Pat Murphy Apologizes to Yankees After Viral Comment to Jake Bauers
The Brewers manager called the Bronx Bombers general manager to clarify he was not criticizing the 2026 roster.
By Bianca Herrera ·
Pat Murphy, the manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, said he regrets comments he made to outfielder Jake Bauers regarding the New York Yankees. Murphy spoke about the remarks on a podcast hosted by The New York Post, where he clarified that he did not intend to slander the team.
The conversation took place on the field at Tropicana Field after the Brewers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 of the World Series. This win secured the first championship in franchise history. Bauers caught the final out and presented the ball to Murphy during the on-field celebration.
Video of the exchange showed Murphy telling Bauers, "You're going to be a rich f, er." He added, "Just remember when you were on that horses, Yankees team and you guys were all playing for yourself? Just remember, say, 'This is the way we used to do it.'" The clip spread widely online the week following the series finale.
Murphy explained that he contacted Yankees general manager Brian Cashman immediately after learning the video had gone public. He described their call as a good conversation. Murphy stated he did not realize he was on a hot microphone during the moment.
The manager said he was referring to teams with large budgets that sign many players but lack the drive of a small-market contender. He noted that he was not specifically criticizing the 2026 Yankees roster. Murphy said, "I tried to explain that I 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, more of a high expectation, 'I gotta get mine.' I regret saying it."
Bauers is scheduled to become a free agent this offseason. Murphy said the comment was consistent with the tone he used with Bauers during the championship run. He recalled shaking Bauers' hand after previous celebrations and joking that the player would leave the team for a higher salary. Murphy said, "After every celebration, I'd shake his hand and I'd say, 'You rich so-and-so, you're going to leave us.'"
Bauers had a breakout season in 2026, his third year with Milwaukee after being traded from the Yankees in November 2023. He posted career highs in batting average, home runs, RBIs, and OPS. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the National League Championship Series after batting .286 with six runs batted in during the sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
