The NL Central is one of the more talked-about divisions in baseball right now, as the Milwaukee Brewers are playing as one of the best teams in the league. However, the Chicago Cubs aren't going away either, as the team is in the mix for a potential Wild Card spot. Many have pegged Chicago as a solid underdog team this late in the season, but Pat Murphy isn't having any of it.
Murphy, who is 66 years old, shut down the idea that the Cubs are underdogs right now, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN. The Brewers manager listed all of the reasons why he believes Chicago doesn't deserve that title, despite his team being 8.0 games ahead in the standings.
“They have all-stars, MVP candidates, veterans, gold glove winners, world champions, said Pat Murphy. “What don't they have? They're not the underdogs. Trust me.”
The Brewers own a 78-45 record entering their five-game series against the Cubs. Murphy seems to believe that Milwaukee is more deserving of the underdog title, but his club owns the best record in baseball right now. Pat Murphy is coaching a relatively young group of players, but the guys are playing extremely well. Especially in the back end of the regular season.
Milwaukee just had a 14-game winning streak snapped on Sunday after the Brewers suffered a 3-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. That streak catapulted the team up the rankings, and now Pat Murphy's group leads the way, not just in the NL, but in the league in general. This club has been red hot and seems primed for a playoff appearance this year.
Maintaining an underdog approach despite being the top dog in the park is nothing new in the sports world. We've routinely seen Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs create underdog narratives to keep the chip on their shoulder. So, perhaps that's something Pat Murphy wants to do for the Brewers.
