Ahead of his visit to the city Saturday, Brewers manager Pat Murphy joined La Crosse Talk PM to discuss coaching — football and basketball — Bob Uecker and, of course, pocket pancakes.

Murphy will be the La Crosse Loggers special guest Saturday for their winter BBQ at the La Crosse Center, appropriately themed “An Evening with Pat Murphy.”

We kicked off the interview by pointing out the high expectations Murphy has set for himself, winning back-to-back NL Manager of the Year awards in his first two seasons leading the Brewers.

La Crosse Talk PM airs weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Find the show on Spotify, Apple Podcast or here. Tune in on the WIZM app or on air at 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska)

After that, we asked Murphy, who has over 40 years in baseball, if he had to pick, would he rather coach the Packers or the Bucks — if this Brewers gig doesn’t work out.

“A little unfair to me because I was a college football coach before I started coaching baseball,” Murphy said. “I love coaching football because I love the strategy and the science behind it.”

An Evening with Pat Murphy

What: La Crosse Loggers Winter BBQ featuring Brewers manager Pat Murphy

When: Saturday. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., program starts at 7:00 p.m.

Where: La Crosse Center

Tickets: Adults $25, Children (12 & under) $10

How to Buy: Available at the La Crosse Center box office or via Ticketmaster. Corporate tables are available by calling 608-796-9553.

Murphy went with the historic franchise and sport he knows best over coaching one of the best players in the NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“He is pretty special,” Murphy said. “I think it would take me a long time and we’d lose a lot of games between now and then. Don’t underestimate how good a job these guys do because it’s pretty special.”

We also delved into Murphy’s college baseball managing days and how he’s used that experience — as a legendary coach who led Arizona State to four College World Series and put Notre Dame baseball on the map — to help him in the Majors identify the type of character and player he wants on his team.

“The thing that those jobs help you … you go through a lot in the coaching world and success doesn’t always bring you wisdom and knowledge,” Murphy said. “Sometimes it’s the opposite. So having success, it taught me a lot about some things not to do.”

Murphy also offered a glimpse into his direct leadership style, saying while he values a player’s character, he prioritizes results over gut feelings.

“Be careful how much you feel, because feelings don’t matter,” Murphy said. “Behavior matters.”

Another part of the conversation was simply remembering Brewers legendary announcer Bob Uecker. Murphy spent 10 years with the Brewers organization and said Uecker became a great friend. He talked of how Uecker was the gold standard for that kind of clubhouse character — sharing a story about how “Mr. Baseball” would go out of his way to welcome even the most obscure new players.

“I’m telling you, a new kid comes in the clubhouse, he knows the kid,” Murphy said. “The players on the team don’t even know the kid,” Murphy said. “Uecker’s there, he knows him, he knows somebody who knows him, he sticks his hand out, he talks to him, he spends time with him. And the kid’s looking around going like, ‘Is this a joke? This guy, Bob Uecker, knows me and wants to meet my parents?’ I mean, the guy was incredible.”

Of course, the conversation had to eventually get to the viral “pocket pancake” moment. For those who don’t know, during an in-game interview last season, Murphy (in)famously pulled a pancake out of his pocket and offered the reporter a bite.

Aside from the pancakes, Murphy admitted he will smuggle waffles, bagels or even cold pizza in his hoodie pocket to snack on — raw dogging the snacks too. They’re not in a Ziploc bag.

“Yeah, you fold it over,” Murphy said of the cold pizza, as if everyone should know it’s fine to just keep it in your pocket, as long as it’s folded. “It’s cold pizza… It’s not like drippy or runny or anything.”

When asked if his hoodie pockets get stained:

“It might be a little bit, but we got laundry,” Murphy said. “Yeah, I mean, they’re nasty. That’s the price of doing business.”

Sticking with the topic, we asked Murphy if he’d like to see a pancake theme in the Brewers’ proposed $800 million business district outside the stadium, which we’ve nicknamed “The Beer District,” mimicking the Bucks’ “Deer District.”

Murphy joked that a “Pancake Plaza” or “Flapjack Way” would be a perfect fit, or even having his own “Pat’s Pancakes” restaurant. “I think that’s a good little breakfast place around there and we capitalize on it,” he said.

The interview concluded with Murphy reflecting on his friendship with the late Bob Uecker, describing him as a man who went out of his way to make every new player feel like they belonged in the clubhouse.

Tickets for “An Evening with Pat Murphy” can be purchased at the La Crosse Center box office Monday-Friday, between 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. or on TicketMaster. Adults are $25 and children 12 & under are $10. Parties interested in purchasing a corporate table can contact the Loggers office at 608-796-9553. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Saturday with a pre-Murph program from the Loggers. Murphy will take the stage at 7 p.m. followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience.

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