The Chicago Cubs just lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Labor Day 5-3, meaning Milwaukee Brewerieswho beat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-3 and are now 10 games ahead of the first seed in the National League Central Division.
At 81-57, the Brewers have already surpassed the win total many predicted they would have for the entire 2024 season. After trading Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles and losing multiple starting pitchers to season-ending injuries, Milwaukee has still assembled one of the best pitching rosters in all of major league baseball, thanks in enormous part to their incredible pitching lab.
Before all of that happened, the Brewers lost manager Craig Counsell to the Chicago Cubs. After his departure, many doubted whether Milwaukee would be able to achieve the same level of success they had since he was hired.
But modern manager Pat Murphy made sure it happened.
Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy does things a little differently than Craig Counell
Up until this year, Brewers fans affectionately called September “Craig-tember.” That’s because their former manager used the month, when rosters were expanding, to rest veterans for the postseason and also to put together rosters that helped Milwaukee earn a spot in the MLB Playoffs.
Counsell was also known, for better or worse, for his intriguing Sunday lineups that often saw several key players off at the same time.
Pat Murphy, who was Counell’s bench coach throughout his tenure in Milwaukee, does it a little differently.
After the Brewers lost the last of a four-game series to the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, reporters asked Murphy if he would start as manager, meaning October. By Adam McCalvyMurphy said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be [jerk] about that, but I’m looking at the game tonight. You can’t be closed to the health of the players, but it’s about “winning tonight.”
When Counell was manager, it seemed Milwaukee sometimes sacrificed games to give players a rest.
Murphy, although aware of the health of his players, has no intention of returning matches by post.
Pat Murphy of the Milwaukee Brewers has a fun personality
Another big difference between Murphy and Counsell is that the current Brewers manager is animated and, frankly, not a robot after the game. When Counsell has called/held a postgame press conference, it’s often hard to tell whether his team has won.
Murphy is the opposite, praising his team when he wants to and criticizing them bluntly (but respectfully) when they lose. And it’s sometimes said that this aspect of his personality carries over onto the pitch.
According to Tom Verducci’s report Illustrated Sports, Murphy once became so frustrated with Garrett Mitchell’s failure to steal second base that he asked Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman to tell Mitchell to run:
“On another occasion, the Brewers were locked in a one-score game with the Dodgers in the sixth inning when speedy outfielder Garrett Mitchell reached first base on a two-out walk. The pitcher was Tyler Glasnow, who is sluggish to the plate. It was an obvious steal. The batter, Hoskins, threw two pitches to allow Mitchell to run, but Mitchell didn’t budge. Hoskins gave Mitchell a confused look, as if to say, ‘When are you going to run?’
“Hoskins fouled off the next two pitches. Finally, Murphy shouted from the first baseman’s box to Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman: ‘Freddie, are you going to tell Mitchell to run on that throw?’
“Freeman laughed, shook his head and announced to the infielders, ‘He’s running!’”
It didn’t matter. Hoskins struck out on the next throw.
But the story embodies Murphy’s style and approach. After all, they’re playing a game. It should be fun. Why not have fun playing it?
Milwaukee Brewers look like a different team under Pat Murphy
It’s not just Murphy’s post-game press conferences and on-field antics that set him apart, but also the way the Brewers play the game. As mentioned, Milwaukee has struggled with injured starters this year. However, they’ve found ways to win despite big questions about their pitching.
To understand the difference, you just need to look at some interesting offensive stats and where they rank compared to other Major League Baseball teams.
The Brewers, for example, have had 515 walks this season. The only team in all of baseball with more walks is the New York Yankees. Last season, Milwaukee ranked fifth with 594 walks.
Last year, the Brewers finished 17th in the Major League with a .319 on base percentage. This year, they rank third with an OBP of .332.
In 2023, Milwaukee had 129 stolen bases, which ranked 11th in baseball. This year, they have 176, which ranks third.
The increased tendency to get on base and be aggressive with the bases has ultimately led to more runs. Last year, the Brewers scored 728 runs, which ranked 17th in Major League Baseball. This year, they have 668 (with 24 games remaining), which ranks fifth.
There’s less offense in baseball this year, but it’s important to keep these numbers in the context of the season they happen in. The Brewers have a +139-run differential in 2024, which is the best in MLB. Last year, they had a +81-run differential, which was 11th.
For years, Brewers fans have wondered why Counsell has never been named NL Manager of the Year. This season, no manager is more deserving of the honor than Murphy, who has done more with less and had a lot of fun doing it.
Hopefully, Brewers fans won’t have to wonder why their manager didn’t get the recognition he deserves this time around.
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