Brewers Clinch Title After Murphy's Long Road Back

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy led the club to its first World Series championship on Wednesday night, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in five games. Murphy, 67, is a month shy of his 68th birthday and could soon become the first person to win Manager of the Year in three consecutive seasons. The title follows a personal history that includes a heart attack and an NCAA sanction.

Murphy was hospitalized during a workout at American Family Field on Aug. 1, 2020, missing much of that shortened season. He recalled an exchange with medical staff at the time: "This ambulance driver was like, `Sir, can I have your next of kin?' I'm like, Bro, next of kin? I'm not going anywhere.'" He had served as Milwaukee's bench coach under Craig Counsell since October 2015 before taking the managerial job in November 2023.

His path to the dugout began in college baseball. Murphy coached at Notre Dame from 1988 to 1994 and at Arizona State from 1995 to 2009, compiling exactly 1,000 college wins. He resigned during an NCAA investigation, and the organization issued a one-year restriction in December 2010, stating he had "failed to promote an atmosphere for compliance for his lack of oversight and disregard of NCAA rules." He then moved to the San Diego Padres as a special assistant.

Murphy's professional playing career was brief. After pitching at Florida Atlantic in 1981 and 1982, he signed with San Francisco but was released following a shoulder injury without appearing in a game. He posted a 1-5 record with a 5.50 ERA for San Diego's Class-A Salem affiliate in 1983, played in Australia in 1984, and finished in the Northwest League, taking a player-manager role in his final season.

Within the Brewers organization, Murphy instituted a system called "The Check Game" after joining as bench coach in 2016. A white board records a check mark for any player, staff member, or owner who displays ego. "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 said. "It's in good fun."

Murphy also manages the team's conduct during introductions, refusing to shake hands along the foul line. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said, "I think it's kind of cool that everybody pumps him on the chest going down the line rather than high-fiving." Milwaukee outfielder Garrett Mitchell described the dynamic as an "iron-sharpens-iron mentality."