Craig Counsell the Perfect Manager for the Milwaukee Brewers
When you think of the Milwaukee Brewers, you might begin to think of Miller Park or Bernie Brewer. Furthermore, you might think of Christian Yelich, Ryan Braun, Lorenzo Cain, and the like. Among that group, you might also think of the manager, Craig Counsell.
Craig Counsell has become a staple of the Milwaukee Brewers organization and someone that the organization and fans alike embrace. You see, Counsell first made his mark on the Brewers organization when he played for the team. Counsell was with the organization for six seasons as a player. Over that period, there were plenty of moments that made Brewers fans in Milwaukee and across the country celebrated. Now, Counsell is writing his legacy as the team’s manager.
Craig Counsell Named Manager
Counsell was originally named manager of the Milwaukee Brewers in May of the 2015 regular season. Since that time, he helped the Brewers to endure almost three losing seasons as a franchise. The team finished the 2015 regular season fourth in the National League Central with a 68-94 record. The 2016 regular season didn’t bring any more promise either as the team once again finished fourth in the division. That season though Milwaukee finished 30.5 games back of the division-leading Chicago Cubs.
Year-By-Year Results
However, once the 2017 regular season came about, the franchise started to turn. The Brewers began to reap the rewards from those rebuilding seasons. While the 2017 regular season didn’t result in a playoff berth, it did result in some much needed progress. Come the 2018 regular season, the Brewers really made a statement and went down-to-the-wire in the National League Central. Last season, Milwaukee experienced a similar amount of exciting success and made it to the National League Wild Card. If it weren’t for a couple of misplays in that game Milwaukee likely would have advanced.
When you look back at the year-by-year results of the Milwaukee Brewers, things turned more promising once Craig Counsell took over. Counsell has proven that he has the leadership qualities and ability to help the Brewers play towards their ultimate goal of winning a World Series.
Ability to Guide Pitching Staff
One of the things that stick out the most about the Milwaukee Brewers every year is how the team is constantly looked over. Very few people throughout baseball feel as though they are capable of being a true postseason contender. Many of those concerns while justified have been wrong especially over the last two years. Many people had doubts about how effective Milwaukee’s starting rotation would be.
Starting Rotation Magic
Craig Counsell completely ignored those concerns and used his leadership and natural management instincts to prove everyone wrong. Counsell was able to effectively manage the workload of the starting rotation during both of those seasons. In addition, Counsell used the bullpen to the organization’s advantage. If you recall, during the 2018 regular season, the Brewers had a bullpen that was composed of: Jeremy Jeffress, Josh Hader, and Corey Knebel. In fact, when that trio was healthy and performing at their best, you could argue that the Brewers had the best bullpen of any team.
In turn, manager Craig Counsell did a phenomenal job that season. He was able to get all three relievers to perform at their peak level all year. Sure, Counsell made a handful of questionable pitching decisions both years, as any manager does, but it was the way that he seamlessly strung everything together. Milwaukee’s starting rotation was led by right-hander Jhoulys Chacin, but the bullpen helped the team to overcome that deficit. This is one significant reason why Counsell has built up such a legacy in Milwaukee.
Player Relations
Another is the way that he is able to consistently relate to players on and off the field. When you watch Craig Counsell in the dugout during a game, he does a phenomenal job of studying players to see how they might be feeling during a game. Furthermore, Counsell continually looks for ways to promote team chemistry in the dugout and allows everyone to have a moment at some point. Counsell said it best last year when he talked about every player having a moment during a game, especially in October.
In addition, you can tell that all 25 players on the Milwaukee Brewers roster buy into his philosophies every day that they take the field. Whether it be during an at-bat or when they are in the field at their natural position, the players are energized and are all committed to the same goal which is bringing a World Series Championship back to Milwaukee.
The Quest to Win a World Series
When players feel as though their manager has confidence in them and that they are allowed to play at their highest level during every single game, the players buy-in. From the results of the Milwaukee Brewers the last two seasons, in particular, that is very clear and it’s not going away anytime soon with Counsell at the helm. While the Brewers have yet to bring a World Series Championship back to Milwaukee, that moment may be coming. In fact, it may very well be sometime over the next four years especially with Craig Counsell at the helm.
After all, he has already built up a legacy with the entire fanbase. The fans have bought into the philosophies that he has set during his tenure as manager. The legacy of Counsell has already become cemented in many ways as well. That legacy could become even bigger if the Brewers were to win a World Series Championship. Craig Counsell is the right guy to help lead the organization to that promised land.
