At his Hall of Fame -induction ceremony in Cooperstown in 2003, Bob Uecker delivered a memorable acceptance speech that in essence was a stand-up comedy act. Forty-four Hall of Fame players on the stage behind him were reduced to tears over Uecker’s self-deprecating humor, and the audience of some 18,000 roared with laughter.

As a catcher for the Milwaukee Braves, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies, Uecker hit .200 with 14 home runs. As a Brewers catcher in the mid-2000s, Chad Moeller hit .204 with 14 home runs. In Uecker, Moeller said on Thursday, he found a friend who could needle him with sweetness.