The Milwaukee Brewers have done it. In the franchise's 58th year of existence, they can finally call themselves World Series champion after taking down the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-1, in Game 5 of the 2026 edition of the Fall Classic. The Brewers waited 44 years for an opportunity to redeem themselves after losing in their first and only other World Series appearance, and as the old adage goes, patience may be bitter but its fruits are sweet.
Just to show how sweet it must feel for the entire Brewers team to have finally gotten over the hump, the moment star catcher William Contreras and manager Pat Murphy shared after they closed out the Rays in Game 5 says it all.
Via Enrique Rojas of ESPN:
William Contreras y manager Pat Murphy.
Eso es todo, amigos. pic.twitter.com/jyJDeuQ9i0
— Enrique Rojas/ESPN (@Enrique_Rojas1) October 29, 2026
Contreras has experienced quite a few postseason heartbreaks with the Brewers, having been part of the team's core since 2023. He saw Milwaukee come up short in the Wild Card round in two consecutive postseasons, and then he was there to witness his team get swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2025 NLCS.
Article Continues BelowBut the Brewers, despite the changes their roster have gone through year after year, have stayed the course. Contreras has been a bastion of consistency, and he has relished being the leader of this elite ballclub. He is the extension of Murphy when he's out there calling pitches and organizing his team, and now they can call themselves champion.
Meanwhile, Murphy knows how to push his team's buttons, getting the best out of them on every single turn. It's incredible how the Brewers didn't necessarily expect that he'll have to take over as manager, but after Craig Counsell left rather unceremoniously, Murphy kept this team humming and not skipping a single beat.
The Brewers wouldn't be here if it weren't for Contreras and Murphy, and they deserve all the celebrations they'll be doing over the next few weeks as they have immortalized themselves in MLB lore.