
A graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, Provus also worked at WAER-FM in Syracuse from 1996-2000, handling radio play-by-play and acting as studio host for Orange Football, Basketball and Lacrosse.
A native of Highland Park, Ill., Provus resides in Milwaukee.
Kent Sommerfeld is in his 24th season as the producer of Milwaukee Brewers radio broadcasts. A Wisconsin native, he has acquired a wide range of experience during his tenure in the broadcasting field.Sommerfeld has been the radio producer/director for the Marquette University radio network since 1990 and hosted an interview segment during the team's pre-game programming during the 1995-96 season. He was named director of the Marquette Basketball radio network in 1999 and does play-by-play for the Marquette University womens basketball radio broadcasts.
Sommerfeld attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he earned a degree in communications and broadcast journalism. While at Whitewater, Sommerfeld was the sports director of Cable TV-6, a wing of Whitewaters cable system, as well as the co-host of "Sports Chat," a sports talk show on WSUW-Radio.
In addition to his radio accolades, Sommerfeld has worked with ESPN's technical staff on several events in the Midwest. He also worked at KRBC-TV, the NBC affiliate in Abilene, Texas, as a sports/news photojournalist.
Born in Milwaukee, Sommerfeld attended Brookfield Central High School. He has two sons, Peter and Luke, and resides in New Berlin, Wisconsin.
Bill Schroeder returns for his 15th season as the color commentator on Brewers telecasts.
Popular with the fans, Schroeder began his career behind the mic as the Brewers' color man after a distinguished playing career. He is familiar with the business of talking baseball, co-hosting "Baseball Sunday" in 1994 and "Talkin' Brewers" on WTMJ-Radio from 1998-2000. As a part of his work on the 2007 Brewers Preview Show, Schroeder and the FSN team were awarded a regional Emmy Award.
For the past six winters, Schroeder has served as the coordinator of Brewers Fantasy Camp. The camp is always a hit, selling out each year at the Brewers' spring training home in Maryvale, Arizona.
Schroeder spent eight seasons in the big leagues with the Brewers and California Angels, posting a career-best .332 batting average in 1987. He caught Juan Nieves' no-hitter on April 15, 1987 in the midst of the Brewers' Major League record-tying 13-0 start. In addition, he clubbed a career-high 14 home runs and had 42 RBI in a backup role that season. Schroeder provided the highlight to his finest season in the majors on June 14, 1987 at Yankee Stadium, where before family and friends, he collected four hits, including a game-winning two-run homer off Dave Righetti. Schroeder was traded to the California Angels following the 1988 campaign before retiring as a player in 1990.
An active member in the community, Schroeder won the Athletes For Youth Good Guy Award in 1988.
Born in Baltimore and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Schroeder graduated from West Windsor Plainsboro High School, where he earned All-State honors his junior and senior years. He attended Clemson University, leading the Tigers to the Atlantic Coast Conference title in 1978 and 1979.
Schroeder and his wife, Kate, reside in Muskego, Wisconsin. He has two daughters, Lindsey and Mallory, and a son named Billy. The couple also has a miniature dochshund named Otis.
Brian Anderson was named Brewers play-by-play announcer on January 10, 2007 and is entering his third season as a Major League broadcaster. In just his second season, Anderson was tabbed by TBS to do play-by-play for the network's coverage of the 2008 National League Division Series, where he was able to call the Brewers-Phillies series.
As a part of his work on the 2007 Brewers Preview Show, Anderson and the FSN team were awarded a regional Emmy Award.
Anderson joined the Brewers from the Golf Channel, where he worked as a play-by-play announcer from 2003-06. In his role there, he served as a host for a variety of the network's events, including the PGA and Nationwide Tours. Anderson also worked at FSN Southwest as a sideline reporter for the San Antonio Spurs from 1999-07, where he saw the Spurs win three NBA Championships.
From 1998-2000, Anderson handled Minor League and Little League Baseball telecasts for ESPN. He received his start in baseball with the San Antonio Missions, the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, serving as a radio/television play-by-play announcer from 1994-98 and from 2000-03.
Anderson played catcher on the nationally-ranked baseball team at St. Mary's University (Texas) and graduated Cum Laude from the school in 1993 with a degree in english-communications. His brother, Mike Anderson, had a stint in the majors as a pitcher with the Cincinnati Reds (1993) and is currently a Major League scout in the Texas Rangers organization.
Anderson, his wife Michele and daughter, Madeline, reside in Hartland, Wisconsin.
Craig Coshun begins his ninth season covering the Brewers as a pre-game host and sideline reporter for selected games on FS Wisconsin. Coshun has also filled in as the play-by-play announcer during his time with the team. Following the baseball season, he performs the same duties for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks.
Coshun is a veteran sportscaster in the state, calling several events for the University of Wisconsin, the Big Ten Network and the ESPN family of networks. He has also handled the WIAA state high school football championships and is a feature writer for Inside Wisconsin Sports Magazine.
As a part of his work on the 2007 Brewers Preview Show, Coshun and the FSN team were awarded a regional Emmy Award.
Coshun has worked at NBC affiliates in Eau Claire (WEAU) and Madison (WMTV) and was the sports director at WMTV from 1992-2000. He is a graduate of UW-Whitewater.
Dave Nelson enters his third season as an analyst for FS Wisconsin broadcasts. He also serves as Brewers Director of Alumni Relations and leads the team's Speakers Bureau. In his front office role, Nelson maintains a database of former Brewers players as well as organizes events for Brewers alumni.
Prior to his current role, Nelson served as Brewers first-base coach from 2003-06. In 2001 and 2002, he was a minor-league outfield instructor. Nelson began his Major League coaching career in 1981 with Chicago-AL and later spent time coaching in Cleveland, Oakland and Montreal. In 1980, he was on the coaching staff at Texas Christian University.
Nelson enjoyed a 10-year Major League playing career from 1968-77. The former outfielder played for Cleveland, Washington, Texas and Kansas City. He was named to the American League All-Star Team in 1973.
Born in Fort Still, Oklahoma, Nelson went on to graduate from Junipero Serra High School in California. He attended Compton Junior College for one year and Los Angeles State College for two years. Nelson also served in the Army Reserve for six years. He currently splits time between Bradenton, Florida and Milwaukee.
Telly Hughes joins FOX Sports Wisconsin for his first season as a sideline reporter for Brewers coverage. He will team with Brewers Live host Craig Coshun and analyst Davey Nelson to cover all of the station's telecasts of Brewers baseball this season. He also handles sideline duties with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Hughes comes to Milwaukee from Minneapolis where he worked as a reporter and host for FOX Sports North in 2008. He was responsible for the network's pregame, sideline and postgame coverage of the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Wild. While at FOX Sports North, Hughes also hosted Wolves Weekly, The Tubby Smith Show and Our Heroes: A Black History Month Special, which earned him a regional Emmy Award.
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Hughes earned his bachelor's degree in mass communication and broadcast journalism from Illinois State University where he also played baseball. He began his broadcasting career in Macon, Georgia as a weekend sports reporter for WMAZ and also worked as a sports reporter for CBS affiliate, WHO in Des Moines and for KPLR in St. Louis.
Hector Molina began his career in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico, with WBQN radio as a morning DJ and sports commentator. While in Puerto Rico, he also served as color commentator for amateur baseball games.Molina continued his broadcast career after relocating to Chicago. From 1982-93, he worked for WOPA radio and WOJO radio in the news departments and as a morning DJ. In Chicago, he served as a play-by-play announcer for the Bears (1987-88), Cubs (1987-88), White Sox (1992-99) and Bulls (1992-99).
Molina worked for ESPN from 1998-2000, covering the baseball playoffs and the 1998 World Series. In 2005, he once again covered the baseball playoffs and the World Series, this time for Univision Radio. Most recently, Molina covered the Chicago Bears preseason for Telemundo Chicago and continues to cover the Milwaukee Brewers for Telemundo Wisconsin.
Molina is a 1977 graduate of Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, where he earned a degree in social sciences. He did post-graduate work at Governor's State University in University Park, Ill.
Molina served in Vietnam from 1966-69 with the Army, and then again in 1973 with the Navy. Chicago is home to Molina and his wife, Enid, their four children, and three grandchildren.
Juan Carlos Lozano, 30, was named a Brewers announcer in July of 2008.
He will be entering his first season as a Major League color analyst.Currently, Lozano works for ESPN Deportes 1510 AM in Milwuakee. ESPN Deportes 1510 AM is the Greater Milwaukee area's first all sports Spanish station. Lozano comes to the Brewers from a career in private law practice in Southern California. Prior to practicing law. Lozano worked for an athelte representation firm in Los Angeles , CA.
Born in San Diego, CA, Lozano is a graduate of St. Augustine High School in San Diego, CA.
Lozano attended the University of California, at Berkeley and earned a B.A. in Political Science and latter attended the University of Wisconsin, at Madison Law School. Lozano is licensed to practice in both California and Wisconsin.
A marathon runner, he enjoys reading, playing pick-up basketball, watching boxing and traveling.
Lozano is single and currently lives in Milwaukee and Southern California.
