The tale of the 2023-24 offseason in Major League Baseball up to now has been Craig Counsell’s decision to leave his managerial post with the Milwaukee Brewers in want of the similar position with the Chicago Cubs.
Counsell’s contract with Milwaukee ended after this previous season, in order that he would finish up in other places wasn’t particularly unexpected. What used to be a surprise is that he landed with the Brewers’ leader NL Central rival who performs a mere 90 mins down I-94. The rumors surrounding Counsell’s decision had him most likely reuniting with David Stearns with the Mets or possibly staying in Milwaukee. The Cubs, regardless that, have been ready to land possibly the most productive supervisor in baseball through pushing aside David Ross and making Counsell the highest-paid supervisor in MLB historical past.
Counsell leaves Milwaukee as the most productive supervisor in franchise historical past. His 707 wins leads all Brewers managers, and he additionally tops the franchise listing for maximum profession video games over .500 at 82. He’s the longest-serving supervisor in Brewers historical past, and over the ones 9 seasons he loved a successful proportion of .531 in spite of small player-payroll budgets alongside the best way. As neatly, Counsell led the Brewers to 3 department titles and 5 postseason appearances. In what became out to be his ultimate 12 months, the Brewers went 92-70 and completed atop the NL Central standings.
So why would a Wisconsin local and cherished determine in Milwaukee move in other places, particularly to the Cubs? In a wide-ranging dialog with newshounds, together with Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Counsell answered those questions and many more. When it comes to his idea procedure and the chance that a as soon as cherished local son will now be a character non grata in Milwaukee and environs, Counsell stated this:
“I think as I was going through this process, it became clear that I needed and wanted a new professional challenge. At the same time, look, I’m grateful to be part of this community. And that’s going to continue, hopefully, because it has nothing to do with baseball, that part of it. I’m looking forward to being part of a new community and hopefully impact our community well, too. But as I went through it, it just became clear that I needed a new challenge.”
Perspective and gratitude apart, Counsell is almost certainly going to listen full of life boos when he makes certainly one of his many annual journeys to American Familly Field as Cubs supervisor. That’s somewhat a alternate for a supervisor who used to be supremely in style amongst Brewers partisans and were for a very long time. Things alternate, regardless that, as Counsell, the Cubs, and the Brewers will now indubitably attest.