Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy stands alone in franchise history.
Murphy has been voted 2024 National League Manager of the Year, besting fellow finalists Carlos Mendoza of the New York Mets and Mike Shildt of the San Diego Padres.
Murphy, who turns 66 on Nov. 28, is the first Brewers manager ever to earn the award, which was first bestowed by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in 1983.
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“Pat Murphy led our team with an undaunted presence that resonated throughout the clubhouse from the first day of spring training and into the postseason,” Brewers Vice President and General Manager Matt Arnold said. “His steady leadership was a major factor in the team’s success in 2024 and we could not be happier for Murph and his family.”
Murphy was named the 20th manager in franchise history last November, replacing Craig Counsell. The first-year manager guided the Brewers to a 93-69 record, winning the NL Central division by 10 games over the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs. The team was in first place in the division every day beginning April 30.
“From the ownership, to the front office, to the coaching staff, they all made me look good, but nobody more than the players,” Murphy told MLB Network following the announcement. “What a great bunch of people we have.”
In what many projected would be a rebuilding year following the loss of Counsell and the trade of staff ace and 2021 Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes and a rash of injuries to key players before and throughout this season, the Brewers finished tied with the Padres for the fourth-best record in the Major Leagues, trailing only the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers (98-64), the Philadelphia Phillies (95-67) and the New York Yankees (94-68).
“The guys didn’t care what anybody thought. They were hungry,” Murphy said.
The Brewers reached the playoffs for the 10th time in franchise history and sixth time in the last seven seasons while capturing the National League Central Division crown for the second consecutive season and the third time in four seasons. The Brewers bowed to the New York Mets two games to one in the Wild Card playoff round.
Murphy, who constantly worked throughout the season to deflect attention away from himself and onto the players, said he was unaware that he’s the first Brewers manager to take home the award.
“I’ve got to be honest, I don’t think about that kind of stuff,” he said.
Murphy spent eight seasons (2016-23) as bench coach with the Brewers before he was named manager when Counsell departed to become manager of the Cubs. Prior to joining Milwaukee, Murphy served as interim manager of the Padres in 2015, replacing Bud Black in June that season.
Murphy managed in the Padres farm system from 2011-15 and served in San Diego as special assistant to baseball operations in 2010.
He also had a distinguished career in the college coaching ranks, spending 25 years as a head coach at Maryville College (1983), Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (1986-87), the University of Notre Dame (1988-94) and Arizona State University (1995-2009). He went 1,000-457-4 (.686 winning percentage) as a college coach and was on pace to become the winningest coach in NCAA history at the time he transitioned into professional coaching.
In a meeting with select reporters in June, Brewers owner Mark Attanasio spoke of his relationship with Murphy and the process that led to his hiring to replace Counsell, who played for Murphy at Notre Dame.
“I don’t want to dwell on it, but it was quite a surprise that Craig would not be returning,” Attanasio said at the time. “We had gone through interviews internally. Murph had been given an interview, the first of which was a courtesy, and he did so well that there was a second. It was a substantive interview, and it went quite well. I knew at that moment that Murph would be a candidate. We hadn’t really reached out to anybody else at that point. One of things I did talk to Murph about is that you just need to be who you are. Don’t try to be Craig. Don’t try to be somebody you admire. You’ve got to be yourself. He focused on what he is very comfortable doing.”
In a season wrap-up session with reporters in October, Brewers General Manager Matt Arnold had this to say about Murphy: “I can’t say enough good things about him. It would be a crime if he doesn’t win Manager of the Year. The way he connected with our fans and the staff and our players and how much he cares day to day. His ‘win tonight mentality,’ his ‘undaunted’ mentality, all those things, they’re real for us in this building. He’s meant a ton to this franchise and he has for a long time.”
A native of Syracuse, New York, Murphy currently resides in Mesa, Arizona. He has four children – daughter Keli and three sons, Austin, Jaxon and Kai, an outfielder in the Padres organization. He’s the father-in-law of former major league first baseman Pedro Álvarez, who works for the Brewers in baseball operations and player development.
