The Chicago Cubs just dropped their Labor Day matchup with the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-3, which means that the Milwaukee Brewers, fresh off their 9-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, are now 10 full games ahead of them for first place in the National League Central Division.
At 81-57, the Brewers have already surpassed the number of wins that 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 put together one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball, thanks in large part to their incredible pitching lab.
Before all of that, though, the Brewers lost manager Craig Counsell to the Chicago Cubs. With his departure, many doubted Milwaukee would be able to achieve the same standard of success that they had since he was first hired.
But new manager Pat Murphy has made sure that they have.
Milwaukee Brewers Manager Pat Murphy Does Things a Bit Differently Than Craig Counsell
Up until this year, the month of September was affectionately known as “Craig-tember” by Brewers fans. That is because their former manager used this month, when the rosters expand, to rest his veterans for the postseason while also putting together lineups that helped Milwaukee clinch spots in the MLB Playoffs.
Counsell was also known, for better or worse, for his interesting Sunday lineups that oftentimes saw multiple key players all get the day off at the same time.
Pat Murphy, who was Counsell’s bench coach for his entire tenure in Milwaukee, is doing things a little differently.
After the Brewers dropped the final game of their four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, Murphy was asked by reporters if he would start managing with October in mind. Per Adam McCalvy, Murphy said, “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be a [jerk] about this, but I look at the game tonight. You can’t be closed-minded to players’ health, but it’s ‘win tonight.’”
Back when Counsell was manager, it seemed as if Milwaukee would sometimes sacrifice games here and there to give players rest.
Murphy, while being conscious of his players’ health, is not willing to “mail in” any games.
Milwaukee Brewers Pat Murphy Has a Hilarious Personality
Another big difference between Murphy and Counsell is that the current Brewers manager is animated and, to be frank, non-robotic after a game. When Counsell gave/gives a postgame press conference, it is often hard to tell whether or not his team won.
Murphy is the opposite, praising his team when they when and giving blunt (but respectful) criticism when they lose. And sometimes, this aspect of his personality gets reported of spilling over onto the field.
According to a report by Tom Verduccci of Sports Illustrated, Murphy was once so frustrated that Garrett Mitchell was not trying to steal second, he asked Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman to tell Mitchell to run:
“Another time, the Brewers were locked in a one-run game with the Dodgers in the sixth inning when speedy outfielder Garrett Mitchell reached first base with a two-out walk. The pitcher was Tyler Glasnow, who is slow to the plate. It was an obvious steal situation. The batter, Hoskins, took 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 the next two pitches. Finally, Murphy yelled from the first base dugout to Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, ‘Freddie, will you tell Mitchell to run on this pitch?’
“Freeman laughed, shook his head and announced to the infield, ‘He’s running!’”
It did not matter. Hoskins struck out on the next pitch.
But the story epitomizes Murphy’s style and approach. After all, they play a game. It should be fun. Why not have fun playing it?
The Milwaukee Brewers Look Like a Different Team Under Pat Murphy
It is not just postgame press conferences and on-field antics that make Murphy different, it is the way the Brewers are playing the game. As mentioned, Milwaukee has had issues with injured starters this year. However, they have been able to find ways to win despite the big questions surrounding their pitching.
One just needs to look at some interesting offensive stats and where they rank among other Major League Baseball teams to understand this difference.
For example, the Brewers have walked 515 times this season. The only team in all of baseball with more is the New York Yankees. Last season, Milwaukee ranked fifth with 594 walks.
Last year, the Brewers ranked 17th in the Majors with a .319 on base percentage. This year they rank third with an OBP of .332.
In 2023, Milwaukee had 129 stolen bases, good for 11th in baseball. This year, they have 176, which ranks third.
The increased tendency to get on base and be aggressive on the basepaths has, as a result, led to more runs. Last year, the Brewers scored 728 runs, 17th in the Majors. This year, they have 668 (with 24 games left to play), which ranks fifth.
Offense is down in baseball this year, but it is important to keep these numbers in the context of the season in which they happen. In 2024, the Brewers have a +139-run differential, which is the highest in MLB. Last year, they had a +81-run differential, which was 11th.
For years, Brewers fans wondered why Counsell was never named NL Manager of the Year. This season, no manager deserves that honor more than Murphy, who achieved more with less and is having fun doing it.
Hopefully Brewers fans are not left wondering why their manager didn’t get the recognition he deserves this time around.
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