MILWAUKEE, WI – The smoke has settled. Rocktober and Halloween are in the rearview mirror. The candy tummy aches have subsided. The World Series heroes are on their party wagons all over Wisconsin – or at least where I.C.E. isn’t. The NFL, NBA and NHL are at the top of the sports headlines. But one, hard-to-ignore and ugly story is looming – a potential MLB work-stoppage. And that has this nutty Mets fan thinking baseball, specifically the front office. I looking at you, David Stearns. Thus today’s headline/topic: Pat Murphy or David Stearns? Who’s Really Responsible for the Brewers Success?
The Brewers just won the World Series. The Mets? They finished 74-88, dead last in the NL East. That’s a 29-game difference between two organizations headed in opposite directions. Further, Milwaukee did it with a fraction of the Mets’ payroll.
For years, Stearns was hailed as the architect of Milwaukee’s small-market miracle. The analytical genius. The mastermind who could turn spare parts into playoff contenders.
Then he left for the Mets, where billionaire Steve Cohen essentially handed him the keys to the vault. Apparently, Stearns misplaced them. Hey, I do that twice daily – when I’m not constantly peeing.
Meanwhile, Murphy, the 67-year-old baseball lifer, has transformed Milwaukee into baseball’s ultimate overachiever. And in an age where MLR managers have been reduced to figure heads, Murphy is a throwback. He’s actually managing his team!
With that…
Here’s Why Murphy deserves the lion’s share of the credit for the Brew Crew.
1. Culture Beats Calculators.
Murphy doesn’t need a 40-page analytics report to recognize when a player isn’t hustling. He benched All-Star catcher William Contreras for failing to run hard. Message delivered. Nobody gets special treatment. You hear that, Juan Soto?
His players respond because Murphy combines old-school accountability with genuine affection. They respect him, trust him and play their keesters off for him.
2. He Makes Everybody Better.
Jackson Chourio, William Contreras, Christian Yelich and Milwaukee’s seemingly endless supply of overlooked contributors have bought into Murphy’s system. The Brewers don’t depend on one $300 million superstar. They run, defend, manufacture runs and execute fundamentals. It’s baseball, not rocket science.
3. He Wins Without Excuses.
Milwaukee won 103 regular-season games, swept the mighty Dodgers in the NLCS and captured the franchise’s first World Series championship.
And back in Queens, Stearns presided over another Mets disaster, including the departure of Pete Alonso, who promptly smashed 43 homers for Baltimore. (But to be fair, they tanked when it counted. Maybe it’s the color orange). And Stearns helped establish Milwaukee’s foundation. He acquired Yelich (who got hurt and is a shell physically but strong as a leader) and assembled important pieces. However, current baseball boss Matt Arnold deserves enormous credit.
Back to Murph…
Murphy turned a good organization into a championship team. That’s the difference between assembling talent and getting that talent to perform when it matters.
Stearns has more money, more resources and a bigger market. But Murphy has something considerably more valuable,,, a clubhouse that believes in him.
And a World Series trophy.
You do the math.
