Pat Murphy Regrets Yankees Jab at Jake Bauers

Pat Murphy's walking back the one moment from the Brewers' title celebration that went viral for the wrong reasons. The Milwaukee manager said Tuesday he regrets the crude shot he took at the Yankees while celebrating with Jake Bauers on the field after the Brewers won the World Series.

It's been six days since Milwaukee beat the Rays 4-1 in Game 5 for the first championship in franchise history, and this was the one storyline Murphy clearly didn't want hanging over the parade glow.

What Murphy Said, and What He Meant

Bauers caught the final out at Tropicana Field and handed Murphy the ball. A hot mic caught Murphy telling Bauers he was going to get rich in free agency, then reminding him of his days on a Yankees team where, in Murphy's words, "you guys were all playing for yourself." He used a much saltier word to describe that team.

Murphy told the New York Post's "The Show" podcast that he called Yankees GM Brian Cashman as soon as he heard the clip was out and they had a "good conversation." He said he didn't know he was on a hot mic and wasn't talking about the 2026 Yankees.

"I was just referring to the teams with a lot of money that sign a lot of players that sometimes end up not being that 'Little Engine that Could,' so to speak," Murphy said. "I regret saying it."

He also said it was just his usual bit with Bauers all October. "You're going to leave us, and you're going to forget all about how we did things," Murphy said he'd tell him after every celebration.

Why Bauers Is the Real Story

Here's the thing. Murphy wasn't wrong that Bauers is about to get paid. The Yankees traded him to Milwaukee in November 2023 after he hit .202 in 84 games in New York. In Milwaukee he turned into a different hitter, and 2026 was his best year by a mile:

• .266 average, 26 homers, 86 RBIs

• .874 OPS, all career bests

• NLCS MVP after the sweep of the Dodgers

Bauers is set to hit free agency this winter, and he'll do it as the guy who caught the last out of a World Series. That's a pretty good pitch to the other 29 teams, including the one Murphy took a swing at.

What's Next for Murphy

Murphy's got bigger things coming than a podcast apology. He's a finalist for NL Manager of the Year and could become the first manager ever to win it three years in a row. "It wasn't smart on my part, and I'm sorry about it," he said.

Brewers fans won't lose sleep over it. They've got a trophy, a manager who'll say exactly what he thinks, and one more winter to hope Bauers remembers how they did things in Milwaukee.