"Pat Murphy, the gregarious manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, was in no hurry to wrap up his news conference Sunday. He compared Mookie Betts playing shortstop to Stephen Curry playing forward. He anointed Freddie Freeman as his favorite player even though "he's ruined Brewers history many times." He read off names from an eight-year-old Dodgers scouting report that included Yasiel Puig, Rich Hill and Curtis Granderson. "I love Kenley Jansen," Murphy said. "You guys miss him?""
"All good things must come to an end, even a manager working his audience with the rapport of a standup comedian. The Dodgers' time in the press conference room was fast approaching. "I don't want to take up any of the Dodgers' precious time," Murphy cracked. "They're on a shoestring budget." Murphy is only too happy to play into the predominant story line for the National League Championship Series: The defending World Series champions, with a payroll three times that of the Brewers, against a plucky little outfit representing baseball's smallest market."
"Let's get real, though: The NLCS opens here, not at Dodger Stadium, because the Brewers won more games than the Dodgers - and every other major league team - this season. And the Brewers did that because they swept the season series from the Dodgers - a sweep in Milwaukee right before the All-Star break, then a sweep in L.A. On Saturday, after the Brewers won the division series, Murphy kicked off the clubhouse celebration with"
Pat Murphy used humor and playful comparisons during a lengthy news conference, referencing Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Kenley Jansen while reading names from an old Dodgers scouting report. Murphy joked about the Dodgers' payroll and leaned into the narrative of a plucky, small-market Brewers team facing the defending champions. The Brewers finished with the most regular-season wins and swept the season series against the Dodgers, with sweeps in Milwaukee and in Los Angeles. Pitcher Brandon Woodruff described the team as "always the underdogs." The NLCS opens in Milwaukee because the Brewers won the division.
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