Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy looks down as he walks back to the dugout after inserting relief pitcher Craig Yoho for starting pitcher Chad Patrick during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy watches from the dugout during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants in San Francisco, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Brewers’ Murphy and Cubs’ Counsell say they’ve remained friends even while managing division rivals
MILWAUKEE (AP) 鈥 Milwaukee鈥檚 Pat Murphy and the Chicago Cubs鈥 Craig Counsell have a friendship that goes back well over three decades. That wasn鈥檛 going to end now that they鈥檙e managing NL Central rivals.
Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy looks down as he walks back to the dugout after inserting relief pitcher Craig Yoho for starting pitcher Chad Patrick during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
MILWAUKEE (AP) 鈥 Milwaukee鈥檚 Pat Murphy and the Chicago Cubs鈥 Craig Counsell have a friendship that goes back well over three decades. That wasn鈥檛 going to end now that they鈥檙e managing NL Central rivals.
鈥淚鈥檓 sure all of you have great friends in the world, people that you鈥檝e been associated with for many, many years in different way,鈥 Murphy said Friday before his Brewers met Counsell’s Cubs for the first time this season. 鈥淢aybe the relationship changed a little bit. Maybe you used to live in the same town. Maybe now you don鈥檛. But your really, really true friends, you don鈥檛 have to call them on the phone every night and say, 鈥榃hat happened last night? What did he say? Or what did he say?鈥
鈥淐raig and I will be close forever. I respect him. I love him. I love his family.鈥
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Counsell and Murphy had worked together in some capacity for much of the last 35 years or so before his job as Milwaukee鈥檚 manager to become the Cubs鈥 skipper after the 2023 season. Murphy, a key part of Counsell鈥檚 staff in Milwaukee,
Their relationship started long before either reached the big leagues.
Counsell played college baseball on Notre Dame teams coached by Murphy from 1989-92. When Counsell was hired as the Brewers鈥 manager after the 2015 season, he made Murphy his bench coach.
They saw each other just about every day for most of the next eight seasons. Now that they鈥檙e working for different teams, they naturally don鈥檛 talk as often.
Nor can they confide in each other the way they could while working on the same staff.
鈥淚t鈥檚 changed in that we鈥檙e competitors instead of teammates, so I think during competitive times, (the relationship is) different,鈥 Counsell said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 stayed the same in kind of when we鈥檙e off game time, we鈥檙e friends.鈥
That friendship continues even as they work for rivals.
鈥淚 know people would love to have us get in a fight and have a back-and-forth between the Cubs and us 鈥 fights and all that kind of (stuff),鈥 Murphy said. 鈥淢aybe that will happen, but we鈥檒l still always be friends. He鈥檚 done a lot for my life, and I鈥檓 very grateful for the friendship.鈥
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Counsell鈥檚 decision to leave the Brewers enabled Murphy to get his first MLB manager opportunity since 2015, when he led San Diego on an interim basis. Murphy responded by leading the Brewers to a and becoming the Milwaukee’s first .
鈥淚鈥檓 happy for his success,鈥 Counsell said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 first and foremost. You鈥檙e happy your good friend has tremendous success. We鈥檙e obviously competitors. His wins don鈥檛 always bode good for me or for us. You鈥檙e still happy for his success.鈥
So far this season, Counsell鈥檚 had more success. His Cubs entered leading the NL Central, with Murphy鈥檚 Brewers in third place.
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation