Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy’s anti-Yankees comments to first baseman Jake Bauers during the team’s World Series celebration spread widely on video, though neither man has publicly addressed the exchange since it happened. Murphy made the remarks on the field after the Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 on Oct. 28, 2026, to win the franchise’s first World Series title.
Bauers caught the final out of the clinching game and handed the ball to Murphy as part of the celebration. That handoff is when Murphy launched into his comments about Bauers’ old team, according to ESPN.
What Murphy Said To Bauers
Murphy’s message was blunt and profane. “You’re going to be a rich f—er. 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,'” Murphy told Bauers, according to Yahoo Sports.
The 67-year-old Murphy tied the dig directly to his larger point about how the Brewers won. He framed Milwaukee’s championship as proof that players sacrificing individual stats for team success beats a roster of players “playing for themselves,” a contrast he suggested defined his read on the Yankees.
Why Bauers Was The Target
Bauers spent the 2023 season with the Yankees before New York traded him to Milwaukee that November. His time in pinstripes was rough: 84 games, a .202 average, 12 home runs and 95 strikeouts across 272 plate appearances. Milwaukee turned out to be a better fit.
Bauers posted career highs across the board in 2026, batting .266 with 26 home runs, 86 RBIs and an .874 OPS while playing on a one-year, $2.7 million contract. He is scheduled to hit free agency now that the World Series is over.
Context Behind The Jab
Murphy’s comments echoed a pattern from the previous year’s World Series. Los Angeles Dodgers players Joe Kelly, Miguel Rojas and Chris Taylor made similar criticisms of the Yankees after beating them in 2024, pointing to sloppy play and lazy defense in the losing effort, according to NJ.com.
For Murphy, whose coaching career stretches back to 1982 and who did not land a full-time major league managerial job until 2023, the comment doubled as a statement about team culture. He pointed to Milwaukee’s run to its first title as validation of a team-first approach he contrasted with what he described happening on the Yankees roster Bauers left behind.
What’s Next
Reporters have not asked Murphy or Bauers about the exchange, so neither has offered further explanation beyond what was captured on video during the celebration. Bauers’ free agency decision looms as the next milestone to watch, with his market opening now that Milwaukee’s championship run has ended.
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