Pat Murphy leads Brewers to first title at age 67

Pat Murphy walked off the field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Wednesday night as a World Series champion. The 67-year-old manager led the Milwaukee Brewers to their first franchise title, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in five games. It was a stark contrast to six years earlier, when Murphy was rushed from American Family Field in Milwaukee after suffering a heart attack during a workout.

Murphy recalled the emergency with dry humor. An ambulance driver asked for his next of kin. Murphy, who was barrel-chested and defiant, told the driver he was not going anywhere. He has since rebounded from that medical scare and a previous NCAA scandal to become one of baseball's most distinctive figures. He is a month shy of turning 68 and could become the first person to win the Manager of the Year award in three consecutive seasons.

The timeline of Murphy's career includes a long run as a college coach and a brief stint as a professional player. He pitched 11 complete games at Florida Atlantic in 1981 and 1982. After signing with San Francisco, he was released without playing a game due to a shoulder injury. He later played for San Diego's Class-A affiliate in 1983, posting a 5.50 ERA. He finished his playing career in the independent Northwest League with Tri-Cities, going 6-5 over 24 games in 1985 and 1986.

Murphy transitioned into coaching, eventually leading Arizona State to the 1998 College World Series final. He resigned from the Sun Devils during an NCAA investigation, which resulted in a one-year penalty in December 2010 for lacking oversight. He then joined the San Diego Padres as a special assistant in 2010, managing farm teams in Eugene, Tucson, and El Paso. He served as the Padres' interim manager in 2015, finishing with a 42-54 record before joining the Brewers.

He has been with Milwaukee since October 2015, starting as a bench coach under Craig Counsell. He was promoted to manager in November 2023 when Counsell left to manage the Chicago Cubs. Murphy is known for his stern demeanor and his "Check Game" policy, where players and even owner Mark Attanasio receive a check on a whiteboard for displaying ego. Attanasio noted that Murphy is good at sending tough love. Murphy also refuses to shake hands with players during foul-line introductions, a tradition he calls "happy horse manure."

Murphy has three marriages and four children, including daughter Keli, 40, who is married to former major leaguer Pedro Alvarez, and sons Kai, 26, a Padres minor league outfielder, Austin, 11, and Jaxon, 7. He gathers his youngest children and their friends around him for postgame news conferences. He is not on social media and quips that he does not know what Twizzler or Instacart are. He has two Bruce Springsteen tattoos and FaceTimed the singer last week.

Murphy's approach is focused on elevating the people around him. He believes the position is not about himself but about others. He described his career as an ongoing construction project that feels like it never gets done. He is the check master who has never given himself a checkmark. He is leaving the ballpark in St. Petersburg with a trophy and a new place in baseball history.