Five Cubs takeaways: On Craig Counsell’s breakup with the Brewers and move to Chicago (2024)

ST. LOUIS — It sure doesn’t seem like the Milwaukee Brewers miss Craig Counsell, rebounding from his stunning decision to leave his hometown team and become the sport’s highest-paid manager. The Chicago Cubs made a huge splash with that hire, but they are still trailing the first-place Brewers in the standings, trying to get their season back on course and catch up to their small-market rival.

Counsell’s return to American Family Field should be great theater. A 3:10 p.m. first pitch on Memorial Day will give fans plenty of time to tailgate in the parking lots. The familiarity between the Cubs and Brewers can lead to tighter games and shorter tempers. Maybe there will be another dispute about whether the roof should be open. The sight of Counsell in Cubbie blue will add to an already charged atmosphere.

“It’s probably going to be the same reaction it normally is in that stadium,” Counsell said. “There’s going to be a lot of Cubs fans there. And there’s going to be a lot of Brewers fans there. So there will be some good and some bad.”

That also sums up how the up-and-down Cubs (27-26) have performed over Counsell’s first two months running the team. The turnaround 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 be dragging after their fourth consecutive loss, which ended at 11:19 p.m. following a rain delay that lasted 2 hours, 33 minutes. To understand the new dynamics, here are five takeaways.

The Brewers couldn’t offer Counsell what he wanted

Of course, the Cubs made Counsell an offer he couldn’t refuse. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer saw a rare opportunity and reached out once Counsell became a free agent (and while David Ross was still employed as the club’s manager). Cubs chairman 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 Baseball Players Association. But it wasn’t only about the money.

Remember why Theo Epstein once left the Boston Red Sox. Counsell felt similarly restless.

“You want challenges,” Counsell said. “If you’re competitive, you’re doing it for challenges. Every major-league manager’s job is a challenge, no question about it. But this was a different one. And the different part of it is energizing.”

Counsell doesn’t worry about his legacy

After growing up as 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 go back to their home in Whitefish Bay during each Wrigley Field homestand made this new job even more appealing.

Family is important to Counsell. The memories in Milwaukee are priceless. His record speaks for itself. He wasn’t interested in someday getting a statue outside the stadium or seeing his jersey retired or making this decision from a sentimental perspective.

“I don’t like telling people what to think, but I don’t (care about that stuff),” Counsell said. “It’s history — and I don’t want to minimize history in any way — but it just doesn’t do anything for me.”

Counsell did envision managing the Cubs

“I had thought that maybe in some previous years,” Counsell said, “but it wasn’t a thought last year.”

As soon as the Brewers were eliminated from the playoffs last October, attention shifted toward Counsell’s future. He once again gravitated toward Chicago, where he spent several offseasons while trying to work his way up 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 a coach for the FXW basketball program and maintained a strong connection to the city, remembering that as a special time in their lives.

What Joe Maddon did after leaving the Tampa Bay Rays was also impossible to miss.

“When you’re managing, you do put yourself in the shoes of the other person,” Counsell said. “It’s spending so much time in Chicago and honestly managing against some really good Cubs teams.”

There is no second-guessing

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 the MVP season from Christian Yelich 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. Savvy trades for Willy Adames and William Contreras helped make their success sustainable.

“You want the fans to enjoy success and have memories coming to the ballpark,” Counsell said. “You want to develop players, and have them have great careers and great experiences. Over the course of time there, we did a lot of that. You fall short of the one thing you want to do that you didn’t accomplish.”

David Stearns eventually left to run the New York Mets. Burnes was traded away last offseason. Pat Murphy, Counsell’s college coach at Notre Dame and longtime bench coach in Milwaukee, was promoted to manager. Through it all, the Brewers have maintained a winning formula.

“Still pretty happy with how things went there and what we accomplished,” Counsell said. “A lot of players did some pretty special things. I think we gave some pretty darn good experiences to our fans. And they’re doing it again. They’re still doing it.”

This is not a yes-man

The bulk of Counsell’s day-to-day conversations with Hoyer have revolved around the rash of injuries the Cubs experienced during the first two months of the season. Those debates about personnel and roster moves are all part of what Hoyer views as a partnership.

Some players, most notably Shota Imanaga, have wildly exceeded expectations. Other areas, such as the bullpen and the 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 constructed.

“There’s always back and forth,” Counsell said. “That’s 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 think about the other thing. We should think about all sides of an issue. That’s how I’m kind of wired.”

(Top photo of Craig Counsell: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)

Patrick Mooney is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Chicago Cubs. He spent eight seasons covering the Cubs across multiple platforms for NBC Sports Chicago/Comcast SportsNet, beginning in 2010. He has been a frequent contributor to MLB Network, Baseball America, MLB.com and the Chicago Sun-Times News Group. Follow Patrick on Twitter @PJ_Mooney