Milwaukee Brewers Manager Once Took The Mound at Richland High School

They say it's a small world...it is.

  Former Tri City Triplets Pitcher-Manager Is a World Champion

The Milwaukee Brewers won their first world series title, beating Tampa Bay 4 games to 1, but the story of Brewer's Manager Pat Murphy is a study in persistence.

The Syracuse, New York native is 67-years-old and his journey to the championship took a lot of turns. His pro career began in Salem Virgnia playing for the Redbirds, affiliated with the San Diego Padres in 1983. Then he would up, here.

  Murphy Joined the Tri-City Triplets in 1985

After a bit of a rough stint in Salem, he came to Tri-Cities, pitched in 1985 and had a decent season in the old Northwest A League. Then in 1986, after the Triplets lost their major league affiliation with the Texas Rangers, he served as Player-Coach at the ripe old age of 26, making him one of the youngest in professional baseball, minors or majors.

He realized his future in the sport was Coaching, and he had to find another gig after the Triplets were sold and moved to Boise in 1987. The Triplets played their games at Richland High School. It's a very nice facility, but most in the league felt it was not suited for professional baseball--especially due to the outfield distances.

   What We Know Now, Vs. Then- I was There

Murphy continued his steady climb through the sport, coaching NCAA D-III in CA, then the head coaching gig at Notre Dame in 1988. He would coach again in the 'newer' Northwest League, and finally wound up with the Brewers-and the rest his history.

During that final Triplets summer of 1986, as a fresh college graduate, I took a job as a concession supervisor for the Triplets, overseeing the army of teenagers who manned the food stands. And, because I was 21, I was in charge of changing out the beer kegs when the suds went dry.  Sadly, the quality of play on the field was such that fans drank a lot of beer. None of us, of course, knew at that time what lay ahead for Murphy. He was one of their better pitchers, and ran the team as Manager.

The Triplets were one of the most short-lived pro teams in our region, lasting just 1983-1986, but many still remember their Texas-based red, white and blue uniforms.

    Trading Cards Capture Some of their History

I found a Tri-City-based trading card page that has a mixture of long forgotten players who ran around Bomber Field, but unfortunately, it doesn't have any pic or cards of Murphy. But you can relive a little baseball history by clicking here.