TODAY: Counsell and Brewers GM Matt Arnold addressed the topic with Rosiak and other reporters today, hinting that serious talks likely wouldn’t take place until closer to the end of the season. Arnold said that extension negotations are “definitely on our agenda” and that the Brewers “hope [Counsell is] here a long time.”
FEBRUARY 11: As manager Craig Counsell enters the final year of his contract with the Brewers, he’s revealed to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he and owner Mark Attanasio “have had conversations” about his future with the team.
“I’m in a great place. I love doing what I’m doing. The ‘why’ is still intact – like, why I originally wanted to do this. It’s still front and center for me, and why I love the job. I’m happy. Mark [Attanasio] and I have had conversations and I’m sure those will continue. And meanwhile, I’ve got my feet in 2023 and I’m ready to go,” Counsell said.
Counsell took over as Brewers manager in 2015, replacing Ron Roenicke midway through that season. Since then, he’s gone on to become Milwaukee’s winningest manager, amassing a 615-555 record. During that time, they’ve generally been competitive in the NL Central, winning the division twice and going to the playoffs in four straight seasons between 2018-21, highlighted by a seven-game battle with the Dodgers in the 2018 NLCS. For a team that’s typically worked with smaller than average payrolls, that record is no easy feat, and the Brewers look well positioned to compete for a playoff spot again in 2023.
After rounding out his playing career with five seasons at the Brewers, Counsell, 52, immediately began working with the team in a front office position as a special assistant to then-general manager Doug Melvin from 2012, before being given the managerial title three years later.
the only headline i want to see:
craig counsel back to the active lineup so we all get to see his amazing stance again
Him Bagwell and Batista had that wonderful presence in the batters box. 🙂
Tony Batista right?
Yes bruthur
The all-time best first-ballot batting-stancer was Dick McAuliffe.
To top that guy’s setup you’d have to stand on your head or include the naked 1980’s-version of the Barbi Twins
Absolutely!!
Craig Counsell is one of the most pissed off managers I’ve ever seen… dude never smiles
Jose Oquendo had a unique stance, particularly when batting left handed
I was just playing sports talk baseball for sega the other day and I benched Oquendo bc he can’t hit worth SHlT in that game.
I just saw a video on MLB.com that he changed it since he was released and wanted to try something new.
Like the Brewers but am concerned a bit about their direction. Last year was step back year. Not comfortable with what they’re doing going into 2023, but expect a lot of changes as the season plays out.
IMO Craig Counsell is one of the top half-dozen managers in MLB today.
Couldn’t imagine the Brewers without him.
Well, you’re entitled to your opinion but definitely not half dozen
I would definitely put him in the Top 30, but not top half dozen.
Of all the guys managing in the Major Leagues, Counsell is definitely one of them.
I’m a Cub fan and I don’t wanna like him, but I disagree. I think he’s done an excellent job competing with a limited budget team. He’s gets them in or near the playoffs every year. If he was available, I don’t think there’s a team in baseball that wouldn’t jump on him if they had an opening. I would put him top 5-10. Don’t confuse big budget with great coaching.
He takes a lot of heat from brewers fans, but I like the guy and hope we resign him long term.
I shudder thinking about the previous dozen managers we had. My memory goes back to Treblehorn and forward…..and there’s a lot of suck in that time.
Please stop labeling Milwaukee a “limited budget team.” Since Miller Park (I refuse to call it by it’s new name.) was built. They’re typically in the top 10-15 in MLB home attendance, and average fan cost (most expensive) to attend a game. While receiving millions in revenue sharing from other teams, and yet, they’re typically in the bottom 15 for payroll salary.
So, while they’re not the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Cubs, or Dodgers and never will be. They’re certainly not Tampa, KC, Miami, or Oakland. Yet, all four of those poorer limited budget, small-market teams have won a World Series in the past 35 years. Milwaukee hasn’t been to one in forty years!
That’s because he’s the very best. If you watched him work his magic day to day, with this budget and the terrible offensive talent last year, you’d know.
Top 5. Imagine what he does with a payroll…
I think that is part of his value. What he can do with limited pieces and money.
They had a great off season. Arnold went with the typical Stearns plan, not overpaying for FAs, signing guys who might bounce back and lotto tickets who haven’t quite established themselves and are primed to finally break out.
The offensive talent level is light years better than last year and he may have even improved the pen (which was the real reason they fell short last year).
With that starting staff, they should be at least a half dozen wins better, maybe more.
As a brewers fan they have had a horrible off season…. The way they treated burnes is unacceptable that alone makes it horrible…. They have yet to extend anyone… they took there 30 million from Disney and pocketed it all.. and now we have a lame duck manager… stearns stepped down l… I wouldn’t call that a great offseason
$30m was last year and they spent it all on the team. Bally skipped their $140m interest payment on Friday and enters 30 day grace period. They are going chp 11. They owe the Brewers in March and are not going to pay. Milwaukee is severely in the red without those funds.
Yes, giving a dude a 3.5 million dollar raise is SO HORRIBLE. I mean, in 40 years with an upper middle class income, NONE of us will make more than 1.6 million.
So horrible.
They definitely did not have a great offseason.
Up until recently, they were the only MLB team that had not made any free agent signings. The trade for Contreras was good, but overall, probably puts them even or maybe ever so slightly ahead after losing Renfroe. They then proceeded to piss off their ace.
Who in that atrocious lineup scares you? Yelich? Tellez? Contreras?
Their pitching has to be PERFECT if they expect to win that division. No injuries, 5 starters that give them sub 4 ERA’s, and an immaculate bullpen.
I don’t see it happening.
Watch Burnes’ W/L record soar with a real team when he leaves the Kru. Guy has to go out there trying to pitch a perfect game every time if there is any chance of getting a Brewer win. That is an unreal expectation that apparently is held by the Brewers. The offense is atrocious and Counsell has no idea how to create runs. To read it was Burnes’ fault is not just lawyer speak trying to save a few bucks. It represents the ignorance of Brewer management which is not unlike professional sports management on a whole.
WL record is meaningless in the modern game. They pull pitchers early to prevent injury and overuse. Often when the game is tied or teams are behind. NOBODY who understands baseball even cares about starting pitcher wins anymore. It’s useless.
Free agency is the most idiotic part of the off season.
They have 26 new players on the 40 man since the deadline.
They were active. There will be competition.
It was a GREAT off season.
Measuring any team’s off season by FA (or FA alone) is the mark of an idiot.
The starters will do that (probably way better, under 3.5).
And the offense they’ve assembled is EASILY a half run per game better than last year.
Last year was the worst offense I’ve seen from them in 15 years.
It’s happening.
The future? What, like the inevitable heat death of the universe, or something more simple like the sun burning out?
Universal warming, that can only be reduced by eliminating carbons.
Awesome screen name and movie…I’m here to kick ass and chew bubble gum, and I’m all out of bubble gum…RIP Rowdy Roddy Piper…
Thanks!
Yeah, I also went on the diet to eliminate carbons…Keto, right?
Remember humans are carbon based. That’s what they want to get rid of, you.
Yes, what’s the issue?
Right, because that’s what they’re suggesting. Eliminating humans. Sheesh.
But let’s not eliminate irony.
Unfortunately whether u “believe” it or not doesn’t exactly matter…. It’s the plan, ever heard of the Georgia guide stones? That’s just the tip of a giant iceberg that unfortunately carbon isn’t melting anytime soon, however in regards to the article give couns his extension.
So, irony isn’t your thing?
There’s not even a remotely coherent sentence fragment in there. I can’t imagine anyone has any idea what you’re saying. Ever.
It’s a rather simple question. While not elegant, I believe my sentence structure is strong.
Maybe they’re big fans of mumble rap trap music.
Maybe he was trying to tell him that in the distant year of 2015 his son would get arrested for a robbery so they had to leave the year 1985 to go into forward in time to 2015 hill valley. But before they could make it back into the time machine old Biff had ran off with it with a copy of grays sports almanac to give the 1955 version of himself so that he would become rich and other shananigans and hijinx would occur.
He should discuss with legal counsel.
Please let us know the future.
Wouldn’t it be unique if he refused to talk about the future? Like, “Hey Craig, for this upcoming season…”(loud interruption with palm-to-face), “NO! We are not talking about the future. I will talk about right here and now, that’s it!” (Crickets)
Do the Brewers have a fortune teller on staff?
Yeah, didnt you see the story? “Brewers reach agreement with Miss Cleo on one-year deal.” There are built in incentives for predicting a certain number of future events.
Those Miss Cleo commercials were the best thing in television.
I’m sure the California Psychics are working for the Dodgers…unless that is Billy Beane’s latest inspiration.
He’ll be back.
I wouldn’t bank on that… he has to be frustrated with ownership just like stearns was his hands are tied by ownership heck in the middle of a playoff run he had his closer traded on him…. He may be frustrated and want out
He is the Greatest living Brewer now that Aaron and Bando are gone
Uh Harry- there is a former player named Robin Yount. Maybe you forgot about him. A few too many Falstaffs will do that. Absolutely the best Brewer ever.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=efk4OrWm2hs
And, don’t forget about Paul Molitor
Braun, Fielder, Greinke, Gallardo, Hader, Yelich, Burnes, Woodruff, Peralta, Williams… the list goes on
Craig Counsell is a winner. He had that intangible, inexplicable quality as a player. It’s been great to see him continue at the helm for the Brew Crew. I hope he stays on board.
https://youtu.be/AukA-kDNSNc
If Corbin goes to FA the Yankees need to secure him. Imagine a Cole-Rodon-Burnes-Cortez top-4?! They could pitch IKF every fifth day and be fine.
Craig Counsel is a winner. In my opinion he is the best manager in the majors. Always manages to win, not for pitch count, sharing time at various positions, altering lineups or any other silly things other managers do. He is old school, get em on, get em over, get em in. Bunts, steals, hit and runs, expects his starting pitchers to pitch deep into the game, not BS 5 inning “quality” start stuff. If they don’t keep him, please come to the Pirates.
Better tune-up that flux capacitor pronto.
You are so off base on that statement it’s funny. The Brewers definitely do not play small ball and pull starters out as early as almost anyone, using data in it’s decisions like any other forward thinking team does. Counsel has embraced that.
Yeah, his username is quite accurate.
He is not old school…. Brewers don’t bunt they don’t hit and run he runs the pitching completely different then “old school” heck in the playoffs he had Miley the STARTER pitch to one batter against the dodgers to mess up there lineup going one batter with a lefty then go all righties is genius but definitely not old school he’s a great manager but old school no… I would say more new school
I know he’s been managing for a long time now, but every time I see or hear his name, every single time I still see him in a DBacks uni skipping into home plate after that walk off Gonzales base hit in the 2001 series
careful you must be when sensing the future anakin. the jedi counsel is clouded by the dark side
Does he ever smile? He always looks constipated
Maybe it’s from scoring the winning runs to win two different World Series Championships?
Jay Bell scored the winning run in Arizona.
Interesting comments.
Brewers make it back to the playoffs again this season.
Counsel has the most wins, but the best Brewers’ manager was Harvey Kuehn. The way he managed those personalities in ‘82 was amazing. That loss to the Cards still hurts today.
Harvey didn’t manage them as much as he left them alone to play. Trying to manage them was what got Buck fired. And, yeah, that WS loss still stinks. In 1995 I was listening to a Yankee broadcast when (’82 Cardinal) Jim Kaat admitted that the Brewers were a better team that year… but the Cards won.
Agree. Kind of what I was trying to say, but you said it a lot better than me. And yes, the Brewers were the better team.
Solely due to one unfortunate injury.
I think I can sum it up.
An article that said absolutely nothing.
I still love your account name. A smile comes across every time I see a reply from THIS ONE BELONGS TO THE REDS 🙂
Agree with the payroll argument and agree that he’s a good manager but they may need a fresh voice just to have a fresh voice. It’s one thing to have a .526 Winning % in the regular season but he’s at .412 in the post.
A lot of excellent comments in here today and I’m proud of all of you. For once the comments are so good I didn’t have to step in and correct someone. Well I could have corrected the guy who commented how Counsell has embraced the forward thinking and data from the front office and that’s the way to go now a days but I let it go. Keep up the great work fellas! By the way Yount and Molitor are the best Brewers ever.
It’s so good to have your approval of the comment section, since you obviously know more than everybody else. Give it a rest dude.
(Btw, saying that Yount and Molitor are the best Brewers ever is not exactly a hot take)
Lol.
Though it may be a wrong take. Braun has honestly put up much bigger numbers than either (especially the HR total).
And some fan site ranked the worst contracts in Brewer history last year, and failed to recognize that the last deal Yount signed was the biggest contract in MLB history at the time and he was TERRIBLE for his last 3 years (his last 3 years were FAR worse than Yelich has been over the last 3, and they ranked that and the Cain contract in the top 5).
Sad that Molly left too soon though, but happy for him that he wasn’t on those terrible 90s teams.
Some of you retired people should be put down.
Jeff Suppan best brewer ever lol
Craig Counsell should be exploring other jobs. I would think most teams would want him as their manager.
Counsell is from Whitefish Bay and his dad worked for the Brewers. If he couldn’t work for the Brewers he’d probably retire and raise his 57 kids
He’s easily a top 10 manager in the game in my not-so-humble opinion.
Maybe the best considering the low payroll and having less talent to work with. He squeezes out a lot of wins other managers wouldn’t get.
I mean, if that’s what we’re going off of, then Kevin Cash has to rank ahead of him. Tampa Bay has a much smaller payroll, fewer recognizable names, and has had far more success both in the regular season and postseason in recent seasons.
Best in the game if you ask me–since he’s usually working with a lower payroll and less talent than most teams–and has had a wonderful synergy with the best GM and FO staff in the game.
Here’s to another decade!
“Had” being the operative word with Stearns en route to Queens.
Of the active managers who haven’t won the one trophy fans and teams care about, he is in the top 5-10,
Craig Counsell aka “The Deity”
Test
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If the Brewers won the WS this year Counsell would have 3 rare rings (Arizona, Miami and Milwaukee). That is cool af.
I want to go on the Counsell power lifting program.
He’s a really solid manager, at least from afar (not a Brewers fan). If they don’t want him, I’d love to have him manage the Cubs. It won’t happen, though, because I’m sure he’ll re-sign with Milwaukee, plus Hoyer loves Ross.
Please, time to move on, see a new Brewer manager, and past overdue.