Murphy leads Brewers to first title

Pat Murphy walked off the field at Tropicana Field on Wednesday night as a World Series champion. The Milwaukee Brewers manager defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in five games to secure the franchise's first title. Murphy, who is one month shy of turning 68, led his team through the postseason with a style that blends stern accountability with personal charm.

The manager's path to the championship was marked by major health scares and professional setbacks. Six years ago, he suffered a heart attack during a workout at American Family Field. He recalled an ambulance driver asking for his next of kin. "I'm like, Bro, next of kin? I’m not going anywhere," Murphy said. He has since recovered and continued to lead his team, citing an iron-sharpens-iron mentality that requires players to take his direct feedback.

Murphy demands selflessness from his roster and front office. Since joining the Brewers in 2016, he instituted a system called The Check Game. A whiteboard displays checks for anyone displaying ego. This includes players, staff, and owner Mark Attanasio. "Mark Attanasio wears a big Brewers logo on his private plane, I’m like: 'You want everybody to know you’re the Brewers' owner? That’s a check,'" Murphy explained. The system is intended to keep the focus on the team rather than individual recognition.

His managerial approach extends to small habits and traditions. He refuses to shake hands with players during foul-line introductions, describing the custom as happy horse manure. He prefers chest bumps instead. He also gathers his youngest children and their friends for postgame news conferences. His answers to reporters often include digressions about neckties, his Bruce Springsteen tattoos, and recent calls with the musician. When asked about Springsteen last week, Murphy asked the media group if the topic could be fined for being a stupid question.

Murphy's career in professional baseball is short. He pitched for Florida Atlantic in 1981 and 1982 but was bypassed in the draft. He signed with San Francisco, suffered a shoulder injury, and was released without playing a game. He later played in the Northwest League and managed Tri-Cities in 1986. He spent two decades in college coaching at Notre Dame and Arizona State, winning exactly 1,000 games. He resigned from Arizona State during an NCAA investigation, which resulted in a one-year coaching restriction in 2010.

Murphy managed the Netherlands in the 2000 Olympics before joining the Padres organization. He coached minor league teams in Eugene, Tucson, and El Paso. He served as the Padres' interim manager in 2015, leading the team to a 42-54 record. He then joined the Brewers as a bench coach in October 2015 under Craig Counsell. He was promoted to manager in November 2023 after Counsell left for the Chicago Cubs.

Murphy has been married three times and has four children. His daughter Keli is 40 and married to former major leaguer Pedro Alvarez. His sons are Kai, 26, a Padres minor league outfielder; Austin, 11; and Jaxon, 7. He views his current role as a way to impact the people around him. "There’s nothing better, man, than rowing the boat with other people in it," he said.