MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy and the Chicago Cubs’ Craig Counsell have a friendship that goes back well over three decades. That wasn’t going to end now that they’re managing NL Central rivals.
“I’m sure all of you have great friends in the world, people that you’ve been associated with for many, many years in different way,” Murphy said Friday before the Brewers lost 10-0 to the Cubs in the season’s first matchup between the teams. “Maybe the relationship changed a little bit. Maybe you used to live in the same town. Maybe now you don’t. But your really, really true friends, you don’t have to call them on the phone every night and say, ‘What happened last night? What did he say? Or what did he say?’
“Craig and I will be close forever. I respect him. I love him. I love his family.”
Counsell and Murphy had worked together in some capacity for much of the last 35 years or so before Counsell left his job as Milwaukee’s manager to become the Cubs’ skipper after the 2023 season. Murphy, a key part of Counsell’s staff in Milwaukee, was promoted to Brewers’ manager.
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’ 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’re working for different teams, they naturally don’t talk as often.
Nor can they confide in each other the way they could while working on the same staff.
“It’s changed in that we’re competitors instead of teammates, so I think during competitive times, (the relationship is) different,” Counsell said. “It’s stayed the same in kind of when we’re off game time, we’re friends.”
That friendship continues even as they work for rivals.
“I know people would love to have us get in a fight and have a back-and-forth between the Cubs and us – fights and all that kind of (stuff),” Murphy said. “Maybe that will happen, but we’ll still always be friends. He’s done a lot for my life, and I’m very grateful for the friendship.”
Counsell’s 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 second straight NL Central title and becoming the Milwaukee’s first NL Manager of the Year.
“I’m happy for his success,” Counsell said. “That’s first and foremost. You’re happy your good friend has tremendous success. We’re obviously competitors. His wins don’t always bode good for me or for us. You’re still happy for his success.”
So far this season, Counsell has had more success. The Cubs’ blowout win Friday enabled them to maintain their two-game lead over Cincinnati in the NL Central. The Brewers are in third place, four games behind the Cubs.
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