The Milwaukee Brewers won the first World Series in franchise history on October 28, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 4 to 1 in Game 5. Then the cameras followed manager Pat Murphy into the clubhouse, before the champagne, and he said something I keep thinking about.
He did not talk about talent. He did not talk about money. He said he was grateful, and then he gave credit to almost everyone who touched that season.
Gratitude came first
Murphy told his players he was grateful to have a group like them. He told them they should be proud to be the first Brewers team ever to be World Champions. Then he turned to the people who rarely get a camera: general manager Matt Arnold and the front office, the ones who built the roster. He called them the ivory tower and said what they put together was incredible. That is a manager giving away credit in the loudest moment of his career.
He also went back in time. He pointed to Robin Yount and the way Yount played the game, and said that set the tone for the Milwaukee Brewers. Yount was in the room, celebrating with the players. A title like this does not belong to one roster. It belongs to every person who wore that uniform and made the next group believe.
The uncommon mindset
The part that stuck with me most was a phrase he used: uncommon mindset. Murphy said that back in spring training the team talked about it, and told the players they might be shocked by what they could do. Then he said the leadership committed to that mindset and being undaunted.
Think about how simple that is. No secret system. A group of people decided ahead of time that they were not going to be scared of the moment, and the people in charge backed that up every day. The Brewers finished the regular season 103 and 59, and went 11 and 2 through the playoffs. That kind of run is not luck. It is a decision made in February and kept in October.
Gamers, not Hall of Famers
After they swept the Dodgers in the NLCS, Murphy was asked about the star power on the other side. His answer was that the Dodgers may have a bunch of Hall of Famers, but the Brewers have a bunch of gamers. The Dodgers payroll was more than double Milwaukee’s. Jake Bauers was named NLCS MVP. Aaron Ashby closed out the clincher with a three inning save. They fell behind 4 to 0 early in that game and kept playing.
A team that cares more about each other than about the scoreboard will outwork a team that is waiting for its stars to save it. You can see it in baseball. You can see it in a shop, a church, a family and a small business too.
A season carried for Bob Uecker
Bob Uecker called Brewers games for 54 seasons and passed away in 2025 at age 90. His family put out a message before the World Series saying they wished he could see this, and thanking fans for keeping his memory alive. That is part of why this title feels bigger than a trophy. Milwaukee has waited a long time, and a lot of people waited with it who are not here to see the finish.
What I am taking from it
I have never won big. I am not the smartest guy in the room. But I know what I saw in that clubhouse, and it is something anyone can copy.
First, say thank you out loud, especially to the people nobody is clapping for. Second, decide on your mindset before the pressure shows up, not during it. Third, pick teammates over ego, because a group that trusts each other has more to give on the hardest day. And fourth, remember that the games that stress you out the most are the ones that teach you how to stay calm. Murphy is 67 years old and still leading like this. It is never too late to win.
If you are building something right now, a job, a business, a family, a dream, take this with you. You do not need the biggest budget. You need people who believe in each other and a plan to not be afraid. Let’s go.
Want to see how the story started? Read What the Brewers Just Taught All of Us.
Sources
ClutchPoints, Murphy’s clubhouse message. MLB.com clubhouse speech video. Fox News, NLCS sweep. Fox 11, Uecker family message.
