What do Royals pitcher Alec Marsh and Brewers Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Uecker have in common?

KANSAS CITY – Hall of Fame radio announcer Bob Uecker no longer travels to call road games for the Milwaukee Brewers.

But if he did, there's a Kansas City Royals player who would love to meet him.

Alec Marsh, a right-handed starter currently on the injured list, is believed to be the first player from Milwaukee Public Schools to play in the major leagues since Uecker in 1967. Uecker graduated from what was then Milwaukee Boys Tech. Tony Kubek (Milwaukee Bay View) played for the New York Yankees from 1957-1965.

Marsh played at Ronald Reagan High School in 2015 and struck out 10 in one of the more memorable upsets in WIAA history, a 5-0 upset of Arrowhead in the sectional final.

"I was aware of that. It's a fun fact I like telling people," Marsh said Monday, prior to the Brewers and Royals facing off in the opener of their three-game interleague series. "Being from Milwaukee, everyone thinks, 'Oh, it's a city. There's got to be more, right?' It's just me and Ueck.

"I was hoping I'll get to meet him someday and just kind of chat it up."

Royals pitcher Alec Marsh grew up in Bay View

Marsh grew up in the Bay View neighborhood, "right on the other side of the Hoan Bridge." His parents still live in Bay View, while the rest of his family resides in various suburbs.

Like almost any youngster from the Milwaukee area, he attended his fair share of games.

"At least a handful, for sure. Grandpa, parents would take me," he said. "Back when it was Miller Park. I still call it Miller Park. That was a great field to go to, and a special place for sure."

Being a hale and hearty Midwesterner, Marsh could only laugh when recalling his days playing in the brisk Milwaukee weather.

"Tough conditions, no doubt," he said. "Not a lot of innings. I think we played 15 games in the season. I just remember having fun. Going to practice on fields that didn't have fences. There was no grooming of the fields, that's for sure. We had to take care of that stuff.

"But it was fun. 'Let's show up and get this field ready and go practice.' I remember being a part of the coaching group almost, just because I had a lot of knowledge of the game at my age and we were a team that was just trying to play ball."

Milwaukee youth miss out on baseball because of equipment costs

Keeping that hardscrabble upbringing in mind, Marsh is hopeful he'll be in position to give back at some point in the future.

"I started the Marsh Family Foundation when I got drafted," he said. "It's something we want to build up for the future. There's nothing in the works now, but eventually I want to get to a place where I have a long MLB career and be able to go out and help those kids out.

"It's tough. The equipment, it's hard to get a hold of. There's kids that don't even start playing just because they don't have the equipment or the money. I know money was a big deal for me growing up; I had to work a job when I was 14-15 just to pay for workouts and stuff like that.

"So, any way I can help in that atmosphere I'm going to take advantage of when those opportunities arise."

Marsh moved on from Reagan after that 2015 season to play travel ball. It was a decision that ended up paying off in a big way as he landed collegiately at Arizona State and pitched three seasons for the Sun Devils before being drafted by the Royals in the second round (70th overall) in 2019.

Five picks later the Brewers selected left-hander Antoine Kelly, who underwhelmed in two seasons in the organization before being traded along with Mark Mathias to the Texas Rangers at the deadline in 2021 in exchange for right-hander Matt Bush.

Marsh was called up by the Royals shortly after a series in Milwaukee

"I know Kansas City was high on me," Marsh said. "I remember meeting with them long before the draft when I played in the Cape (Cod League). I didn't meet with a ton of teams. I remember having contact with the Rockies. But not much with the Brewers.

"I just remember hearing things, like (Craig) Counsell followed my career. Which is cool to hear that they were looking into me a little bit."

Marsh's numbers as he rose through the minors weren't especially impressive, but his stuff played well enough for him to have made his major-league debut last June 30. As luck would have it, he missed pitching against the Brewers in Milwaukee by only three weeks.

"We went there last year and I wanted to go so bad," Marsh said. "But I didn't get called up yet. It was my birthday weekend. That would have been sick."

Marsh started 3-0 before being injured by a line drive

Marsh had a rough go of it in 2023, posting a 3-9 record and 5.69 ERA in 17 appearances (eight starts). This season has been a different story, however, as he is 3-0 with a 2.70 ERA and WHIP of 1.01 over five starts in a talented young Kansas City rotation.

Marsh's IL placement for a right forearm contusion came as a result of a line drive he took in a start April 24.

A strong minor-league rehab outing Sunday at Class AAA Omaha leaves Marsh on the cusp of a return to the Royals.

He'll have to wait until next season to pitch in Milwaukee. Could Marsh allow himself to look into the future and perhaps see an opportunity to one day pitch for the Brewers?

"Right now I'm a Royal," he said. "I hope we take it to 'em in the series."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Royals' Alec Marsh first from MPS in majors since Bob Uecker