Brewers manager reveals life-changing moment with Muhammad Ali

Pat Murphy is getting ready to begin his second season as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, and it has been a successful stint so far. Murphy led the Brewers to the National League Central Division title in 2024, and it was inspiration from an unexpected source that helped him have success.

Murphy had a strong relationship with legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, and the late boxer provided him with some inspiration. Even though Ali was known for showing extreme confidence, it was actually fear that drove him to have some success.

"I asked him one time at a banquet, I said, 'Champ, why did you, like, start ragging, talking, and just running your mouth, and all that kind of stuff? Were you always like that?'" Murphy asked Ali. "He leaned over and said, 'I was scared to death.'"

The Brewers manager was expecting a different answer from Muhammad Ali, as he was not one who showed fear inside the ring. Ali was able to trick himself into being confident, and that, in turn, sparked fear in his opponents.

"Fear is part of it, and if you learn to use it like fire, you can do a lot of great things. If you don't learn to use it, it can burn your house down," Murphy added.

Murphy was able to learn from that experience with Muhammad Ali and used that to change his life for the better. The Brewers manager recognizes fear and knows how to use it for good.

Brewers star Christian Yelich blames media for underdog title

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy is once again going to be leading a team that is not getting a ton of respect heading into 2025. Despite winning the NL Central a season ago, the Brewers are not getting as much offseason praise as some other teams.

Speaking to MLB Network during Spring Training, star outfielder Christian Yelich believes that the media is to blame for the team not getting the respect it deserves.

"I feel like we're under the radar every year, which is fine ... It's your guys' fault, probably," Yelich said (via MLB Network on X).

"We got some athletic guys that can do a lot of different things on the baseball field, underrated, overrated, you know. It doesn't matter at the end of the day. You have to play the game. Whether you're the favorite or the underdog, you still have to play the six-month season and navigate through everything."

The Milwaukee Brewers will be looking to have another great season, and manager Pat Murphy will use lessons from Muhammad Ali to guide his team.