Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy never hesitated to offer a chance before winning a World Series. So it’s no surprise that his filter is even less engaged after his team won its first-ever championship on Wednesday.
After the Brewers’ 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 5 of the World Series, Murphy appeared to lash out at the New York Yankees while kissing Jake Bauers.
“Just remember when you were on that Yankees team,” Murphy told Bauers. “Everyone plays for themselves. Remember.”
After spending the 2022 season in the minors, Bauers returns to the big leagues in April 2023 with the Yankees. He played 84 games with New York that season, then was traded to Milwaukee in November 2023.
The 2022 Yankees were not a bad team by any means. They won 99 games and reached the ALCS before losing to the eventual World Series champion Houston Astros.
It’s also worth pointing out that at this point in Bauers’ career, he was not considered a starter-caliber player. He hit .202/.279/.413 with the Yankees and had a career slash line of .211/.302/.361 in 412 MLB games from 2018-22.
After struggling in his first year with Milwaukee, Bauers revamped his swing through 2025. The changes paid off, culminating in his breakout year in 2026 with a .266/.389/.484 line in 144 games.
Bauers carried that momentum into the playoffs with a .983 OPS in the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the MVP of that series.
One team that could have used Bauers’ production this season was the Yankees, especially in the postseason when they scored just five runs in three games against the Rays in the ALDS.
New York has the ability to bring Bauers back as he is set to enter free agency this offseason.
Gn sports
