Yesterday afternoon, we were treated to quite a twist in the MLB, as we learned that Craig Counsell had been hired by the Chicago Cubs to become their manager. At the same time, the club showed the door to David Ross, who occupied the position.
The Guardians (Stephen Vogt), Brewers (TBD) and Mets (Carlos Mendoza), who were the favorites for the manager’s services, will have to look elsewhere. But obviously, it was perhaps the Mets’ unattractive offer that made Counsell look elsewhere.
Counsell, who could (and should?) win the title of Manager of the Year for his work with the Brewers in 2023, therefore turned his back on the Brewers. We can imagine that the latter, who are not the biggest spenders, did not have the biggest offer on the table, but it remains a disappointing end.
We’re still talking about a guy who grew up in Wisconsin and who played for the Brewers during his playing career.
That said, such is life, and the Brewers must now move on. The club needs to find a new manager (I hope he contacted David Ross), but Counsell may still be a loved guy in town…
Or not, depending on the team owner.
Brewers owner Mark Attanasio spoke to the media, and said that after thinking about it, he’s not sure the Brewers are the big losers in the story:
You know, it was Craig who lost us and lost our community.
– Mark Attanasio
Seems to me like that’s a pretty standard response from him, especially since Counsell gave the Brewers so many good years. Without ever having a big club, he managed to extract the best from his players, even if the money did not follow to sign free agents.
Honoring him a little more dignified than saying that Counsell is going to lose the community he grew up in would have been in order, I think.
I know Counsell’s decision will go down the throats of many people in the Milwaukee area. He left for a division rival and a nemesis, and that’s something that’s going to hurt fans.
But in the end, it’s a pretty ordinary reaction, I think. And if that’s really how he was perceived by the Brewers, it’s hard to blame Counsell for wanting to look elsewhere…
