Pat Murphy’s first speech to his team as the manager has me ready to run through a brick wall.

YES. I’ll be honest, before watching this video I wasn’t sure what to expect from this year’s Brewer team. I think the offense is better, but you lost quite a bit of front-line starting pitching, the bullpen is decent but your hometown manager jumped ship to coach your rival, there has been a LOT going. I could honestly see them winning 68 games and being out of playoff contention by Labor Day, or winning 90 games and taking the divison again.

Well this video settled me into the latter instead of the former. My initial thought on the Murphy hiring was that he was the perfect placeholder for a year or two. The players know him, he’s stable, he’s experienced, he knows what he’s doing. Well after that :55 second video I am fired UP. This guy isn’t here to hold anyone’s place. He’s here to win. This isn’t a career achievement hiring, this guy wants to win a pennant. And he brings WAY more energy than Counsell did. He’s got some grit, he’s not going to be a slave to an analyitcs book, he’s going to trust instincts honed over a 40 year career in baseball. Pardon the expression, but Murph seems to be a lot more ‘cock and balls’ than the previous regime.

And if I’m interpreting the first part of this speech correctly, he’s REALLY not going to subscribe so feverishly to #metrics. His message about, ‘worrying about winning today,’ leads me to believe we may see some starting pitchers go deep into games. We might even see some sacrifice bunts and sac fly’s if the situation calls for it. Don’t get me wrong, Counsell’s track record (outside of the playoffs) speaks for itself, his style turned this franchsie into a perennial winner. But like most fans, I felt like he was TOO rigid in his following of the analytics script. Murph might be a breath of fresh air for the old-school fans.

PS: Apparently the team got Murph a Costanza Scooter:

If he makes a pitching change with this thing we’re winning the whole damn thing.

Double PS: Over/under on my book for sesaon wins is 75.5. HAMMER play on the over.