Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1547512
52 NOV. 14, 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TODD D. BURLAGE I n a long overdue milestone that could best be described as a feel-good story for a starved fan base, the celebration of an old-school baseball manager and the resurrection of budget-friendly base- ball, the Milwaukee Brewers won the 2026 World Series Oct. 28. The 4-1 best-of-seven series victory over the Tampa Bay Rays marked the first World Series title in the Brewers' 57th season in Milwaukee. It also made 67-year-old manager Pat Murphy — who coached Notre Dame from 1988-94 — the third-oldest skipper to win his first World Series. Milwaukee, MLB's smallest-market franchise, won the title with a $146.2 million payroll that ranked 19th in base- ball — the lowest payroll ranking for a World Series champion since the 2003 Florida Marlins. The most consistent franchise in the big leagues this year, Milwaukee fin- ished the regular season with the best record in baseball at 103-59 and the No. 1 seed in the National League. And from there, it lost only two of its 13 post- season games, a stretch that included a 4-0 sweep of the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, an incredible run that brought great delight to a franchise making just its second World Series appearance (the first happened all the way back in 1982). "You say they've been waiting so long, that's one thing," Murphy said in an emotional tribute to the legion of loyal Brewers fans that stuck with the franchise. "But it's more about their un- dying commitment to this team. And it started growing throughout the year." Forever a no-nonsense team leader, Murphy — who is in line to win his third consecutive NL Manager of the Year award — pulled no punches when celebrating his undervalued, overachieving group. "We didn't get picked to win the divi- sion by one outlet. We didn't get picked to win over 85 games by anybody," Mur- phy said. "But those fans of ours, they picked us. And the guys felt the energy, and they played accordingly." The road to even becoming the Brew- ers manager came with plenty of irony for Murphy. A bench coach at Milwaukee for eight seasons from 2016-23 under previous Brewers manager Craig Counsell — who was coached by Murphy at Notre Dame from 1989-92 — Murphy was promoted to Brewers manager in 2024 when Counsell left to take the Chicago Cubs' managerial job. Since then, Murphy has won three NL Central titles and secured NL Man- ager of the Year honors in both 2024 and 2025 — and perhaps again in 2026 when the award is handed out Nov. 10. ✦ FIGHTING IRISH HEADLINERS Alohi Gilman (Played at Notre Dame from 2018-19), S, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL The 2020 sixth-round draft pick tied his season high with 6 tackles in the Chiefs' 28-24 road loss to the Denver Broncos Nov. 1. During the 5-2 start for the Chiefs, the 2019 Irish team captain and seventh-year NFL veteran ranked sixth on the team with 30 tackles, with 1 tackle for loss and 1 pass defended. Julian Love (2016-18), S, Seattle Seahawks, NFL The 2018 Notre Dame All-American continued his steady comeback from a calf injury in September when he recorded a season-high 7 tackles (5 solo) in a 34-17 loss to the Chicago Bears Nov. 2. A 2023 Pro Bowl selection, a 2026 Super Bowl champion, and a 2019 fourth-round draft pick, Love had 31 tackles, 2 interceptions and 6 passes defended through his first seven games this season. Xavier Watts (2020-24), S, Atlanta Falcons, NFL The second-year rising star recorded 9 tackles — his second most this season — in a 16-0 loss to Tampa Bay Nov. 1. A model of consistency this season, the 2025 third-round draft pick tallied at least 7 tackles in four of five games from Oct. 5 through Nov. 1 and was tied for the team lead with 53 stops, plus had 1 interception and 2 forced fumbles. I R I S H I N T H E P R O S Former Irish Manager Pat Murphy Leads Brewers To First World Series Title Murphy guided the Milwaukee Brewers to their first World Series championship in franchise history, going 11-2 in the playoffs capped by a 4-1 series victory over the Tampa Bay Rays Oct. 28. PHOTO COURTESY MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL