Brewers must adopt Pat Murphy's mantra now more than ever

Following the Milwaukee Brewers' Game 4 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday night, manager Pat Murphy remained his usual optimistic self during his postgame interview. Rather than show any signs of fluster or give the Cubs a reason to believe that Murphy's confidence in his squad wavered over the last two days, the wise leader of the Brew Crew said exactly what his club and Brewers fans needed to hear in a time of distress. Listen for yourself in the following clip posted on the social media platform X by MLB Network.

When asked about his Game 4 starting pitcher, Freddy Peralta, Murphy subtly noted that the team will need him in Game 2. It may have gone unnoticed or even seemed like a slip-up from Murphy, but the Brewers' manager is referencing Game 2 of the NLCS, demonstrating that his confidence in his team's ability to win Game 5 of the NLDS on Saturday night remains stronger than ever.

Murphy made sure to include a joke in his postgame presser as well, keeping things light-hearted during a very stressful time for his team. He asked reporters what the Cubs paid Matthew Boyd this offseason, a subtle dig at Chicago's ability to sign expensive free agents, before ensuring that Boyd got his credit for a well-pitched Game 4, saying, "He earned it tonight. He was great." That's another common theme you will hear in Murphy's interviews; he's quick to give credit to other teams and players when they perform well, maintaining a respect for his opponents that is becoming increasingly rarer in today's game.

The Brewers' managers' postgame pressers so often come with words of wisdom that give fans insight into the way he manages his squad. Heck, the guy quoted Shakespeare before today’s game. But as the Brewers stare down one of the biggest games in franchise history, a winner-takes-all Game 5 against their heated division rivals, the Chicago Cubs, one word that Murphy made into his mantra since taking over as the Brewers' manager needs to be on the mind of every player in Milwaukee's clubhouse over the next two days: undaunted.

If ever there was a time for the Milwaukee Brewers to be "undaunted," it's now

A more popular term during the 2024 season, "undaunted" could not be more applicable to what the Brewers need to be as they stare down a Game 5 matchup with the Cubs. Depending on your choice of dictionary, the literal definition of the term varies, but when Murphy was using it frequently (and putting it on t-shirts) a season ago, he referred to the definition "Not intimidated or discouraged by difficulty, danger or disappointment," as reported in an expertly crafted article from MLB.com's Adam McCalvy last July.

It's exactly what the Brewers must be following their disappointing trip to Wrigley Field. They must not be discouraged by the losses they suffered at the hands of their division rivals over the past two days. They must not be disappointed in themselves for not ending the series in Chicago as they hoped they would, for they know what they are capable of, what they've proven to be capable of all season. And finally, they must not be intimidated by the danger of their season ending on Saturday night, as such a line of thinking, putting the possibility of a loss in their heads, will only work against them.

It's no easy task, remaining strong in the face of adversity. It's not a simple practice to forget the failures of your past and focus on the opportunities of your future, especially when it's easy to get trapped by the way things could have been. So often in sports, we find ourselves dwelling on what could have or should have happened in the previous game or the previous inning that we forget there are still more opportunities ahead of us.

No, things did not go the Brewers way in Chicago, but allowing that to impact their chance of success on Saturday night would be senseless. Why focus on what could have happened when you still have an opportunity at success, especially when a victory in Game 5 would erase Brewers fans’ memories of the two disheartening losses at Wrigley Field?

Thankfully, for the Milwaukee Brewers, they have a manager who understands this, and one who maintains an unwavering confidence in his players, making it even easier for them to flush the defeats of yesterday and focus on the opportunities of today.

But the responsibility to remain undaunted doesn't just fall on the players in Milwaukee's clubhouse; it's a responsibility that Brewers fans hold as well. Admitting defeat when an opportunity for victory remains is no way to live. Now is not the time to cower in the face of adversity or allow past disappointments to determine the outcome of future opportunities. No, Brewers fans, now is the time to remain undaunted.