Eleven years after their failed partnership in San Diego, A.J. Preller and Pat Murphy are reuniting in the playoffs, proving that some instincts just needed more time to ripen.
When Pat Murphy walked into the Petco Park auditorium on Monday. he didn’t just bring the poise of a two-time National League Manager of the Year. He brought a routine. Before addressing the National League Division Series. the 67-year-old scanned the room. introducing himself to local photographers. videographers. and stenographers who had traveled from Los Angeles. He leaned into the moment with a grin, telling the gathered crowd, “You can’t polish a turd. This is all I got.”.
It is a far cry from the version of Murphy who arrived in San Diego in 2015. Back then, Padres General Manager A.J. Preller was looking for a spark to ignite a roster filled with stars like Matt Kemp. Justin Upton. Wil Myers. James Shields. Derek Norris. and Craig Kimbrel. The team was sitting at 32-33 when Preller made the high-stakes decision to fire Bud Black and pluck a college legend from Triple-A El Paso. Preller saw something in the former Notre Dame and Arizona State coach—a blend of baseball smarts and the ability to motivate—that he believed would translate to the big leagues.
He was right, but he was early. The experiment collapsed quickly. A team that didn’t know Murphy—and a manager who didn’t know how to pull the strings in a major league dugout—limped to a 42-54 finish under his leadership. Preller did not retain him after the 2015 season, instead turning to Andy Green. Looking back, Murphy offers no bitterness. “I wouldn’t have retained me then either,” he admitted. “I wasn’t ready to be the major league manager he needed.”.
That stint, however, proved to be a crucible. For Murphy. the move to professional ball was a necessary reset after his unceremonious departure from Arizona State amid an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations. alleged academic fraud. and improper use of facilities. He used his time in the Padres’ system—moving from short-season Eugene in 2011 to Triple-A Tucson in 2013 and El Paso from 2014-15—to regroup. Those years remain deeply personal for him. marked by the time he spent raising his teenage son while living out of suitcases and sleeping in office spaces in Tucson.
After parting ways with San Diego, Murphy eventually linked up with his former Notre Dame pupil, Craig Counsell, in Milwaukee. When Counsell left for the Chicago Cubs, Murphy finally took the wheel. He has since transformed the Brewers into a juggernaut. leading them to four consecutive NL Central titles—three under his direct command—and overseeing the winningest era in franchise history. As he returns to San Diego, he holds no ill will toward the man who fired him.
“I respect A.J.,” Murphy said. “I respect how, through all the people that have questioned his ways and doing things, that he’s maintained it and continues to fill the ballpark in San Diego.”
Preller, now watching his former hire from the other side, returns that respect. He describes Murphy as a man who “gets the most out of his players” and a “good friend.” For a GM who once swung for the fences with a move that whiffed. the success of the man he identified years ago is a rare vindication in a high-pressure business. The timing may not have worked in 2015. but the assessment was sound; the manager who wasn’t ready then is now widely considered the front-runner for his third straight NL Manager of the Year award.
Pat Murphy AJ Preller Padres Brewers NLDS MLB Baseball Milwaukee Brewers San Diego Padres