Pat Murphy's Inimitable Style Has Been A Perfect Match With the Brewers

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One of the best things that could have happened for the Milwaukee Brewers came as a result of what transpired with the 2015 San Diego Padres.

That was the year the Padres fired Bud Black just 65 games into 2015 with a 32-33 record. That was Black's ninth year with the Padres and would be the team's fifth straight losing season. Dave Roberts was the bench coach that year and served as Black's replacement for a game before the Padres tabbed their Triple-A manager, Pat Murphy, to serve as the manager for the remainder of the season.

There were no promises of Murphy retaining the job beyond that. He guided the Padres to a 42-54 mark, which left the Padres in fourth place in the NL West. Murphy had no MLB experience before getting the interim job, so he was learning the ins and outs of being a manager on the fly. While he had been in the Padres' system for five years, Murphy was known for being a college coach, first at Notre Dame then at Arizona State. He was successful wherever he went, just not for those 96 games with the Padres.

One of his former proteges came calling. Craig Counsell had been plucked out of the Brewers' front office in May of that year to replace Ron Roenicke as manager following a 7-18 start. But it was the start of a new era for the Brewers. David Stearns was in his first season leading the front office, so changing managers after a slow start made sense. A clean slate with Stearns being able to pick his guy, which was Counsell, no interim tag needed. Once the 2015 season ended, Counsell was able to make some key changes to his coaching staff. Murphy, Counsell's coach at Notre Dame, was brought in as the bench coach, replacing Jerry Narron, and Derek Johnson was named pitching coach, taking over for Rick Kranitz.

That trio would turn out to be the ones who helped turn the Brewers into a consistent contender.

Murphy being hired by Counsell was not a token move to bring an old friend in. Counsell knew Murphy's strengths and how they complemented Counsell's skills. Counsell was a terrific manager for the Brewers. He would post a 434-412 record in nearly six seasons (.513 winning percentage). Those first two years, 2015-16, the Brewers had a 134-165 record (.448 winning percentage).

Since then, the Brewers have had one losing season and even that comes with a caveat. It was the pandemic-shortened 2020 season in which the Brewers went 29-31 and still made the playoffs.

But then Counsell got the itch. Whether or not he was unhappy with the Brewers or just wanted a bigger paycheck, which seems more likely, he unceremoniously bolted for the rival Chicago Cubs after posting a 92-70 record in 2023 as his contract expired. Stearns didn't have to look far for Counsell's replacement. Murphy left Counsell to fly on his own with the Cubs and took over as the Brewers' skipper.

Since then, the Brewers have taken their game to a new level. Some of that has to do with an ever-improving roster, but it really seems to be because of how Murphy has handled being the head honcho. As the bench coach, Murphy's personality wasn't as public as it has been in the last three seasons. With young players dominating the roster, Murphy has been able to lean into his college experience. Sure, he has the fun nicknames that don't always seem that creative, but they do bring a smile.

Counsell always came off as a little too hyperfocused, not always knowing when to be a little lighter when the moment called for it. He had a sense of humor, but it wasn't part of his persona. Murphy has the charm and charisma that have made him a tremendous fit for a young roster. It probably wouldn't work in most other places, but He can at one moment be pulling a pocket pancake out during a national-TV interview, then the next be benching a top prospect for not hustling or throwing strikes.

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That type of discipline doesn't always work at the MLB level. But it does with the Brewers because of the players who are leaders in the clubhouse. Christian Yelich is at the forefront of that movement as the team's highest-paid player and with the second-longest tenure behind Brandon Woodruff, who has also been a big presence even with injuries diminishing his time on the field. Sal Frelick and William Contreras are others in a leadership role. It has been that core that has helped Murphy deliver his message to the newcomers to the team, whether they be prospects coming up or trade acquisition new to how the Brewers do things.

The 67-year-old Murphy has overseen the two best seasons on the field in Brewers history, winning 98 games in 2025 and topping that with a very consistent 103-win performance in 2026. He became the first manager in Brewers history to be named Manager of the Year in 2024, his first season, repeated the NL honor again last year with talk of a three-peat this year. Since Murphy arrived as bench coach in 2016, the Brewers have had 90 or more wins five times after doing it in eight of 47 seasons previously.

With the franchise's first trip to the World Series in 44 years, Murphy has the Brewers at their zenith. He has guided the Brewers to three of their four consecutive NL Central titles. The Brewers have won six division titles since his arrival, including five in the last six seasons, and eight trips to the postseason in nine years. Only Counsell's first full season of 2016 and the shortened 2020 season have the Brewers not finished first or second in the Central.

He has been able to relate to the players on a personal level while keeping an edge. Perhaps that is because he has a son at the Double-A level in the Padres' organization. Murphy can grit his teeth when something goes awry on the field, but then have his younger kids by his side during the postgame press conference as he name checks all the reporters in the room and hands out one-liners. He is a terrific communicator in addition to being able to execute a game plan with what many would consider a bunch of misfit players in MLB's smallest media market.

Much like Bob Uecker, Murphy's quips get a lot of attention. But when you sit and listen closely as he gets into strategy and why things may have went the way they did, you can hear the depth of Murphy's baseball knowledge and just how detail-oriented he is and what he commands from his players.

It is why the Brewers have already made a lot of history this season and now sit four wins away from doing something no other team in the franchise's previous 57 seasons has done: Win a World Series.

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Steve Drumwright grew up in Wisconsin and was forced out of youth baseball when he failed to make enough contact to play the sport he loves. He did make one memorable pitching appearance, summoned from right field in a blowout. Steve went on to a successful journalism career, beginning as a part-time high school sportswriter in small-town Wisconsin to becoming the No. 2 person in the newsroom in San Francisco. Steve enjoys telling the stories of other people and how sports is a terrific vehicle for telling those stories. He now lives in Southern California. Follow him on Bluesky.