CHRISTIAN YELICH HAD tears in his eyes.
The Milwaukee Brewers had simply been eradicated from the 2024 MLB postseason in heartbreaking trend when New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso homered off nearer Devin Williams within the ninth inning of Sport 3 of their wild-card sequence.
However Yelich wasn’t essentially getting emotional about simply his staff’s loss.
The tears got here after a postgame interplay with legendary Milwaukee broadcaster Bob Uecker. The 2 shared a bond, grown out of years of mutual respect. Apart from Uecker, Yelich had turn out to be the face of the Brewers. An MVP season in 2018 adopted by an enormous contract extension to maintain Yelich on the town for the remainder of his profession cemented the person some gamers name “Cap” as the man in Milwaukee — after Uecker, in fact.
“Yelich bridges the evolution of our franchise, going from Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and Rickie Weeks to Christian Yelich,” normal supervisor Matt Arnold advised ESPN just lately. “I feel he is someone that has seen quite a bit in his life.”
When Uecker died in January, not lengthy after that last game-day interplay, it hit Yelich onerous. Even when he had some inkling that the painful playoff loss is perhaps Uecker’s final, he had no means of realizing on the time that it will be Uecker’s final day at American Household Discipline and that the 2024 season could be the ultimate one shared with somebody who had taught Yelich a lot alongside the best way.
“I feel his greatest reward was he was authentically himself,” Yelich advised ESPN this month. “That is Bob Uecker. He genuinely cares the way you’re doing. A younger participant will get referred to as up for the primary time, he is aware of every little thing about him, first time he is ever met him, however he is aware of the place he went to high school, the place he is from. What he is about. I attempted to be taught from that.”
Yelich met Uecker simply days after being traded to Milwaukee in January 2018. Brewers possession despatched a aircraft to choose up their new star outfielder, and on it have been Uecker and Corridor of Famer Robin Yount. Since that day, the 2 had been shut — hanging across the workplace, dugout and batting cage, typically with the Brewers’ managers, Pat Murphy and beforehand Craig Counsell. However in Milwaukee, everybody deferred to Uecker.
“Ueck was at all times first,” Counsell recalled with a smile. “That is simply the way it works. Everybody wished it to be that means. Even one of the best participant. He wished it that means.”
In spite of everything, it was Uecker with over 50 years within the sport and the numerous tales that include all that have. Yelich listened. And realized.
“It was simply the best way he connects with individuals,” Yelich mentioned. “If you discuss to Ueck, whether or not he knew you or not, you’ll really feel as if he’d recognized you for a very long time and also you guys have been nice buddies. I’ve tried to do this with our gamers as effectively.”
On Opening Day this 12 months, Yelich honored Uecker by sporting a checkered-plaid swimsuit to the ballpark in New York. Then when the Brewers memorialized their iconic broadcaster earlier than their house opener, everybody appeared to Yelich — relying on Milwaukee’s MVP to prepared the ground because the face of the franchise from that day ahead.
“He was an enormous a part of that celebration for Uecker,” teammate Rhys Hoskins mentioned of Yelich. “He was most likely extra nervous than stepping on a baseball discipline.”
‘When the robust issues occur, it is your accountability’
YELICH IS SEVERAL years faraway from his MVP-caliber seasons, however he started to recapture that type when he compiled a .909 OPS over his first 73 video games final season. He was additionally on his technique to a profession excessive in stolen bases earlier than again issues ended his 12 months prematurely. It was crushing. The Brewers have been a contender however must play on with out their chief.
Regardless of lacking the ultimate two months on the sector, Yelich was current cheering his teammates on throughout each step of Milwaukee’s march to a 3rd NL Central title in 4 years.
That sort of management comes as no shock to his former supervisor Counsell, who mentioned: “It is typically when the robust issues occur, it is your accountability. That is Yelich.”
Regardless of being absolutely recovered this season, it has been gradual going on the plate for Yelich; his present .663 OPS could be a profession low for a complete season.
“It took a short while to get again in control of simply taking part in on the main league stage and feeling issues out coming off of a surgical procedure,” he mentioned. “However I really feel good.”
Like Yelich, the complete Brewers staff is scuffling to date this season. They’ve been shutout six instances already, mixed with a myriad of pitching accidents which have Milwaukee sitting in fourth place. The Brewers have not completed that low within the division in a decade they usually’ll want their leaders greater than ever to get again within the race.
These round Yelich are assured he’ll discover his type once more, remembering what the Yelich expertise was like throughout one of the best of instances: In 2018 and 2019, he led the league in batting, slugging and OPS. It is when his profession went to a different stage and the Brewers started a run of creating the postseason in seven of the subsequent eight years.
“The second half of 2018 is what I bear in mind,” Counsell mentioned. “It modified however he did not change. That is so onerous to do. Every thing off the sector adjustments however he stayed true to himself.”
Requested his favourite Yelich reminiscence, Arnold shortly recalled a sport in St. Louis, late in 2018. The Cardinals deliberately walked Lorenzo Cain to get to Yelich, who promptly hit a three-run, game-changing house run off lefty Brett Cecil.
“Nobody may consider they pitched round anybody to get to Yelich,” Arnold mentioned. “I bear in mind Cain laughing, like, ‘What the heck are you guys doing?'”
Proper-handed pitcher Colin Rea used to observe Yelich as a teammate however now has to face him as a member of the Chicago Cubs. He tried to clarify Yelich’s greatness: “The best way the ball jumps off his bat. It is simply completely different. It is like a golf swing the place you are barely making an attempt and it goes a good distance. There’s one thing concerning the level of contact.”
As Yelich tries to get again to that model of himself, he mirrored on his time in Milwaukee, calling it the “proper place” for him. He may have examined free company however selected to make one of many smaller markets within the sport his house when he signed an extension forward of the 2020 season, preserving him in Milwaukee by means of 2028 whereas realizing that yearly could be a combat for his staff to contend.
“Yeah, in fact I’ve puzzled what it will’ve been wish to play in an enormous market and have that have, nevertheless it’s simply not how my profession performed out,” Yelich mentioned. “And I favored it right here. I wished to be right here. They clearly wished me to be right here too, and I feel it is an important place to play baseball.
“It is a problem to play in an enormous market, nevertheless it’s additionally a unique type of problem to play on this market too.”
‘It is important to have that pillar’
MILWAUKEE IS NEVER going to be among the many league leaders in payroll. After climbing as excessive as 18th in that division final season — after which profitable the division by 10 video games — the Brewers dropped to 23rd this 12 months. Their offseason strikes have been practically nonexistent apart from signing 36-year-old starter Jose Quintana for $4 million late within the winter.
The year-over-year pattern of low payrolls with excessive win totals has been the norm for Yelich’s complete profession, first in Miami and the previous seven seasons in Milwaukee. Regardless of the challenges that include making an attempt to do extra with much less, the Brewers proceed to contend 12 months after 12 months — and that comes from a clubhouse stuffed with gamers centered on the one factor of their management: taking part in the sport the correct means to be able to win.
“You are in an underdog position yearly so you must make up in another areas,” Yelich mentioned. “You may’t simply go toe-to-toe with the Dodgers or the New York Yankees or the Cubs. You are simply not going to, so you must discover benefits or closeness along with your staff and you must do issues in a different way.”
Prioritizing pace and protection is a technique the Brewers have discovered they’ll make up gaps with groups they can’t outspend or outslug. Milwaukee ranked second in stolen bases final season, and ranks first in that class this 12 months. The Brewers have stolen extra bases than some other Nationwide League staff since Yelich arrived in 2018.
However their glove work has waned some over the primary six weeks of this season, and their document has mirrored it, main Murphy to remind his staff what the correct technique to play the sport appears like. Yelich, regardless of making a pricey error in San Francisco final month, has been entrance and heart in backing his supervisor up.
“He is aware of the issues that I am about, he stands behind me,” Murphy mentioned. “It is important to have that pillar.”
After his arrival in Milwaukee and elevation to one of many sport’s finest gamers, Yelich shortly understood that the “Brewers Manner” was the trail to success. When a staff’s finest participant is taking part in the sport the correct means, others take discover.
“As a younger man, while you see an older man take satisfaction in that stuff, alarms go off,” 25-year-old outfielder Sal Frelick mentioned.
Murphy added: “It is not telling guys what they’re speculated to do. It is exhibiting them what you are speculated to do.”
Others who’ve performed with Yelich say he’ll choose the correct second to say one thing to the remainder of them.
“Throughout staff conferences he’ll converse up,” Rea mentioned. “Everybody tends to hearken to what he has to say. He is all-in on his profession. That is his whole focus: ‘That is the best way you are speculated to play the sport. You should not be taking part in it some other means.'”
Hoskins mentioned Yelich has a “really feel” for what the second wants, like an excellent supervisor. The outfielder shortly understood his position had expanded when he signed his nine-year, $215 million contract earlier than the 2020 season.
“If you take the cash, there is a sure accountability that you must not solely carry out, nevertheless it goes past efficiency,” Yelich defined. “I feel for me it is you continue to must influence individuals and you must do proper by the group. You may’t simply take the cash and shut it down whether or not you are taking part in good or not.”
‘He is somebody I can go to for something’
BRICE TURANG WAS simply 18 years outdated in 2018, starting his professional profession on the lowest ranges of the minor leagues after being drafted within the first spherical by Milwaukee that 12 months. On the similar time, Yelich was on the prime of his sport, profitable NL MVP his first 12 months in Milwaukee and ending second the subsequent 12 months. However the Brewers star nonetheless discovered the time to achieve out to one of many franchise’s prime prospects.
“He would textual content me within the minor leagues simply to test in on how I used to be doing,” Turang mentioned. “I could not consider it. He would shoot a message to me after I was 18 or 19. The 12 months he gained the MVP, he would test in with me on a regular basis.”
Now that he was the seasoned main leaguer with a safe spot in a clubhouse, he was making use of the teachings that caught with him from early in his profession, taught to him when he was nonetheless in Miami.
When Yelich was a extremely touted prospect making an attempt to safe his place with the Marlins in 2013, veteran catcher Jeff Mathis performed a vital position in making him really feel like he belonged.
“He simply took us beneath his wing and talked to us concerning the sport and what it takes to organize within the massive league, be massive leaguers, the best way to conduct your self and what it means to be a professional, and I am tremendous grateful for that,” Yelich mentioned. “I am making an attempt to do this right here as effectively.”
Twelve years later, Mathis recollects Yelich as a participant who was very “receptive” to instruction, calling his former teammate “an important human being.”
“As I used to be getting older, youthful gamers really feel like they’ve all of it discovered,” Mathis mentioned in a telephone interview this week. “He stood out as somebody that was prepared to pay attention. Not simply to profit himself however everybody round him.”
Now that Yelich is on the opposite finish of these moments, he has discovered that letting interactions come naturally can have extra of an influence than getting up and giving a rah-rah speech on the entrance of the clubhouse. It is the identical deal with cultivating connections that made Uecker a Milwaukee icon for thus a few years.
“I do not power it making an attempt to assist these guys,” Yelich mentioned. “It is simply extra of, like, you be buddies first and also you construct relationships with individuals and also you’re welcoming and also you introduce your self and also you discuss to ’em about no matter, their life or joke round with no matter’s happening on the earth: ‘What is going on on, dude? The place are you from? How’d you get right here? What’s your story? Is every little thing good? Do you want something? Do you’ve any questions?’
“It is little issues. They make an enormous distinction.”
Practically each younger prospect within the Brewers’ clubhouse has their very own story of Yelich’s influence. Frelick is one other who heard from Yelich when he was nonetheless within the minors.
“You will be up right here quickly,” Yelich advised him. “Let’s get forward of that, educate what routine is, educate you what it’s to be an enormous leaguer.”
“I am without end grateful for that,” Frelick mentioned.
Of all of the younger gamers who’ve heeded Yelich’s recommendation, few might need wanted it greater than outfielder Jackson Chourio, who debuted with the staff final season as a 20-year-old.
“He is aware of the opportune moments to say one thing,” Chourio mentioned by means of the staff interpreter. “He is aware of when the time is true. He has an excellent really feel for that.
“We had an extended dialog about it being an extended season. He advised me to calm down and play my sport. It took some strain off of me.”
Chourio completed third in rookie of the 12 months voting and made his older teammate proud together with his quick adjustment to life within the majors.
Whether or not it comes from an encouraging textual content to a minor leaguer or phrases of knowledge to a younger main league teammate, the teachings Yelich realized from his personal mentors, from Mathis to Uecker, have made him the clear face of the franchise with an influence that reaches far previous his stat line.
“You need to go away wherever place you are in higher than while you bought there,” Yelich mentioned. “And for me it is simply, it is the correct factor to do to assist these youngsters, and if you wish to be on an excellent staff, you must play sure methods. For us, you are going to depend on younger gamers, and with younger gamers there’s rising pains.
“However when individuals really feel like a real connection to you, they’re extra responsive and you’ve got higher relationships and you’ve got deeper conversations and issues imply extra and there is a closeness and a tightness and a bond that is created there. That results in profitable baseball.”
Turang added: “He is somebody I can go to for something.”
