'Some tough stuff was said' – Brewers manager confirms that his team hit Mets' Jesse Winker on purpose, leading to playoff altercation
There was drama early during the New York Mets' memorable postseason run in 2024 when outfielder/DH Jesse Winker had a mid-game altercation with Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Willy Adames. In game one of the Wild Card Series between the Mets and the Brewers, Winker and Adames exchanged words after Winker tied the game with a triple. […]
There was drama early during the New York Mets' memorable postseason run in 2024 when outfielder/DH Jesse Winker had a mid-game altercation with Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Willy Adames.
In game one of the Wild Card Series between the Mets and the Brewers, Winker and Adames exchanged words after Winker tied the game with a triple.
Winker appeared to yell something at Adames while rounding the bases which led to the mini brew haha.
That moment was more than a year in the making.
Winker spent the 2023 season with the Brewers and he didn't play very well as he struggled throughout the season.
On July 12, 2024, while with the Washington Nationals, Winker hit a home run against the Brewers and took his time rounding the bases, which didn't sit well with Milwaukee.
Winker was traded to the Mets a couple of weeks after that home run. In late September, a week before the Wild Card Series, the Mets traveled to Milwaukee for a three-game series.
Unsurprisingly, Winker was hit by a pitch during one of his at bats in the series (oddly enough, the pitcher that hit Winker, Frankie Montas, is now teammates with Winker in New York).
SNY commentator Ron Darling immediately speculated that Winker was hit on purpose.
Hitting players on purpose is obviously frowned upon, even though it's something that's been part of the game for over a century. Players and managers rarely admit to hitting an opposing player on purpose, typically opting to tell reporters that the pitch just "got away".
Brewers manager Pat Murphy, however, seemed to confirm this week during an appearance on Diggin Deep' that the Brewers hit Winker on purpose during that late season matchup.
Murphy also revealed that he told Winker that the Brewers "most likely" hit him on purpose, which led to the confrontation between Winker and Adames.
"He (Winker) came to me before one of the games and said, 'Hey, do you think those guys hit me on purpose?' And I'm like, 'most likely', like, you can't watch the home run for 20 minutes," said Murphy. "You know what I mean? Like, you can't show up your former teammate like that. So I told him, yeah [they hit you on purpose].
"And then the next game happened and then we played them a week later, or whatever it was, and then they were hot. They played great, and he contributed. But then how he acted created more [tension]. And then there was an altercation between him and Willy, some tough stuff was said — like, tough stuff. And that doesn't go away. You don't forget that when it's that personal. I'm not blaming anybody. I'm just saying it's unfortunate."
Stuff like that happens in baseball all the time — it was practically a weekly occurence in the 1980s. These guys are ultra competitive and sometimes emotions take over.
Murphy, by the way, also pointed out that he was close with Winker during their one season together in Milwaukee. And he also noted that Winker was a "model citizen" in 2023, chalking up his rough season with the Brewers to returning from an injury too fast.
The Mets and the Brewers will play in New York in early July. Winker is currently on the IL and will likely miss that series. Winker, though, should be healthy when the Mets travel to Milwaukee in August.
