The Milwaukee Brewers are World Series champions for the first time in franchise history after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 at Tropicana Field on Wednesday night, October 28, clinching the series four games to one.
First baseman Jake Bauers caught the final out, a throw from Brice Turang to retire Richie Palacios, and immediately presented the ball to manager Pat Murphy.
The celebratory exchange went viral when Murphy, smiling, told the free-agent-to-be: “You’re going to be a rich f*er. Just remember when you were on that Yankees team and you guys were all playing for yourself; just remember, this is the way we used to do it. You ain’t getting rid of me that easy.”
Bauers, the NLCS MVP, hit 26 home runs this season and credited the team’s turnaround to a midseason message about relaxing. He said: “All we had to do was let go and trust each other.”
Catcher William Contreras was named World Series MVP, while rookie Jacob Misiorowski tossed 5⅓ scoreless innings in the clincher. Christian Yelich, the franchise cornerstone since 2018, finally captured the title that eluded him.
Murphy, a former college coach at Arizona State, reflected on the journey: “I needed them more than they needed me. We’re always under construction.”
