Murphy Sets Record Straight on Hot Mic Yankees Comment

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy says he never intended to call the New York Yankees a selfish organization.

"I didn't mean to say that the Yankees are selfish," Murphy said on the New York Post's "The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman" podcast, in an episode posted Tuesday.

"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 to play together."

The comment that sparked the controversy was caught on a hot microphone at Tropicana Field on Oct. 28.

Murphy had just watched his Brewers defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 to win the first World Series title in franchise history.

Jake Bauers, the former Yankee who caught the final out and was named NLCS MVP, handed Murphy the game ball.

Murphy hugged him and delivered what he describes as a teasing farewell he had used all month — that Bauers was about to get paid and would forget how the Brewers played.

This time, Murphy tied the joke to the club Bauers left in November 2023: the 82-80 Yankees, who missed the playoffs that season.

The clip spread across social media within a day.

Murphy says he called Yankees general manager Brian Cashman as soon as he heard the audio had gotten out.

"I mean, I called (Yankees general manager) Brian Cashman right away, when I heard it got out," Murphy said.

"I regret saying it."

He emphasized that the comment was never meant as a serious critique of the 2026 Yankees, a team that won 93 games and lost to the Rays in the American League Division Series.

"You know, I used the Yankees (as an example) because I knew Jake (Bauers) was with them before," Murphy explained.

"But yeah, that was Jake and I's humor behind the scenes, and yeah, I got caught."

Not everyone is accepting the apology at face value.

Mike Francesa, the longtime WFAN host, argued that the setting gave the remark its staying power.

"This shot from Pat Murphy, I think sticks," Francesa said.

"I think it's the first shot that hits broadside and will impact the Yankees, a team that only plays for itself, which is right on target."

Francesa added: "It has to hurt because it was in the celebration after they won."

Some Yankees fans have expressed frustration that Murphy apologized at all.

A piece on Yanks Go Yard argued that Murphy's call to Cashman was "more bothersome to Yankees fans than the actual insult."

The outlet noted that the Yankees have become "the punchline" in baseball — spending heavily but falling short in the postseason since 2018.

"In our eyes, you either meant it or you didn't," the piece read.

"And since when is Cashman some almighty higher power that must be apologized to?"

Murphy's explanation is narrower than the uproar suggests.

He said he was describing teams built on long, expensive contracts in general, not the 2026 Yankees specifically.

The Brewers, a small-market franchise, operate with a significantly lower payroll than New York.

Murphy has since won back-to-back NL Manager of the Year awards.

He led the Brewers past the Rays for the first World Series title in franchise history.

Now, Milwaukee's offseason turns to Bauers, a pending free agent after a career year in which he hit .266 with 26 home runs and 86 RBIs.

The hot mic moment occurred at the peak of Murphy's career — right after he secured a World Series ring.

He now has one regret from the celebration that came with it.

The incident also comes with a notable piece of background: Murphy nearly became the Mets manager in 2019.