By james art 
Bob Wicker died on January 16 at the age of 90. He was well known as a television operator and a favorite guest of the hosts of the talk show.
Wicker appeared in Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show over 50 times, entertaining us with his self -esteem for humor for his play days in minors and big leagues. In fact, I remember that it was Carson who gave Weaker the nickname “Mr. Baseball. “
For those of us who have watched, worked or played at Braves Field in the 1950s and early 1960s, Wicker’s passage returned dear memories of a time when baseball was a prominent summer fun; And the Balpark place where families and friends will gather to enjoy more than the game.
Braves Field was the home of our Boise Braves, a Minor League branch of Milwaukee Bravs, and a place where Weker played a hunter in 1956 and 1958.
Tagging with my family to all the home games, I remember that Ucker was a self -designed joker of the club house, who entertained us with more than his baseball skills.
Weker was a good baseball player for our Braves. At least I thought he was at that time, as he always received strong cheers from fans when he came to fit. Now I wonder if the cheers were more because of his colorful personality than his impact abilities, since his average life was .200.
Weker’s defense, however, provided him with opportunities for a large league. The parent team Miluoki Bravs promoted him in 1962, but then in the next four years he also had a stay in St. Louis, Philadelphia and the Chicago cubes.
It seemed that the defense and the colorful personality were not enough to make it a starting hunter, as he found his bigger gifts such as a television and baseball comedian.
As a young boy, I remember that Weker was among many Boise Braves players who either visited or lived in a small house with a room that my parents owned and were in the neighborhood of our family home against what was Boise Junior College then S
The names like Rafael Gomez, Dave Skranton, Bobby King, John Garofalo and Tom Brown also come to mind as visitors or players who found a place to spend the night or visits to our small house at the end of our dirt alley.
The last season of Braves was in 1963 in the Old Pioneer League. The secondary league baseball did not return for another 12 years, but found other places, including a short time at the Bora high school baseball field.
The Braves field, once one of the more beautiful and well maintained baseball parks in a small league, was leveled and eventually replaced by the fish and play in Idaho.
After baseball returned in 1975, he no longer had a familiar home and other forms of entertainment had an advantage. Television and expanded outdoor recreation possibilities suffocate the attempt to resume baseball, and the loss of Braves Field was a significant blow.
Today, Boise Hawks have been a consistent presence since 1987 and are related to several teams of the Basic League, but they are already independent. The games are played at the Memorial Stadium as it was built in 1987, providing such a consistent placeball space.
Wicker will be remembered by several of us elderly citizens with kind memories of Boise at a time when Braves Field and Mr. Baseball ”provided space and fun that are never forgotten – and is always valuable.
Bob Fontaine is a former teacher, director, director of human resources and chief in both public and Catholic schools for a 42-year period in Idaho, Washington and Oregon. He spent his childhood years in South Boyz, attending numerous Boise Braves baseball games on Braves Field between 1955 and 1960.