Pat Murphy got the kind of call that stops a day in its tracks. Before the Milwaukee Brewers opened the World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, the manager heard from Bruce Springsteen himself, a moment that hit especially hard for someone who has spent years wearing his fandom out in the open.
Murphy, who has a tattoo from “No Surrender” that reads, “No retreat, no surrender,” said the call came from an unknown number trying to FaceTime him. The giveaway was the area code: 732, out of Freehold, New Jersey. That was enough for Murphy to know exactly who was on the other end.
The two talked for about 10 minutes, and Murphy said he was “blown away,” even if the conversation matched what he had hoped for. “It was as real as you can get,” the Brewers' manager described, “like we knew each other.”
Springsteen had actually called the Brewers office asking for Murphy’s number after Milwaukee returned home from Los Angeles following its win over the Dodgers to clinch the World Series berth. The timing was off from what Murphy expected, though. Instead of a convenient moment, the phone rang early in the morning while his kids were still asleep.
Murphy didn’t hide how much the conversation meant to him. He told Springsteen how much the music has meant across his life, and said that a “big night out” for him is listening to Springsteen on Broadway while eating at home.
Even with all that history, Murphy said he never felt rattled by the moment. “I felt pretty normal.
It's like you knew him your whole life. I feel like I do know him because I know so much about him.
It was just as real as always, just like you'd want it.”
His admiration goes back decades. Murphy said he drove in the pouring rain to see Springsteen's River Tour in the '80s.
Now, though, his attention is on the Brewers and the World Series. Springsteen didn’t explicitly say he was backing Milwaukee.
Murphy said, “he didn't go that far.” Still, the manager has a few chances to “Prove It All Night” to The Boss.
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