STREET. LOUIS – It sure doesn’t look like the Milwaukee Brewers will miss Craig Counsell, reeling from his surprising decision to leave his hometown team and become the highest-paid manager in the game. The Chicago Cubs made a big splash with that signing, but they’re still behind the first-place Brewers, trying to get their season back on track and catch up with their small-market rival.
Counsell’s return to American Family Field should be great theater. A first pitch at 3:10 p.m. on Memorial Day will give fans plenty of time to wander the parking lots. The familiarity between the Cubs and Brewers can lead to more tense games and more irritable tempers. Perhaps there will be another dispute over whether the roof should be open. Seeing Counsell dressed in Cubbie blue will add to an already charged atmosphere.
“It’s probably going to be the same reaction as it normally is at that stadium,” Counsell said. “There will be a lot of Cubs fans there. And there will be a lot of Brewers fans there. So there will be some good ones and some bad ones.”
That also sums up how the Cubs (27-26) have performed up and down during Counsell’s first two months at the helm. The change won’t be easy after Sunday night’s 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, where Paul Goldschmidt hit two mammoth two-run homers off Cubs starter Javier Assad. The Cubs will suffer their fourth consecutive loss, which ended at 11:19 pm after a rain delay that lasted 2 hours and 33 minutes. To understand the new dynamic, here are five takeaways.
Brewers couldn’t give Counsell what he wanted
Of course, the Cubs made Counsell an offer he couldn’t refuse. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer saw a unique opportunity and reached out once Counsell became a free agent (and while David Ross was still working as the club’s manager). Cubs president Tom Ricketts authorized a five-year, $40 million contract that set a new standard for managers, which was important to Counsell, who had been deeply involved in the Major League Players Association. of baseball. But it wasn’t just about the money.
The Brewers went 707-625 with five postseason appearances in nine seasons with Craig Counsell as the team’s manager. (John Fisher//Keynote USA/Getty Images)
Remember why Theo Epstein once left the Boston Red Sox. Counsell felt equally uneasy.
“You want challenges,” Counsell said. “If you are competitive, you do it for the challenges. Every major league coach’s job is a challenge, there’s no doubt about it. But this was another. And the other part is energizing.”
Counsell doesn’t care about his legacy
After growing up the son of a Brewers employee, Counsell and his wife Michelle decided to raise their four children in the same Wisconsin community. Being able to return to his home in Whitefish Bay during each stay at Wrigley Field made this new job even more appealing.
Family is important to Counsell. Memories in Milwaukee are priceless. His record speaks for itself. He wasn’t interested in one day having a statue outside the stadium or seeing his jersey retired or making this decision from a sentimental perspective.
“I don’t like to tell people what to think, but I don’t (care about that stuff),” Counsell said. “It’s history, and I don’t want to minimize it in any way, but it just doesn’t do anything for me.”
Counsell did imagine directing the Cubs
“I had thought maybe in some previous years,” Counsell said, “but it wasn’t an idea last year.”
As soon as the Brewers were eliminated from the playoffs last October, attention turned to Counsell’s future. He once again gravitated toward Chicago, where he spent several offseasons while trying to climb the ladder as a minor league player. His future wife supported him, working as a teacher at Frances Xavier Warde, a Catholic school in downtown Chicago. He served as coach of the FXW basketball program and maintained a strong connection to the city, remembering it as a special time in their lives.
What Joe Maddon did after leaving the Tampa Bay Rays was also impossible to overlook.
“When you’re managing, you put yourself in the other person’s shoes,” Counsell said. “It’s spending so much time in Chicago and honestly managing against some really good Cubs teams.”
No doubts
Since launching in Milwaukee in 1970, the same year Counsell was born, the Brewers have not won a World Series. Five playoff appearances in Counsell’s last six seasons as manager turned the Brewers into a model organization and raised expectations.
There was Christian Yelich’s MVP season and a Cy Young Award for Corbin Burnes. Josh Hader emerged as the game’s dominant reliever before Devin Williams also became an All-Star closer. Smart trades from Willy Adames and William Contreras helped make their success sustainable.
“You want fans to enjoy success and have memories when they come to the stadium,” Counsell said. “You want to develop players and have them have great careers and great experiences. Throughout the time I was there, we did a lot of that. You don’t achieve the one thing you wanted to do and didn’t achieve.”
Craig Counsell celebrates with Christian Yelich during the Brewers’ 9-5 win at Wrigley Field on April 2, 2023. (Quinn Harris//Keynote USA/Getty Images)
David Stearns eventually left to manage the New York Mets. Burnes was traded last offseason. Pat Murphy, Counsell’s college coach at Notre Dame and longtime bench coach at Milwaukee, was promoted to manager. Through it all, the Brewers have maintained a winning formula.
“I’m still very happy with how things went there and what we accomplished,” Counsell said. “Many players did very special things. I think we gave some pretty good experiences to our fans. And they are doing it again. “They are still doing it.”
This is not a yes man.
Most of Counsell’s daily conversations with Hoyer have revolved around the series of injuries the Cubs experienced during the first two months of the season. Those discussions about personnel and roster changes are part of what Hoyer considers a partnership.
Some players, especially Shota Imanaga, have far exceeded expectations. Other areas, such as the bullpen and offense, have at times been inconsistent or unreliable. Counsell will let Hoyer know what he needs at the trade deadline and how the Cubs should be built.
“There’s always comings and goings,” Counsell said. “This is how I have to do it. It’s good to try to see (the other side). If Jed says something, then I’m going to say (something else) so we can think about the other thing. We should think about all sides of an issue. “That’s how I’m wired.”
(Top photo by Craig Counsell: Michael Reaves//Keynote USA/Getty Images)
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