Pat Murphy’s Pre-NLCS Breakfast at Mad Rooster Cafe

Hours before the Milwaukee Brewers opened the 2026 National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, manager Pat Murphy spent his Sunday morning navigating a different kind of crowd: the weekend rush at a diner less than five minutes from American Family Field.

Murphy arrived at Mad Rooster Cafe on Oct. 11 with three companions, settling into the section managed by Hershay Adan, a server who has worked the West Milwaukee breakfast spot for three years. The restaurant, located at 4401 W. Greenfield Ave., operates as an unofficial staging ground for fans and baseball personnel alike during the MLB season. Its proximity to the ballpark makes it a frequent stop for players, though Adan noted he had never personally served a Brewers figure of Murphy’s stature.

The 67-year-old manager ordered three egg whites, green peppers, sausage and toast. The meal stretched past an hour but wrapped up before two, giving staff and patrons a narrow window to interact with the skipper before he departed for Game 1.

Those interactions were largely unsolicited but welcomed. Diners made phone calls to friends to confirm Murphy’s presence; when one caller expressed skepticism, Murphy suggested switching to video. Employees wearing Brewers apparel approached for autographs, which he signed directly onto their jerseys and shirts. Adan secured a photograph.

When asked about his nerves ahead of the playoff opener, Murphy told Adan he was “too old to be nervous.” Pressed on whether Milwaukee would win, he declined to predict the outcome.

The visit carried specific weight given the franchise’s recent postseason history. The Brewers entered the 2026 NLCS seeking redemption after the Dodgers swept them in the previous year’s championship round en route to a second consecutive World Series title. That 2025 defeat underscored the financial divide between the two organizations, pitting Milwaukee’s small-market roster construction against Los Angeles’ massive payroll advantages.

Mad Rooster itself reflects the broader intersection of local business and baseball culture in Milwaukee’s near-west side neighborhoods. The farm-themed American breakfast joint draws heavily from the surrounding community, including immigrant entrepreneurs whose livelihoods tie directly into the team’s success. Adan, originally from Guerrero, Mexico, has lived in Milwaukee for 26 years. His brother, Rene Adan, operates Paleteria Yayo, a Mexican ice cream shop featuring a Brewers community mural on its exterior wall and holding a vendor permit to sell products inside the stadium during games.

The morning concluded with a dispute over the bill. A member of Murphy’s party, whom Adan believed to be the manager’s brother, intercepted the check despite Murphy’s vocal objections. “I never lose,” Murphy told the table after failing to secure the tab.

He recovered that competitive edge later in the day. The Brewers defeated the Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLCS on Oct. 11, shifting the momentum of a series defined by last year’s sweep.