Willy Adames’ touching 2-word response after Bob Uecker’s death shows their special bond

The baseball world was struck by grief with the news of Milwaukee Brewers announcer Bob Uecker death on Thursday. The Hall of Fame broadcaster breathed his last at the ripe age of 90.

New San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames paid tribute to Bob Uecker on Instagram. Adames also posted a short response to the news, showing the strong bond he had shared with Uecker following his time in Milwaukee.

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Uecker served as the Brewers' radio broadcaster for 54 seasons since 1971. Known for his self-deprecating, humorous personality, Uecker was added to the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2001 and received the Ford C. Frick Award two years later. In 2012, the Brewers unveiled the Uecker Monument outside American Family Field to honor him.

Being a former major league catcher, Uecker had maintained a close bond with the players in the Milwaukee Brewers clubhouse. So, it's not a big surprise to see that Willy Adames also developed a tight relationship with the decorated broadcaster during his four-year spell with the Brewers from 2021 to 2024.

Wily Adames Instagram (Image Source: Instagram/Adames)

"My friend," Adames wrote in his two-word response to Uecker's demise.

Besides broadcasting, Uecker had also carved out a successful acting career in film and television. He earned the facetious nickname, Mr. Baseball, from talk show host Johnny Carson and made many memorable appearances on his program during the 1970s and 80s.

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Peculiar playing career of Bob Uecker

Bob Uecker played six years in the MLB before joining the broadcasting booth (Image Source: Imagn)

Before becoming a broadcaster, Bob Uecker had a six-year playing career as a backup catcher in the major leagues. He was well below average, but his jovial persona made him quite popular with his teammates in the clubhouse, which allowed him to stick around for as long as he did.

Uecker made his debut in 1962 for his hometown team, the Milwaukee Braves, before he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals at the end of the 1963 season. Uecker spent two years there and got traded to the Philadelphia Phillies before winding down his career with the Atlanta Braves in 1967.

Overall, Uecker played less than 300 games. He was poor offensively but was regarded to be a reliable defender. He batted .200 over his career, hit only 14 home runs and had a career OPS+ of just 63.

Despite being a subpar performer, Bob Uecker played alongside some of the greatest players of all time, like Hank Aaron, Bob Gibson and Phil Niekro. He also won the World Series in 1964 with the Cardinals.