'Just really happy for the community': Pat Murphy thanks fans after arriving home, Brewers show off WS trophy

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- After 56 years of waiting, and a three-hour flight from Tampa, the World Series trophy finally landed on Wisconsin soil.

The World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers returned home Thursday, October 29, ready to celebrate the championship with fans.

Five team planes flew back to Milwaukee from Tampa. The final one carried the players and coaches.

The first person down the steps was the captain, Christian Yelich, holding the World Series trophy.

Several players and personnel hugged staffers on their way off the final flight of the 2026 season, including manager Pat Murphy.

Moments earlier, water cannons saluted the team plane on the tarmac after touchdown.

Murphy told us he's still processing the historic win. "I'm just really happy for the community," he said. "Everybody here that loves the Brewers."

He said Brewers fans played a big role in the playoff push. "The energy that they brought, and our players felt it. There's a difference between showing up, you know, and being involved. And they didn't just show up."

Hundreds of those fans flocked to the airport to welcome the heroes home, watching through the fence and cheering from the sidewalk.

Rekenya Hilliard told us, "I was able to see the trophy firsthand! It was in eye view, and I got it on camera. So I will always remember this moment!"

Mike Brinen said, "That's one of the great things about sports. It brings everyone together. We're all the same. All rooting for the same goal."

And a fan named Dave told us he drove down from Minneapolis Tuesday for the Game 4 watch party, then stayed in town for Game 5. "Indescribable," Dave said. "You know, a lot of pent-up joy and jubilation."

Many fans were moved to tears when the Brewers won the title. Murphy said he had one particular fan on his mind in that moment.

"I just said 'Thanks, Ueck,' you know what I mean? Because I know he was with us the whole time. I think I said something like, 'There it is, Ueck, that one's for you.'"

With millions of Brewers fans around the world celebrating history, Murphy said he knows why there's such a strong connection.

"I feel like they identify with the team because they see that it's a team," he said. "They see that it's you know a group that cares about each other to pick each other up."

The Brewers get a little time to rest, but the celebrations will continue as they get ready for the championship parade Friday.

Murphy said he has not yet picked out an outfit; he's not an outfit guy.