Craig Counsell Returns To Milwaukee For First Time, Receives Cold Welcome

Break-ups are hard.

The fans of the Milwaukee Brewers took their split with former manager Craig Counsell personally. Counsell, a native of Wisconsin and former Milwaukee infielder who led the Brew crew to their best-extended record in franchise history and five playoff appearances, chose to go to their fiercest rival last off-season. The Brewers brass could not find a contract agreement with Counsell before the Chicago Cubs swooped in, sealing the deal with a five-year $40 million offer, making him the highest-paid manager in the MLB.

Starting on Memorial Day, the Cubs played their second series of the year against the Brewers, but their first in Milwaukee. Brewers fans sold out American Family Field to give Counsell a piece of their mind. When a thank-you video was displayed on the jumbotron, fans booed the entire time. When Counsell came out of the third base dugout to make a pitching change, Brewers supporters jeered his walk to the mound. Speaking postgame, the Cubs manager was okay with the reception, understood the public space he works in and wanted fans to enjoy their late May holiday. The Brewers won 5-1 on Monday and dropped the second game of the series 6-3.

Pat Murphy, Counsell’s old bench coach, has done an excellent job in his first season as manager of the Brewers. His team leads the NL Central with a record of 31-23, three and a half games up on the second-place Cubs. The Brewers are third in the NL in runs scored with 266 on the year, as ten players with over 100 ABs boast an on-base percentage of over .300.

Meanwhile, Counsell’s Cubs have been up-and-done to start the year with a 28-27 record. Japanese rookie Shota Imanaga has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since coming over from the NPB, but the batting order hits inconsistently.