Pat Murphy helps coach youth baseball
Caledonia’s Hitters Sandlot team got direct coaching from Milwaukee Brewers Manager Pat Murphy. Young players practiced fundamentals at Helfaer Field right before the NLCS
CALEDONIA, Wis. – With his team set for a rematch in the National League Championship Series, one could understand a feeling of nervousness or anxiety from Brewers Manager Pat Murphy the night before the series.
Instead, the two-time NL Manager of the Year found time after a team workout inside American Family Field to coach his son’s 12-U Hitters Sandlot team’s practice at Helfaer Field.
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Murphy was not with the Sandlot team as they practiced the night before the World Series Thursday, but the kids shared details about their big-league experience.
“Winter’s a big time for us. We do a ton of training on all types of aspects of their game: infield, catching, outfield play, hitting, pitching, all of it,” said Andy Maki, general manager of Caledonia-based Hitters Baseball.
The club coaches kids aged 5 to 18.
As FOX6 visited Thursday, high school baseball and softball players tested metrics on hitting and fielding to identify areas where they could improve.
And as you might expect, there is a certain buzz in the building this week.
“They see what they see on TV, right, and they want to go in the backyard, they want to go out, they want to go to the facility, they want to do it. They want to replicate the hit, replicate the home run, the Chourio two-out hit, all that kind of stuff, right? Like that motivates them and drives them to keep going and want to keep doing this,” Maki said.
It also helps to have a direct connection to Murphy. His son Austin plays alongside Luke Grindle, who is the son of Brewers play-by-play radio voice Lane Grindle. According to the team, Murphy did not just show up to watch from the bleachers.
“Did he joke with you guys at all?” FOX6 News asked.
“Um, Pat’s not really like a joker. He just wants to get business done,” said Jalen Justman, an outfielder and son of the team’s coach.
Justman was not kidding. Luke, a shortstop, recalled specific coaching on how to be better in the field.
“He just, like, corrected a lot of stuff,” Grindle said. “He was like don’t pump fake when you’re in a pickle, just keep your arms straight.”
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A little more than a week later, that focus on fundamentals stuck with the younger Grindle.
“That just means a lot that he’s like, actually, not like focusing on that. I’d probably, if I was the manager, be really nervous. Like, shoot, they just swept us in the NLCS…” Grindle said.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Sam Kraemer and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Andy Maki, Jalen Justman, Luke Grindle, Hitters Baseball, Milwaukee Brewers and FOX6 News.