Brewers manager Pat Murphy says he called Yankees GM Brian Cashman to 'explain' profane comment after World Series

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy appears to have one thing he regrets after a World Series-winning October.

The baseball veteran drew significant attention following the Brewers' five-game victory in the 2026 Fall Classic after a camera caught him receiving the game-ending ball from first baseman Jake Bauers. Murphy embraced Bauers, the club's most notable pending free agent , and then said the following:

"You're going to be a rich f***er. Just remember when you're on that horses*** Yankees team and you guys are all playing for yourself, just remember this is the way we used to do it."

Bauers laughed off the comment, saying "You ain't getting rid of me that easy," but Yankees fans were less amused.

Murphy addressed the matter Tuesday during an appearance on the New York Post's "The Show" podcast and said he called Yankees general manager Brian Cashman after finding out his moment with Bauers had reached social media. He dubbed it a hot mic moment:

"I called Brian Cashman right away when I heard it got out … I heard the next morning, we're at the parade and everybody was talking about it. I was like, 'What? How did they hear that?' You know, hot mic. I'm like, 'Ah, whatever.' So I picked up the phone and called Brian right away and had a good conversation. The best I could, I tried to explain that I wasn't talking about the 2026 Yankees. "He's just such a good guy, man. He's just a levelheaded — he's been through so much. I wish I had his demeanor and his way of handling things. I felt horribly if I slandered the Yankees because I was just referring to them as this iconic machine."

"I called Brian Cashman right away when I heard it got out … I heard the next morning, we're at the parade and everybody was talking about it. I was like, 'What? How did they hear that?' You know, hot mic. I'm like, 'Ah, whatever.' So I picked up the phone and called Brian right away and had a good conversation. The best I could, I tried to explain that I wasn't talking about the 2026 Yankees.

"He's just such a good guy, man. He's just a levelheaded — he's been through so much. I wish I had his demeanor and his way of handling things. I felt horribly if I slandered the Yankees because I was just referring to them as this iconic machine."

It's perhaps worth noting this wasn't really a hot mic moment, which implies that Murphy didn't know he was being recorded. In this case, a person would have clearly been holding a camera or phone to document an interesting moment, a player handing his manager a baseball with enormous meaning to both of them. Cameras and media members were all around them.

As for the exact meaning of Murphy's comment, the manager said Bauers' approaching payday had become a running joke between them and that he meant the Yankees only in an abstract way.

"We had a little thing going. After every celebration, I'd shake his hand, I'd say, 'You rich so-and-so.' You're going to leave us, we're not going to be able to pay you. You're going to leave us and you're going to forget how you did things, how you were using the opposite field, taking your walks, all the things that made you great. I would just give him this rhetoric every time, 'You'll forget all about us.' "I didn't mean to say these Yankees, like the 2026 or whatever Yankees are selfish. I was just referring to the teams that have a lot of high-paid, long-contract players. Sometimes it's harder to get all those guys together to play together. I use the Yankees because I knew Jake was with them before."

"We had a little thing going. After every celebration, I'd shake his hand, I'd say, 'You rich so-and-so.' You're going to leave us, we're not going to be able to pay you. You're going to leave us and you're going to forget how you did things, how you were using the opposite field, taking your walks, all the things that made you great. I would just give him this rhetoric every time, 'You'll forget all about us.'

"I didn't mean to say these Yankees, like the 2026 or whatever Yankees are selfish. I was just referring to the teams that have a lot of high-paid, long-contract players. Sometimes it's harder to get all those guys together to play together. I use the Yankees because I knew Jake was with them before."

It remains to be seen if the non-Cashman members of the Yankees organization accept that explanation, but it's hardly the most important thing for both the team and the players right now .

Murphy is in his third season as Brewers manager and is overwhelmingly favored to take home a third straight NL Manager of the Year award next week.

Bauers has been playing in MLB since 2018, but this season was his first time playing more than 120 games in a season. He led the Brewers in homers with 26 during the regular season and won NLCS MVP.