The Yankees found themselves back in the familiar role of postseason punchline after the Brewers wrapped up their World Series win, and Pat Murphy made sure the joke landed.
Once the confetti came down, Murphy spoke to Jake Bauers, the first baseman who handed him the ball from the final out. Bauers is headed for free agency, and Murphy had a message for him that turned the Yankees into the setup.
"You're gonna be a rich f---er. Just remember when you were on that horse s--t Yankees team and you guys were all playing for yourself, just remember, this is the way we used to do it," Murphy said.
It was a line that fit the Brewers’ identity. Milwaukee won it with a roster built around homegrown talent and trade pieces, playing the kind of scrappy, small-ball style that Murphy and the club lean into.
The Yankees, by contrast, still carry the image of a high-payroll team where power is supposed to carry the day. That formula has not produced a title since 2009.
Bauers’ own Yankees stint helps sharpen the punchline. He was in New York in 2023, the year the club missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. He wasn’t a major piece in that season, either, posting a .202/.279/.413 line across 84 games.
For Yankees fans, the last three postseasons have been a rough run of public embarrassment. In 2024, New York reached the World Series and lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games. After that series, the Dodgers shared their scouting report, publicly tearing into the Yankees’ defense and fundamentals.
In 2025, the Yankees fell to the Toronto Blue Jays in four games in the ALDS. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., wearing ski goggles and drenched in champagne, repeated David Ortiz’s famous line: "Da Yankees lose," a moment that spread fast.
Then came the 2026 postseason, where the Yankees were eliminated by the Rays. Their offense went quiet against the pitching, the defense wobbled, and the decision to bring Aaron Boone back for another year drew plenty of frustration. Players have talked openly about the team’s "standard," but there’s no sign the front office plans to change course.
The Red Sox haven’t had the postseason success to match their biggest moments, but their playoff history still gets treated with a kind of reverence. This year, the spirit of Boston’s 2004 run came up twice when the Dodgers and Rays each managed one win to avoid elimination against the Brewers, though the 0-3 comeback remains out of reach for everyone else.
And even without the Red Sox or Yankees in the World Series, Boston fans still got a familiar pleasure: watching the Yankees take another hit, this time from the manager of the championship team.
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