Mar 24, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) and Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy (00) meet before a game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Brewers' Pat Murphy Takes Peculiar Shot At Dodgers To Open NLCS

Originally posted on Milwaukee Brewers on SI
By Jackson Roberts | Last updated Oct 13, 2025 4:56 PM ET

The Milwaukee Brewers-Los Angeles Dodgers matchup in the National League Championship Series was always going to be portrayed as a David vs. Goliath showdown.

On one hand, the Dodgers have the largest tax payroll in the majors by a wide margin, while the Brewers rank 21st of the 30 clubs (via Spotrac). But the Brewers swept six games from the Dodgers in the regular season and earned the right to home-field advantage not only in this series, but throughout the postseason.

There's no real harm in the Brewers portraying themselves as the underdogs. Whatever motivates a team is worth playing up for such an important series. But Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy took things to a strange place on Monday.

Pat Murphy's dig at Dodgers is a bridge too far

Before Game 1, in which Brewers opener Aaron Ashby will do battle with Dodgers star left-hander Blake Snell, Murphy implied that this Milwaukee team is such a ragtag group that the Hollywood roster in the other dugout wouldn't even know who they were facing.

"I'm sure that most Dodger players can't name eight guys on our roster," Murphy said, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. "No offense to them, they shouldn't have to know the names, but these are some guys that hopefully they know their names by the time it's over. You never know."

The "We have no talent compared to the Dodgers" mantra seems to be sticking for Murphy. He said after Game 5 of the Division Series this weekend that "I don't know how many of our guys would make their team" in anticipation of the matchup (via Scott Grodsky on X).

Does Murphy think the Dodgers don't know to be on the lookout for Brice Turang at the top of the order? Or that All-Star Trevor Megill isn't a threat out of the bullpen? And there's almost no chance Ashby would be in the team's top eight of name recognition, so maybe the Dodgers won't even prepare for their first-inning at-bats.

The Brewers might still be the underdogs, because the Dodgers have assembled one of the finest collections of talent in league history. But they shouldn't be allowed to get away with claiming this Dodgers team doesn't respect them, because the mark of a champion is to never underestimate an opponent.

This article first appeared on Milwaukee Brewers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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