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The next Uke?
Mike Rivera of the Milwaukee Brewers
By Mike Kennedy
There is a good reason that Rivera is the first member of The Fan Club, and that reason has a little something to do with Brewers Radio Broadcaster Bob Uecker.
It’s a new school year and a new look for the Post, which can only mean one thing: a new column.
The Fan Club will be a weekly column written by yours truly that will stack up to those written by, say, Sid Hartman (Star Tribune), Michael Hunt (Journal Sentinel) and even the great Brett Winkler (UWM Post). Every week The Fan Club will be about someone or so9mething that deserves some credit in the world of sports. If you have an idea of who or what you’d like to see highlighted next, share it by emailing MikeNMike@uwmpost.com.
For the first issue of The Fan Club I thought I would give a little credit to the most patient man in all of Milwaukee, Mike Rivera. Rivera is, as many should know, the backup catcher to Jason Kendall on the Milwaukee Brewers.
Rivera has played in a whopping 18 games this year and has been quite successful at the plate with a .316 batting average. The stout 6’1”, 230-lb. catcher is exactly what the Brewers need. He’s a guy who takes advantage of his time on the field and doesn’t complain about his time on the bench.
There is a good reason that Rivera is the first member of The Fan Club, and that reason has a little something to do with Brewers Radio Broadcaster Bob Uecker. When “Uke” was a Cardinal there was a group of college kids who created the Bob Uecker fan club. Keep in mind this was when the great Uke was the backup catcher. So being in the same position as a Brewer, Rivera deserves to have somewhat the same treatment that Cardinal fans have given to their backup men behind the plate.
Giving praise to the backup catcher may be a little risky, but at the same time it’s something that needs to be done. Rivera’s one homer and two stolen bags in 57 at bats isn’t what you should worship. Rather, the personality and elite patience he brings to a young ball club that has a lot to learn can definitely be acknowledged.
As a proverb once explained, “All good things come to he who waits.” Well Mike Rivera must have done something wrong because he is still waiting. He made his Major League debut in 2001 and has 409 career at-bats, just 14 shy of Ben Sheets’ 423. However, they each have 57 at bats this year but Rivera has bragging rights in every hitting category besides at bats.
If Kendall was to get injured there would be no better backup to have on your bench than a Mike Rivera. So what if his catching gear is still shiny and his glove may need a little oiling, Rivera is one of the best backup catchers in the league and Brewers fans should be happy to have him not only on their team, but in The Fan Club. Who knows, one day maybe Rivera will be the voice of the Brewers.
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