List of Milwaukee Brewers managers

A man in a navy blue baseball jersey standing on a field between two men in black umpiring outfits
Manager Ken Macha (center) meeting with the umpires before a game

The Milwaukee Brewers Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise of the National League (NL) has employed 20 managers during its 55 seasons of play.[1] Managers are responsible for team strategy and leadership on and off the field, including determining the batting order, arranging defensive positioning, and making tactical decisions regarding pitching changes, pinch-hitting, pinch-running, and defensive replacements.[2] Established in Seattle, Washington, as the Seattle Pilots in 1969, the team became the Milwaukee Brewers after relocating to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1970. The franchise played in the American League (AL) until 1998, when it moved to the National League in conjunction with a major league realignment. Pat Murphy, the current manager, will manage his first Brewers game at the beginning of the 2024 season.

Five managers have led the Brewers to the postseason. Buck Rodgers' 1981 team won the Second Half AL East Division title. In 1982, Harvey Kuenn took over for Rodgers and led Milwaukee to win the AL East Division title and the AL Championship Series, but they lost in their only World Series appearance. Dale Sveum, who assumed control of the team late in the 2008 season from Ned Yost, led the club to an NL Wild Card. Ron Roenicke's 2011 Brewers won the NL Central Division title and the NL Division Series (NLDS). The teams led by Craig Counsell won the NL Central Division title (2018, 2021, and 2023), the NLDS (2018), and two NL Wild Card spots (2019 and 2020).

None of Milwaukee's managers have won the Major League Baseball Manager of the Year Award since its institution in 1983.[3] However, two have won the Sporting News Manager of the Year Award: George Bamberger (1978) and Craig Counsell (2017, 2018, and 2023).

Craig Counsell won 707 regular-season games from 2015 to 2023, placing him first on the all-time wins list for Brewers managers. Having managed the team for 1,332 games over nine seasons, he is the longest-tenured manager in team history. The manager with the highest winning percentage over a full season or more is Harvey Kuenn (1975, 1982–1983), with .576. Conversely, the lowest winning percentage over a season or more is .395 by Joe Schultz (1969).

  1. ^ "Milwaukee Brewers Managers". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on September 23, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  2. ^ "What is a Manager?". Major League Baseball. Archived from the original on August 31, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  3. ^ "MLB Manager of the Year Award Winners". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on September 25, 2000. Retrieved December 12, 2020.