Tue Oct 07 02:00:00 UTC 2025: **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
**Murphy’s Handshake Snub: A Brewers Tradition Born of “Happy Horse Manure”**
MILWAUKEE – In a league steeped in tradition, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy has forged his own peculiar custom: the pre-game handshake snub. As evidenced before Saturday’s NL Division Series Game 1 against the Cubs, Murphy stands stoically as his players line up for introductions, pointedly avoiding any physical contact.
“It’s tradition,” Murphy confirmed Sunday, barely suppressing a grin. He described the customary hand-shaking as “happy horse manure,” opting for the euphemism in a public setting before quickly contradicting himself with a colorful, slightly inappropriate remark.
The second-year Brewers skipper explained that he’s maintained the tradition for a decade to prevent unnecessary physical contact. “You go down the line and shake their hands, and then they go warm up and they come in the dugout and you shake their hands and do some crazy handshake with them,” Murphy said. “This is a lot of happy horse [manure]. Let’s play the game.”
Brewers players have taken the snub in stride. Lefty reliever Aaron Ashby, who will start Game 2 as an opener for the Brewers on Monday, described the act as quintessentially “Murph.” “It’s funny,” Ashby said. “I think we all get a kick out of it.”
Murphy recounted one incident where former Brewers shortstop Orlando Arcia punched him “really hard” in the chest after the snub. Others, like Andrew Vaughn, were genuinely caught off guard. Despite the varying reactions, Murphy remains committed to his unique pre-game ritual, whether the world notices or not.
First Piper 