No baseball player ever built more around a lifetime batting average of.200 than sportscaster/humorist Bob Uecker. The former catcher for three National League teams parlayed his limited on-field abilities into a lucrative second career, becoming visible through his play-by-play commentary, roles in sitcoms and movies, and a series of commercial endorsements. "Anybody with ability can play in the big leagues," he once remarked. "But to be able to trick people year in and year out the way I did, I think that's a much greater feat."

A Milwaukee native, Uecker was signed by the hometown Braves (National League pennant winners in 1957 and 1958) for $3,000. "That bothered my dad at the time," Uecker later joked, "because he didn't have that kind of money to pay out." Contrary to his public persona, Uecker actually hit very well in the Braves' minor league system, batting over.300 in...