Despite a notable 12-year career as a professional baseball player, he is known mainly for his role as fictional Yankees slugger Clu Haywood, the chief nemesis of Charlie Sheen's character Ricky Vaughn, in the popular 1989 film Major League.

Vuckovich graduated from Conemaugh Valley High School then went on to Clarion University to play baseball.

Vuckovich, winner of the 1982 AL Cy Young Award, is a member of the Clarion University Sports Hall of Fame.

[2] After minimal duty with Chicago from 1975–76, Vuckovich was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1976 MLB expansion draft.

A part of a blockbuster seven-player trade in December 1980, Vuckovich went to the Milwaukee Brewers along with Rollie Fingers and Ted Simmons.

This however, proved to be the zenith of his career, as Vuckovich had been battling shoulder pain for two seasons, and in spring training of 1983, it was discovered he had torn his rotator cuff.

Subsequent and prolonged comeback attempts all failed, and by the end of the 1986 season, Milwaukee released Vuckovich.

Vuckovich portrayed fictional Yankees slugger Clu Haywood in David S. Ward's film Major League.