Nov. 13: The Cubs formally introduced Counsell at a press conference Monday morning.
Nov. 6: The managerial market provided a stunning twist today, with Craig Counsell jumping from the Brewers to the Cubs. He will replace David Ross, who has been relieved of his duties, per an announcement from the Cubs. Counsell will become the highest-paid manager in the league, earning $40MM over the next five years, $8MM per year. The Brewers reportedly made him an offer to stay in Milwaukee but topped out at $5.5MM per year.
“Today we made the difficult decision to dismiss David Ross as our Major League Manager,” a statement from president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer reads. “On behalf of the Cubs organization, we express our deep gratitude for David’s contributions to our club, both on and off the field. First as a player and then as a manger, David continually showcased his ability to lead. David’s legacy will be felt in Chicago for generations and his impact to our organization will stack up with the legends that came before him. Going forward, our Major League team will be managed by Craig Counsell. We look forward to welcoming Craig at Wrigley Field early next week.”
Counsell took over as manager of the Brewers for the 2015 season. Since then, the club has had a run of strong results, making the playoffs in five of the past six years despite generally having low payrolls. 2023 was the final year of his contract and he was a popular target around the league. He interviewed with the Guardians and Mets and garnered interest from the Astros, though a return to the Brewers seemed to still be possible. But now in a stunning twist, he’s jumping from the Brewers to their divisional rivals, who weren’t even known to be looking for a new skipper.
The fit with the Mets was a sensible assumption to make, even before Counsell interviewed there. David Stearns, who worked with Counsell for many years in Milwaukee, was hired by the Mets a couple of months ago to be president of baseball operations. It was also reported last week that Counsell was looking to push manager salaries forward, which only made the fit with the Mets more logical, given the spendthrift stylings of owner Steve Cohen.
Joe Torre previously had the managerial salary record, earning $8MM with the Yankees. But his last season in the dugout was 2007 and salaries for skippers have evidently levelled off since then. Recent reporting indicated that Terry Francona of the Guardians was the highest-paid manager in 2023, with a reported salary of $4.5MM. Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote last month about the growing concern around the game that managerial and coaching salaries at the big league level were falling behind those of many colleges. Counsell seems to have set a mission to reverse that trend and seems to have done so, which could potentially have effects in the game for years to come.
But the fact that the Cubs have swooped in to be the one to help him accomplish that goal is a development that came out of nowhere. Ross has been the manager for the Cubs since 2020 and was extended prior to 2022, with a contract that went through 2024 and had a club option for 2025. The Cubs have been rebuilding for much of that time but made a more earnest shot at contending in 2023. They gave significant contracts to players like Dansby Swanson, Jameson Taillon, Cody Bellinger and others last winter and then added Jeimer Candelario at the deadline. Unfortunately, the club fell just short, finishing 83-79 and just a single game back of a Wild Card spot.
It seems the club will respond to that finish with a managerial shift, though it’s not necessarily a knock on Ross. Heyman reports that today’s development was more about Counsell’s availability than it was about Ross. As the season was winding down, both Hoyer and chairman Tom Ricketts voiced support for Ross but they have now pivoted in a big way, putting down significant cash to do so.
This move will have ripple effects on the game of musical chairs that has been playing out in terms of big league managerial positions. Counsell will be charged with leading the Cubs further away from their recent rebuild while the Brewers will now have to look for a new bench boss for the first time in almost a decade. The Astros, Padres and Angels have current vacancies as well.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported that Counsell would be leaving the Brewers and that he would join the Cubs. Rosenthal also reported that Counsell would make more than $40MM over five years, though subsequent reports pegged his contract at exactly $40MM. Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel provided the details on the offer from the Brewers.
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.
???
Expected.
Just kidding.
This was obviously going to happen.
Cubs is an odd typo for Brewers.
Holy Crap. I never saw this coming. Hoped for it, But didn’t see it. Obviously neither did Ross. Wow. Nice move for once Jed. Kudos
This was my offseason wish!
For once? He’s made some pretty decent moves lately. Cubs missed postseason by a little.
Never should’ve hired his buddy Ross. Maybe a swell guy but definitely a poor strategic manager
Complete surprise to me.
@manny
Complete shock to Counsel as well, who was clearly kidnapped on the way to NY. An old school Capone Chicago trick.
Unusually he was interviewed blindfolded, with the distant sound of percussion. Not in Houston, strangely, but the sound of a muffled David Ross locked in a broom cupboatd.
Freakin hilarious!
Ross now needs to PIVOT!
So now that the dust has settled ( Mostly ), The Cubs 40 man stands at 37 with Smyly and Vasquez and the 60 day guys being activated.
So potential casualties IMO=
1. Wisdom
2. Brennan Davis
3. Heuer
4. Roberts
5. Rucker
I don’t know how many spots they need to have so they don’t lose anyone worthwhile yet.
Wisdom is obvious. Davis is always hurt and has been passed by so many guys he’s probably not worth a spot. What exactly is up with Heuer’s arm? Can it even come back- ever? Roberts was on the rise before TJ so he’s probably worth keeping. Might be able to get a little something for Rucker but not much.
Anybody have thoughts on my opinions? Only intelligent reply’s please. The decisions last year were easy. This year……..?
PIVOT !! PIVOT !!
Counsel was 1st runner-up for the Guardians job.
Shocker of the offseason so far! No one saw this coming, including David Ross.
I gotta believe he was shocked. I don’t mean Counsell to the Cubs, but there were no rumors Ross was on the hot seat. I’m sure he was surprised when he got a text message asking if he had time for a quick phone call!
As soon as the Cubs collapsed down the stretch he was fair game to be let go. If Counsell hadn’t been available and he managed in 2024 he was immediately going to be in the hot seat if the Cubs didn’t make and go deep into the playoffs.
Ross’ reaction: “But I……but you……but we…….but they…….but she!!!”
Now sign Yammamoto and trade for Alonso, And I can have that stroke I always thought was coming. Elizabeth…… It’s the big one! Not only did Jed stick it to the Brewers he stuck it to the Mets too. Double Kudos.
Something else huge is coming or they wouldn’t do this. A lot of players will be upset Ross is gone but winning fixes everything..something big is coming
Wonder what this means for Hottovy?
Good point. He may change a lot of the staff. Doubt Napoli goes anywhere though. Ross may end up with Breslow’s AGM job. Now the Ohtani rumors aren’t sounding quite as crazy lol
I’d much rather see Ohtani go to the Cubs than the Mets, Padres, Giants or any AL West team…
Yeah, this isn’t a precursor to a Kyle Gibson signing for sure.
Agreed. It took more than $ to lure Counsel – Mets would have given him plenty of $. Big moves coming.
Mets aren’t trading Alonso and they’re the favorites to sign Yamamoto. This post makes zero sense
Hottovy becomes Director of Pitching to replace Craig Breslow move to Bosox GM.
They may sign Yamamoto but Alonso is most likely gone is what multiple insiders at the gm meetings are saying this morning.
the off-season! all like….5 days of it
Now let’s have another Shocker…… Red Sox fire Cora and name Varitek Manager and bring Ross in to be bench Coach…. Also bring Napoli back to be base coach.
I wonder if Ross might fill some of the void from Breslow
“The Cubs had David Ross in their managerial chair and it’s unclear at this time how he will be affected.” I’m gonna go out on a limb and speculate that maybe Ross will be kicked upstairs.
Now fire Eberflus and Donovan today and they can all go to the Billy Goat for a last drink. My guess is Ross goes back to the booth. That would be an early Christmas worth celebrating.
How can you hire a guy when someone else is in the job? A bad look for the Cubbies. I would never interview for a front office job there after this.
How do you know they didn’t fire Ross first Reds boy?
If I were Ross and was kept out of the loop on this, or was not happy at being removed as manager, “kicked” might be the proper verb. Upstairs may not be a direction he would be happy pursuing.
“I would never interview for a front office job there after this.”
I doubt you’re on their shortlist, so no reason to book a flight to O’Hare.
Hoyer is highly respected for his communication and honesty in trade discussions. I doubt he’s any less candid within the organization.
The club statement said he was “dismissed” and then listed all his accomplishments like an obit. Didn’t sound like he’s in the team’s future.
I wouldn’t interview anywhere that treated people in current positions like that, smart guy.
You don’t know how he was treated.
You mean being given two full years salary and a chance to spend time with his family while he mulls over opportunities to manage other teams or just go back to the broadcast booth?
It will haunt this franchise for a long time. This is a bad look for everyone, including Counsel.
What the hell are you talking about?
This is definitely setting up some interesting scenarios if things don’t go very smoothly..
Ross is going to be teaching contemporary dance in the suburbs.
Probably
Or opening a coffee shop next door the corigans tea shop.
Ga soxfan-Breslow was the Minor league Coordinator and one of the biggest reasons Ross is gone is he hates young players and wouldn’t use them so…..NOT!
Turned down offers with the Mets and Guardians to become mlb’s highest paid manager with the Cubs. Wow!! Nice job Chicago Cubs.
Perhaps they will use Ross and Counsell as the first ever set of platoon managers.
I mean, most MLB benches are already essentially like that with a platoon of respected coaches, with the Manager just taking on the press responsibilities. Some split duties more than others though that’s also true.
Way to not get the joke. That must be some gooooood pine tar.
Nah, the Cubs have a history of that. Google “College of Coaches.”
@capn
Great insight! That is my fun fact for the day.
Cold winter in Milwaukee
2023 all stars that will made less in 2023 than Craig Counsell will make in 2024
NL: Corbin Carroll, orlando arcia, ozzie albies, sean murphy, Zack Gallen, Luis Arrez, Elias Diaz, Geraldo Perdomo, Loudres Gurriel Jr, David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Alexis Diaz, Bryce Elder, Josiah Gray, Mitch Keller, Spencer Strider, Devin Williams, Justin Steele
AL: Randy Arozarena, Yandy Diaz, Adolis Garcia, Austin Hays, Josh Jung, Jonah Heim, Adley Rutschman, Whit Merrifield, Bo Bichette, Wander Franco, Yordan alvarez, Brent rooker, Julio Rodriguez, Felix Bautista, Yennier Cano, Carlos Estevez, Kyle Tucker, Emmanuel Clase, George Kirby, Shane mcClanahan, Jordan Romano, Framber Valdez, Pablo Lopez
that is 41 all stars!!
Craig Counsells AAV is more than the 2023 salary of 53.25% of 2023 all stars
@tstats
What is your point? That Counsell is getting paid what he deserves, or that pre-arb/arb players do not? Because both are true.
Both, both are true and will be used as agenda whenever
Now that’s some W usage os stats!
Counsell was a FA manager, Asked for what he thought he was worth and got it. So what’s the problem? If somebody is whining about it then they can suck an egg. Especially this one belongs to the Reds because Counsell now makes more than the Reds starting 8 now that Votto is gone.
Good work
I didn’t think Hoyer or Ricketts had the nads for a move like this. Man, this may mean they’re gonna be more serious FA participants/trade partners than anybody guessed. Very strong move.
And it may not.
May not? Do you think they just dropped 40 million for a manager so they could re-sign Hosmer and Mancini?
Bellinger will be back at Chicago!
This doesn’t say anything good about Counsell either. Interviewing for another man’s job that he still has. It used to be that real men refused to do something like that. But things like honor and consideration for others, that ship sailed in this country several years ago.
It’s baseball. That’s literally the entirety of free agencies. My word
He also left his home state for the enemy.
Stupid move. Ross was not the issue. Counsell is a good manager but he isn’t the next Joe Torre. Should have spent that $8 million on the bullpen. That’s a top notch setup man.
Yes he was. He botched many key decisions that cost the Cubs a lot of close games and a playoff berth. Ross isn’t terrible and I’m sure he’ll get better with time, but Counsell is among the best in baseball at the moment.
Ross’s Cubs were 21-25 in 1-run games last season while Counsell’s Brewers were 24-10 in 1-run games.
Because the Crew has better relief pitchers
1) What
Okay, this deserves a WOW!!!
WHAT?
FLY THE W, 2024 WORLD SERIES CHAMPS, WE COMING FOR THE REST OF THE LEAGUE, YALL SHAKING IN YALLS BOOTS, BEST DEFENSE EVER, TOP 5 ROTATION, TOP 5 FARM SYSTEM, WERE SIGNING SHO, WE GOT A GREAT MANAGER NOW, WE ARE HERE TO STAY
Too much caffeine.
dont drink, makes people hyper
David Ortiz is that you? To much coffee!
Or brain damage.
Or dain bramage
One of the funniest comedy routine I ever saw.
My head be laying in the mud and my body be running around tackling sh_t.
Me when I lie
When you don’t tell the incumbent you are shopping for his replacement……..yikes……I’m not remembering another case where a manager was hired before the vacancy was announced.
How about when the Cubs hired Maddon when Renteria was still their manager?
Sparky Anderson replacing Les Moss as Tigers manager comes to mind. Guess both teams were rolling when it happened.
I remember that. Les Moss got screwed because Sparky was suddenly available.
You must have been born yesterday. It happened twice to Ricky Renteria in five years .
Southside… How about when The White Sox had an old Cardinal retread as their manager? Or the knucklehead they have now? Go back to bed.
rondon, why the vitriol? Someone said they couldn’t remember another case where a manager was hired before the vacancy was announced. I just pointed out an instance when it did occur and others gave examples as well. Did I say something wrong? It was a good move for the Cubs. Hope it works out. As the Sox manager hires, and GMs for that matter, they haven’t been good, but that won’t change until we have a different owner.
How about in 2008 playoff race with two weeks left in the season, Craig Counsell’s manager Ned Yost was replaced by the bench coach Dale Sveum.
Yall weren’t a playoff team already and that was with Belli and Stroman.
Shhh. Don’t tell him. Like a lot of silly Go Cubs Goers, he still thinks they have Ryan Dempster and Mark Grace
Mark grace ran out of grace, and gracefully slid home
I think clueless fans > non existent fans. Trying to troll cubs posts doesn’t work as well when the team you root for is a laughing stock.
yall were neck and neck with us through most of the year, also 3-2
Stroman opting out was a win as it opens up money for a better SP like Nola or Snell. Stroman starts strong but fades down the stretch due to his size. Bellinger could still very much stay in Chicago.
Bellinger getting 8/26 per somewhere that’s not Chicago. Borass will see to it. Hoskins can and is on the way for first base to replace the bat. KK probably signed short term 1 year with option to man center and PCA will eventually be up to take over/ platoon. Candelario or JT short term on the other infield corner.
Some restaurants are serving brewed decaf now.
Why do I have a feeling there’s a receipt out there from you saying something to the effect of “Counsell is such a bum, he could lead the Brewers to a division title, but was a loser when the games really mattered”?
nah the opposite, I was saying the loss of Counsell would be a huge blow for Brewers, theyre done after this
The brewers are in the time frame of their contention window where they probably start off loading short term assets and gear up for 2025 and beyond.
Burnes—Gone. Woodruff’s injury basically cemented what they need to do. Devin Williams will fetch a ton if they dangle him.
What
Wow that’s wild. Ross was
Doing a great job
I strongly disagree, Cubs needed to move on from him yrs ago
Ross was making one dumb move after another and seriously contributed to them falling out of the playoffs. After 4 years he still couldn’t manage a bullpen.
Great job is pushing it. Decent job maybe.
The Almighty Craig Counsell has finally made his decision. Can we all move on with our lives? Time is moving again…
I wouldn’t go that far.
David Ross was a like able guy but too old school of a manager. Look at what Evan Carter did (after being called up in September) helping the Rangers win the WS. Then look at how Ross refused to play the Cubs young guys and continued to trot out slumping veterans like Tauchman. The decision to “roll with who got us here” is why the Cubs missed the playoffs.
Why are you so sure that was the manager’s decision and not the front office?
misterbill… Because Hoyer trumpeted the call ups all through September and for the most part, Ross couldn’t adjust his old school ‘veterans are always better’ mentality.
And in the bullpen too. Ross had a fresh Luke Little, with closer stuff, on the roster in Sept, and kept trotting out gassed Leiter Jr instead, because he didn’t have the guts to go with the kid. That cost him his job, and good riddance.
Carter played due to Garcia’s injury. They didn’t sit someone else to play him. Once he proved himself and Garcia recovered they kept him up. He earned his time due to circumstances that never occurred in Cubdom.
Ross was not a top-quarter in game manager.
To the average meatball fan maybe. He was a punching bag to the sophisticated fan that frequented hard core baseball sites. I saw him burn his dh twice in the same week before the fourth inning. I had never seen that done once in fifty years. He was an absolute deer in headlights. I’d be shocked if he ever gets a mid to big sized market job again.
WHAT??
That’s crappy. Leave your hometown team for a division rival.
On the other hand: Leave your hometown team for a team that’s set a bigger budget to acquire and retain good players, while staying as close to your hometown as you reasonably can.
Cubs do not have a history of retaining their own players.
Wonder if Swanson had anything to do with Ross’s firing? Ross is a real decent human being but a sh#ty manager. Hoyer makes a few right moves and the Cubs win gheir division.
Ian Happ, Kyle Hendricks, and Nico Hoerner say Hi
Still, the matchups between the Brewers and Cubs are going to be incredibly akward. I definitely feel some type of way about it. Like I am the captain of a pirate ship and my second in command jumped ship(lol) to a competing clan and we both have the same treasure map. I’m gonna F him and his clan up.
Only awkward for the Brewers. I don’t see a complaining Cub fan in sight. And by all means, trash the guy for taking a 40 million dollar contract that we all know YOU would’ve turned down.
@rondon
You won’t “see a complaining Cubs fan” until the first round of the playoffs. Be careful what you wish for Cubs fans. A Brewers fan who’s glad he’s gone.
Well, if that does happen, SharksFan, it won’t be because of cheap ownership.
I wasn’t complaining. Just explaining how I and plenty of others have mixed emotions about this and there isn’t any way to feel another certain way about this but hoping we beat the Cubs in every series next year. Just because I’m not rooting for him to succeed like I do when a player gets traded or signs somewhere else doesn’t mean any ill towards him. I’ll root for a player, but not a manager who left for someone in our division. I’m happy he got his money. I hope he returns to us one day. No hate at all.
South Bend, Indiana is not Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
That’s your US Geography lesson for the day.
He was born in Indiana, but grew up in/near Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin as a brewer fan
And South Bend, Indiana is not Counsell’s hometown. His hometown is in Milwaukee County, WI. Birthplace and hometown mean different things. That’s your lesson for the day.
And if you have a great manager for a team that won’t spend what it takes to field a WS contender, you leave for one that will. And where you’re from doesn’t mean squat, for you or anyone else, when you’re being offered 40 million dollars. That’s not a lesson- That’s life.
Let me cook you dolt
90 minute drive. Made it many many times. His family can come spend the summers in Chicago with him and go home easily when needed.
LET HIM COOK
@Cincyfan85: Who are you to judge and what’s it to you anyway?
It’s Counsell’s life and career, not yours.
Sports fans judge everything and everyone. You new here?
Of course it is CC’s life and career.
@RockinRobin: Obviously not as new as you.
Yeah, ok. I am certainly not new to the sports world and how all of us fans have opinions and “judge” moves and so on. That’s been going on for longer than you and I have been alive.
All the best to you.
Bob Melvin enters the conversation……
How dare he take a higher paying job!
He left for forty million dollars, which is hard to fault him for doing. That’s not sofa change.
Hypothetically speaking, because I’m curious; if the headline read “Reds” instead of “Cubs”, would you feel the same?
If the reds were willing to make a manager the highest paid in the league I’d think it was certainly interesting. Especially with the young roster they have.
“Interesting?” There’d be thousands of Red’s fans in Cincinnati in need of artificial resuscitation.
Let me guess, that miserable slouch “this one belongs to the reds” is crying about counsell taking a better gig? Ross was trash. Counsell controls his own destiny. Don’t root for him if you have a problem with it.
He has standards. They’re all low though. He’s muted me because can’t fight his own battles. It’s easy to attack somebody in print when they can’t reply back. That’s why he’s so stupid because people who are muted can still call them out. Solves nothing actually.
I’ve never seen him write anything that would imply that he enjoys baseball.
Actually, yes, because I have standards. Folks will tell you that I am usually the first to call out the Reds organization for various things over the years, and there are plenty.
Speaking as a Reds fan, smart move by the Cubs. And seemingly a big misstep by the Brewers
Great Move!!! Now I wonder what the one and only uncle Mike has to say about Jed Hoyer?? This took some b alls.
Probably that Hoyer is clueless and Ricketts is cheap, rabble rabble rabble…this is wasting money and paralyzing the offseason.
Obviously reading isn’t your guys forte because I said it was a great move way up there^ But then we knew that anyway. And I’ve never said Ricketts was cheap. the Hoyer is clueless thing, I’ve thrown that around.
Does Cracker Barrel have wifi now?
If I had a double Lobotomy I’d be twice as smart as you. It takes you 2 hours to watch 60 Minutes.
The only responsibility you had in your entire life was to obey the speed limit. Everyone does that, it ain’t hard. Your biggest decision was single or double wide.
You’re not a big thinker. You could do you job with a double lobotomy (you had to Google for spelling).
@Spotswood: Everyone doesn’t obey the speed limit. That’s why we have, you know, traffic and highway cops.
Uncle/Spots… You guys crack me up. And I strongly agree/disagree with both of you!
Rondon- Spotswood cracks you up? Reruns of Don Rickles stage act from the 1970’s must give you the giggles. The guy’s never had an original thought of his own , All he does is bash other peoples opinions. I’m so far inside his head I’m Voldemort from that first Harry Potter Movie sittin under the turban.
Stupid commentary isn’t original. You aren’t smarter than Hoyer. You should start with getting that GED… You don’t live in my head BJ McKay, you live in a single-wide.
Says the guy making unoriginal stupid comments. Pot, meet Kettle.
LMAO!
The Harry Potter jab was top notch. I usually get annoyed by petty insults on here, but I gotta give credit where its due UM.
Thanks. I’ve already given him way more attention than I usually do. He’s just not worth it. He puts words in my mouth that I never said like the Ricketts thing. I’ve been Ricketts biggest supporter here and anytime somebody calls him cheap I step in. Just because he spends up to the tax and doesn’t want to go over doesn’t make him a bad owner, But it does make Hoyer a bad GM which I have said at various times. He ‘s just here to attack other people and for absolutely no other reason. At this point he’s basically MLBTR Herpes.
I’ve disagreed with you at times when I’ve had the rare time to comment. But at the end of the day we’re both diehard cubs fans that want to see sustained success. I don’t see you as an enemy or opponent in any way, shape, or form. We’ve just had different ideas and opinions on how to achieve sustained success, as well as differing opinions on player assessment. I hate echo chambees so I don’t healthy debates.
All I’ve ever asked for is somebodies honest opinion. If you don’t agree with me that’s cool. I’ll be fine with whatever anybody says until they make it personal then I reply in kind Until then rock on and keep the opinions coming. It’s what the site is all about!
Smart move on the surface. $40 MM for a manager, when they usually don’t last 5 years makes it risky. Hope it works out. You can get a decent bat for that stash.
Despite BJ McKay aka UncleMike crying on and on about how cheap Ricketts is, this is in line with everything we’ve heard about Hoyer having the money to spend. Managers salary doesn’t go against the luxury tax, so it shouldn’t affect player payroll.
This reminds me of the Maddon move, except Renteria was actually doing a good job unlike Ross. I couldn’t be happier with the direction the Cubs went here, saw a fantastic manager being available and jumped all over it.
When you look at how Ross managed, especially the last month, he clearly wasn’t the man for the direction the Cubs need to head. We looked as if we were taking a step back towards 24 and with this hiring it’s a huge leap forward.
Counsell is definitely the right guy to usher in the next wave of home grown players, PCA, Canario, Horton, Shaw, Brown… hopefully he finds the best way to utilize Morel (assuming he isn’t dealt).
The gloves are off this offseason and the Cubs just landed a haymaker early. It will definitely be interesting to see what Hoyer has up his sleeve (hopefully Yamamoto)
But it does effect payroll for the Cubs. Payroll = % of revenue. Doesn’t matter the job description for the organization.
I couldn’t agree more. I don’t think they dropped that kind of money for a manager only to go cheap on the FA market. Truly, this makes Yamamoto and Bellinger realistic targets now. And that’s not to mention what I think Hoyer will do with trades. Just wow.
Stymeed, you’re right, it does eat a chunk of $$ that could be used for an expenditure anywhere. Instead of player payroll being $250M, it’s $258M. Or instead of settling for a $10M bat, you can sign an $18M bat. I guess my overarching belief is, Ricketts is going to give Hoyer the ability to get the players on the field he needs to win.
Regardless of how it turns out proper respect to the Cubs for an epic troll job at the minimum.
If true that’s a huge surprise
It’s obviously true.
Grandpa Rossy was put into retirement
Actually makes a lot of sense for Chicago. David Ross was probably not the guy and they blew it at the end of the season.
The bullpen the last 3 weeks of the season was gassed. Losing the closer with 2 weeks to go was bad. Losing nick Madrigal was a big loss too. Michael Fulmer was hurt a lot too. Unfortunately for him he had to have TJS. There were many other factors too. Not being able to beat the dbacks was bad. Losing 3 of 4 in May against the Nats was awful too.
I wasn’t suggesting that this is *my* feelings, rather it’s possible reasoning ownership used to determine a replacement was necessary, but I didn’t exactly make that clear. It kind of seemed like the meltdown was a “last straw” deal for Ricketts.
Managers get too much heat and they get too much credit, so I’m actually aligned with your thinking. A game in May counts just as much as a game in September so I hate when people call any game “meaningless.”
Losing Madrigal was not a big loss. Lmfao. He is terrible. 26th man at best. The bullpen wore down because Ross screwed them into the ground the previous five months and he refused to give his regulars a break. He rode that entire team, bullpen and position players to a nub .
Madrigal wasn’t remotely terrible. I would rather have Madrigal over Mastrobuoni.
Madrigal is a good sub. Cubs have openings on both corners now. He will probably be the third corner infielder next season. Back up the first and third basemen and spot start. Can’t pay everyone 20m a season. He has some value since he’s actually playable and is cheap salary wise.
Exactly… For the 1st 3 months Ross refused to let his starters throw more than 90 pitches. Mindnumbing seeing a guy cruising, Cubs up 7-1 and Ross not let the starter come out for the 7th because he had 84 pitches.
I’d say this is a good hire. Brewers are losers.
Ross honestly was terrible, looking forward to seeing how this plays out
Agreed. He will never manage a big or even mid market again. Maybe he’ll get another shot with a pirates or something of that ilk.
Ross to the Brewers would make for a great division rivalry.
Holy BLEEEEP! You could knock me over with a feather right now. The Cubs?
I guess there could have been a bigger surprise. The Cubs could have hired me.
@Casey…
According to Heyman, you were on the shortlist. Your Grandmother would have been the surprise, given she’s still working in the NFL…
According to another poster, I would have been more of a surprise than you.
interesting –
I posted a link from Ken Rosenthal but it got deleted. Are we not allowed to have links in the comments?
It’s easier to delete links than it is to vet them. I would delete if it were my site
It was from Twitter
We all know no one lies on Twitter lol
I didn’t mean vetting that the link was truthful, just vetting to make sure that it goes where it is supposed to go. Can’t be too careful in these times of cyber crime.
Damn. I saw the post about mystery team and was hoping it was the Braves. Curses!
Wow!
He is going to the Astros to replace retiring Dusty Baker.
Wow! What? Outta nowhere!
Darragh, its not unclear what happened to Ross. He is no longer the Cubs manager. That is crystal clear.
Doesn’t mean he’s not with the org anymore though.
Means he is not the manager. That is what matters. They just FIRED him as manager.
Attanasio should be tarred and feathered for not ponying up the money. CC giving him the middle finger by heading to their biggest rivals.
HUGE middle finger. Its only a 90 minute drive so Counsell doesn’t even have to move which is even more of a middle finger. .
Believe me, he had better leave Wisconsin.
I’m a Brewers fan and I hate the Cubs more than even most Brewer fans, but honestly, I am not mad at CC for this. I respect him for doing it. Wisconsin will be mad at him for pulling a Favre, but he’s not the bad guy here. Mark A. is. I respect Couns for sticking it to him for being so miserly over the last few years.
Finally, an adult reaction. The guy made the absolute most of what the Brewers gave him and Brewer’s fans should respect that. He got 40 million because he’s the real deal and combined with his ability to get the most out of homegrown talent and a franchise that is going to SPEND/trade this offseason, he’s got a chance to win a WS at some point. It wasn’t going to happen in Milwaukee.
The AZ Diamondbacks payroll was 116 Million, Brewers at 118 Million, Yankees at 277 million, Mets at 353 Million, Padres at 248 million, Angels 212 Million. Rangers 195 million. Marlins 91 Million, Rays 73 Million, Baltimore 60 Million.
This crap about spending money, tell the whole story, its a huge factor, but not everything. What have the Padres won? The Orioles and Rays had no chance?
If the Brewers had spent like $20–25m (in terms of annual salary) more and used that on Justin Turner or Brandon Drury and J.D. Martinez, their offense would have been boatloads better. Their payroll was $131m in 2022 so if they hadn’t cut payroll significantly and instead increased it slightly, they could have actually scored some runs. Instead they cheaped out and got Brian Anderson.
Mel… Do you think the Rangers win the WS without Seager and Simeon? Nope. And it’s gonna cost the D-Backs a ton to keep that group together. And in spite of their stellar rotation, the Brewers couldn’t get to the next level because their ownership refused to spend big when a bat or 2 could’ve made all the difference.
This makes no sense. He isn’t going to commute 90 mins each way for a game.
He’s getting a massive raise, he could buy a second living space in CHI and keep his home
He leases a home in Chicago. His wife and kids come down weekends and spend the summer there. Need to go back to Milwaukee it’s an easy drive. What’s not to understand at 8,000,000 per season.
He would make an odd looking chicken, but entertaining during the chicken dance between innings.
I wonder if it has to do with Ross lack of wanting to use young guys down the stretch.. Little comes to mind as a player he didn’t use much which didn’t make sense.. Ugh happy and sad at same time
Bingo!!! You broke the code, Capone.
Even I’ve never been fired like that. Damn, Rossy. Chin up.
Cubs might get Ohtani at this rate of shock value.
Id settle for Belli and Yamamoto… ha
I’m so happy right now
I blame Eric Hosmer
Great choice, I agree.
“The Cubs had David Ross in their managerial chair and it’s unclear at this time how he will be affected.”
Co-managers similar to Dunder Mifflin?
Lol I thought the same thing: “Assistant to the regional manager”
But which one is Dwight?
Oh it’s pretty clear how he’ll be affected lol
As a cub fan this is big news. Counsel one of the best managers in the game. Time to throw all the chips in for Soto and Ohtani!!
Counsell got the job because he knows how to get the most out of a group of younger players making their way to the big league roster. Ross didn’t have any idea.
As I like to say “Wisconsin just can’t have nice things.” Hahaha.. always underachieving and ruining what good we have. Thank god for a couple super bowls.
Giannis would like a word with you
Is he a soccer player?
Unironically, I’ve suggested Giannis should be Team USA’s goalkeeper.
“It’s unclear at this time how he ( Ross) will be affected “. My guess is he is out of a job
Ross was a decent manager, and Hoyer seemed content with him as manager, so this is definitely coming out of left field. The whole time I thought if team would pry him away from Milwaukee, it was going to be Stearns with the Mets.
It’s a surprise, yes. but Ross had 4 years and “decent” wasn’t gonna cut it. It was a bold move.
As a Brewers fan, this is comparable to him suckerpunching Uecker. This is just… wow
What the…this came out of nowhere. Wow…
Awkward ….
Why couldn’t it be the Cardinals? Damm…
Cause Counsell is smarter than what the Cardinals deserve?
Brewers should hire Ross, wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t end up in Cleveland.
Cleveland already hired Stephen Vogt as their manager.
He didnt end up in Cleveland so I guess youre not surprised.
@bill nd
I hope not!
Zero of us would’ve had this as a prediction.
What a kick in the teeth to the Brew Crew.
What a kick in the teeth to David Ross!
Not really. He’ll be paid for the rest of his contract anyway.
Meanwhile, the Angels sit around and watch.
Less than a year after Ross got an extension.
Wild how many teams were after Counsell.
Would be hilarious if the Brewers were hire Ross….. and then win the division again.
Genuinely nauseous right now. Feels like textbook betrayal right there.
I honestly thought it was time for a change for the Brewers anyway, but it does sting having him end up on the Cubs. Well I guess the Cubs fans can look forward to a slew of early playoff departures!!
Beats not making the playoffs
Wow, As a Brewer fan I get why you’re upset.- But you can thank your cheap ownership for the early departures. Counsell made the most out of the young talent that came up and a case could be made that they would never have reached the playoffs without him. And don’t be mad at the Cubs for ponying up the money when the Brewers wouldn’t.
Actually I was surprised that the Brewers offered him 5.5 Million. That was a hefty offer from them. They are in the 30th biggest market, Don’t own their own Stadium or TV station. they were never going to compete with a big market team. You can’t say they’re cheap, They offered what they could.
As usual, the Counsell is the supreme leader fanatics are out in full force. The Brewers are NOT a small market team!!!! They have front office and scouting issues that need to be revamped regarding the players they draft and sign. Plus Counsell seemed to have a quota and was part of the problem. Making the playoffs out of the Central Division not withstanding.
Hiring Ross, Schildt, Murphy, Sweet, or some other status quo manager will not solve the problems. Now, we find out about Mark A. as an owner.
Its was a save face offer, when they knew he was gone, thats it.
No Mike, they’re CHEAP.
Bring in Ozzie. Nobody can kick the Cubs like Ozzie.
I’m going to assume Pat Murphey will be the Brewers manager
It’d make more sense if he went to the Cubs with Craig. The relationship with Counsell is Murphy’s only real tie to Milwaukee. I think if the Brewers want a caretaker for the role it’ll be Rick Sweet coming up from Triple A, otherwise I think they’ll clean house and get pretty much a whole new staff. Hoping they keep Hook for pitching coach though, as long as he doesn’t end up going to Chicago too.
Bye-bye, Mr. Ross.
Counsel in turn should hire Kim ng as gm. If the cubs front office actually expected the 2023 cubs to be in the ws, they don’t know what they are doing.
The manager doesn’t get to hire a GM above him.
Unless it’s the Red Sox.
If I were allowed, I’d be cursing a lot right now. This is AMAZING!!!!
Who’s stopping you?
Brewers fan here my guess is that counsell contacted them
I think they called Counsell within the last few days and said give us a chance to top whatever offers you get. And rightly so, Chicago decided to pay up for one of the best managers in baseball. I’m guessing the brewers will try to say they offered him the highest one year salary but weren’t willing to guarantee five years. Time will tell, but my guess is that approach will prove to be pennywise and pound foolish.
You have to pay extra to get someone to move to Chicago, lol.
Or to stay in Milwaukee.
At least you think you are funny. So there is that.
What counsell did was he kicked every brewers fan right square in the balls as hard as he can 100 or so times.
Ponyboy
Please don’t share your fantasies
What’s the matter Karen? Are you hurt
Ponyboy
No surprise to see a dose of misogyny (Karen rather than Kevin) matched with your self-immolation fantasies
Sure, name calling is a great look for you guys. Classy and unnecessary. Come on.
@tangerinepony: No, he didn’t. He fulfilled his contract and the Brewers no longer had contractual control over him.
Fans shouldn’t take business decisions so personally.
A surprise indeed. For me anyway. A few days after the Cubs season Ross received positive reviews from Ricketts and Hoyer. Current players from what I heard also spoke favorably of him. Belli, Swanson, Trauchman and Happ. Gnomes mentioned how Ross helped him manage and call games for the pitching staff. We’ll find out more info on Ross. Maybe he’s assigned another position in the front office. Or maybe he’s done with the organization.
I know it was a typo… At least I think it was, but Gnomes is funny AF
The Cubs did this exact same thing when Rick Renteria was their manager and they went after Joe Maddon. Once is a coincidence. Twice is a pattern.
A pattern of what? They did nothing wrong.
5 years for $ 40 MM wowza
Pete Alonso & Boras are salivating right about now lol
Hahaha leave it to the Cubs to do something like this
Is this the first time something like this has happened?
Joe Maddon
I don’t remember the Cubs hiring someone before there was a position available
Maddon or otherwise
Tell that to Ricky Renteria
@Lefty_Orioles_Fan: Don’t be so naive. Positions are always available. That’s the essence of “at-will” employment.
Well, there is supposed to be some professionalism!!!!
There’s plenty of professionalism. That’s why Ross will still be paid for his contract.
Will Jed Hoyer outlast Counsell?
Yes. He is doing a tremendous job. Has built the farm back into arguably top two in less than three years .
Damn, that’s Brewtal.
New manager coming in when there’s already a manager in place seems to be a Cubs thing. But unlike Maddon, CC didn’t invent the game, did he?
What did the Cubs do wrong, and what’s it to you?
The Cubs are having their best offseason in recent memory. First Stroman opts out of his player option and now this! Still need to get the right players here to win but dang, this is one helluva start.
Having the right manager is probably a bigger deal than any 1-2 players. Look no further than Bochy this year. This is a big deal for the cubs.
Counsell is no Bochy he isn’t even a Ross.
I wish Bellinger would have stuck around. Hopefully he resigns, but yeah, very glad to see Stroman leave.
He has nothing to RESIGN from. He will return if he RE-SIGNS with the Cubs.
re-signs
Welp, I guess that means the Brewers are going back to battling for 4th place again.
They need some bats to battle for anything.
Brewers let him walk to a division rival? C’mon, pay your guy.
What alternative did they have? Is he really worth $8 mil a year? Especially for the Brewers who only pay that to 1 player, on a too-long-term deal that will then fall off a cliff health and/or production wise.
Also, he was essentially a free agent, so they didn’t have a say beyond going full idiot mode and offering to grossly overpay..which made no sense from any angle I can think of.
That’s crazy money and years and pretty crazy it’s to a division rival … that cubs team and fan base are ready to turn a corner. He’s a good coach and I bet they get a little better because of it
Wow!!…I got completely blind sided by this. Imagine how David Ross must feel.
Ross will still be paid for his contract and is being considered for the Padres job. I’m sure he feels fine.
Every manager knows that his position is temporary.
I would like to feel like he does , when he looks at his bank account, no violins playing here.
He has 40 million reasons not to care, but this is the one move that damages his standing in the eyes of Wisconsin baseball fans. Would have understood taking more money to go to any other team and he would still have been cheered when he comes back managing the away team. Choosing the Cubs is the one team that might get him booed every time he comes back. And again, not that he cares.
All 20 or so Wisconsin baseball fans are furious right now.
Yeah, all the other fans at Miller County AmFam Park Field were cardboard cutouts…
@stevewpants: Nor should he care.
And fans need to grow up and learn not to take other people’s business decisions personally.
Had he gone to the Mets? Yeah, ok. Cleveland? Hmmm…interesting. Still close to home (which I think we felt was important).
The Cubs? Man. That stings. Still close to home and likely got a contract the Brewers would have never matched.
……even the White Sox would have stung less!
Imagine the Mets fans who have said for a month that Counsell going there was a done deal.
“Imagine the Mets fans who have said for a month that Counsell”
And there were just as many who said it wasn’t. What’s your point? Fans like to speculate, news at 11.
Sad for Rossy, but there’s no question Counsell is on another level as a manager. I really hope Ross sticks around in the front office or working with catchers or something.
But holy cow, the Cubs are finally serious about winning. LFG CUBBIES!!!
I mean, you call one post-season series victory and getting bounced by the WC2 team this year next level…..
YIKES
He made the playoffs 5 of the past six years with a measly payroll and is widely recognized as one of the best managers in baseball, if not THE best manager now that Tito has retired.
Seems like copium from you tbh.
Bochy is the best manager in baseball. and if he made this money then its well deserved.
If Counsill wins a championship, great, then he’s in the conversation and its worth every penny for you.
but 8m is a ridiculous gamble for a dude that has one playoff series victory, zero pennants, and was clearly only chasing a bag.
How is it a gamble? The Ricketts are worth billions. It’s not like manager salaries count against the CBT.
The point is he gets to the playoffs with a lot less than most teams. There is a reason he was the most coveted manager of the off-season
“if not THE best manager ”
lmao, please pump the brakes. 7 postseason wins in 9 seasons, only once advanced past the Division Series, no WS appearances. Meanwhile Bochy is still managing. Dave Roberts has the highest winning percentage of all time (minimum 450 games) along with 3 pennants and a WS Championship. Brian Snitker is better. Rob Thomson, though it is early in his career, has put together an impressive resume so far (one pennant, 19 postseason wins).
Counsell has put together a good career so far. But he’s clearly a rung below the best in the game.
Bochy and Roberts are great. Have done well. And also with teams with huge payrolls. Let’s see how Counsell does with more financial support from his GM and owner.
Milwaukee is ranked 30th in size on the list of mlb markets and Counsell has has absolute scraps to work with.
Grandpa Rossy gets the old Renteria reach around.
Eh, he’s not Bruce Bochy. Good regular season manager but doesn’t do much in the playoffs. Will be fun to see Cubs continue to lose when it matters most….
Grandpa Ross got cockold
We fixed the glitch. So he won’t be receiving a paycheck anymore, so it will just work itself out naturally. We always like to avoid confrontation, whenever possible.
“Damn it feels good to be a gangster.” – Craig Counsell
@duuke lol That guy is great on King of the Hill
Counsell choose stability don’t blame him with Brewers cutting payroll great addition for cubs
Come on home Rossy!!! Where you got your 1st ring… Breslow complete the task… fire Cora and hire our ex catcher ( not named Varitek) yet
David Ross to the Brewers now! 😉
Padres
Ross was always a placeholder
Whoa that was curveball, “David we need 2 speak w/u”
I’m lost??? The way everyone is talking about CC you would think he’s Torre/ Bochy/ Tito/ he’s won as many championships as Bernie Brewer has as a manager!!!!!
“I’m lost?”
Why are you asking us?
All I ever read in the comments here is how the managers dont make a difference. Everything is called from upstairs. Milwaukee still has the same team. Chicago still has the same team. Guess we will see if today’s reactionaries are right about the difference a manager will make..
The Brewers already lost Woodruff, Miley, Canha. They are not the same team already.
Who would have thought Council would make more as a manager than he did as a player?
Thanks, Dave. Cubs show their colors….
Red and Blue?
You know the old saying….
“$$$$$ Talks ** walks”.
Cubs fans have (correctly) pointed out for a while that Ross can’t manage a bullpen (their run differential had them winning 90 and they only won 83) and preference for Veterans over young guys (Trey Mancini/Eric Hosmer for waaaay too long, PCA has 13 ABs in 19 games played). It’s not that far-fetched that people getting paid millions to run the Cubs thought the same thing
He definitely cost them games last year. His inability to move guys torching the baseball up in the lineup always perplexed me and vice versa. Suzuki was cold as ice and hit at the top of the order for a long time. Happ had a long stretch he should have been hitting 7th, don’t think he left the third spot. It took him 3 months to figure out Bellinger was the best hitter on the team. The random games Morel would lead off never made sense. Several games where he bunted them into losses. He had some bad games. Maybe I could say that about any manager but definitely true for the Cubs last year.
A manager can only work with the players he is given. He’s not the one who acquired Mancini or Hosmer.
Breaking News. David Ross named Milwaukee Brewers Manager !
So where are all the Milwaukee fans who claimed it was reported on talk radio that he was either going to manage the Brewers or take at least a year off from managing?
Obviously fake news.
What happened to you saying that uncle stevie would offer the most money???
Exactly.
@BrewCrewFan: How do you he didn’t?
It wasn’t fake news, Counsell started talking that way about his two college baseball kids. Way back in 1978 ,Robin Yount held out , and didn’t start the season with the Brewers to pursue a golf career. That wasn’t fake news either , maybe fake posturing in both
cases. Just like Mark A’s offer to Counsell, fake posturing. Im sure if Counsell’s kids were given the choice of inheriting 10s of millions some day, verse dad visiting some games, they will take the money.
I don’t know if anyone else noticed, Craig Counsel will now make more money as a MLB manager than he did as a player!!!!
Congratulations to him!!!!!!!!!
Hard work and skills paid off!!!!!!
His legacy will be that of the biggest traitor in the history of Wisconsin sports. Was never booed at a Brewer game in the past but that will be made up his first time back.
It’ll be 70% Cubs fans any time he plays there anyway. They call it Wrigley North for good reason.
Low blow, Carl. MKE fans are going through the worst of a breakup that we all knew was coming. Wrigley North is just a dagger.
It’s just fax, mate. If you want to shed that moniker, come out to support your team.
@catuli carl
Maybe you need to look into Milwaukee home attendance figures for the past numerous years despite playoff failures, making the World Series ONLY once forty-plus years ago, and playing in a metro area that’s substantially smaller than Chicago metro.
Also thank the ticket brokers for turning the ballpark into “Wrigley North.”
@Joigro 2: He fulfilled his contract, which by definition means he doesn’t owe the Brewers or anyone in Wisconsin anything.
Not a traitor in any way, shape, or form.
Nah, Brewers are too cheap to pay anyone. I’m tired of the small market bs. Mark A is making bank, and now asking the tax payers to fund his stadium upgrade. Give me a break…
Mark A and the Brewers don’t own the stadium.
Wow did this backfire on the Cubs. Counsell told the Brewers the Cubs will pay me $40,000,000.00 for 5 years do you want to match. Brewers: Hell no have fun.
How did it backfire on the cubs?
It’s just fax, mate. If you want to shed that moniker, come out to support your team.
How is it a gamble? The Ricketts are worth billions. It’s not like manager salaries count against the CBT.
Oops, comments are bugged. Only the first one was in response to you.
Wow. I’ve said it before, the Mets were not a logical landing spot for a sought after manager with their stated contention window. But this is surprising. I wonder when Counsell let other teams know since the Ians quickly pounced on their #2 candidate this morning.
Super shocker. I fully expect Ross to manage a MLB team in 2024.
First reaction was Oakland and their manager going to the Mets, then remembered he doesn’t play young players so a line up card with three names being written in probably os a non starter.
That’s a lot of money for a manager who has only one playoff series win in 9 seasons.
Wish him the best, good dude. Watched him score that winning run in ’97 was definitely a highlight of my baseball life. One of the most intelligent people to ever don a uni.
It wasn’t ‘intelligence’, as much as him being a great teammate and ‘coach type’. He was lacking in creativity and trust in young players, as a manager. Definitely he reached his ‘Peter Principle’.
To me this shows lack of guts. Instead of firing Ross at the end of the season, you wait until you see if you get Counsell. What would have happened if he went elsewhere? Not a good way to treat someone currently working for you either.
Either your current manager is the guy you want or he isn’t.
Like I said, no guts, and a poor look.
Literally the same thing they did when Maddon became available
Instead of firing Ross at the end of the season, you wait until you see if you get Counsell.
=======================
In the real world, people with multi-million $$$ salaries don’t get the same type of treatment as commoners.
Brewers were snake bit not being able to get out of first round of playoffs. We needed a change….let’s hope this is it! Do not fault Mark A. Brewers offered richest managerial contract in MLB. He did his part. We do not have the resources to throw in another 3 million/year. Better spent on our pending free agents.
Holy cow! Gotta admit, I did not see this coming, nor do I think any other Cubs fan. Time will tell how this plays out, but I don’t think the optic is a good one for the Cubbies.
The optic is “we want to win and we are doing everything possible to do so.”
It’s just business and it’s a no brainer. Everybody loves Ross, but Counsell is undoubtedly a better in game manager.
Jed and Tom don’t have an obligation to David Ross, they have an obligation to the Cubs organization and Cubs fans to do everything possible to win.
I have no doubts that this move will pay dividends for the Cubbies, it’s just the abruptness of it happening in such a short period of time is what I was referring to.
@This one belongs to the Reds: A poor look for whom?
The Cubs have the right to change managers and did so.
Ross doesn’t lose as he will still be paid for his contract.
You calling it a poor look doesn’t make it so.
Not that I like to make a habit of sharing Deadspin articles, but they actually summed it up pretty well here.
deadspin.com/craig-counsell-chicago-cubs-manager-m…
Ross = good guy, pretty terrible manager. He definitely got blindsided, but sorry my dude, the Cubs had to upgrade and saw the opportunity.
Craig knows next years parade would have been on the North Side with or without him. He just wants to tag along. Cubs in 24
But nobody else knows that since it’s merely a product of your wishful thinking. Dream on.
Good for him getting the money, but there’s decent catchers and relievers in the league making that much a year on shorter deals.
Catchers.
And this guy gets paid to chew seeds, write the lineup down and say “okay men, go and pound that Budweiser into you” after a win.
Did Ross really do a bad job? He went from .438, to .457, to .512. I don’t remember anyone predicting 83 wins.
True, but they really collapsed in September to give up that wild card spot. I wish Rossy all the best, but no complaints about the Cubs trying to hire the best Mgr available.
“Good job” isn’t good enough.
I predicted 86 wins, which was their exact pace prior their collapse.
The Cubs floor last season was 81 wins, their ceiling was 90 and that really was before adding Calendario at the trade deadline. The fact is, Ross basically managed the Cubs to their floor. There was a run early where the Cubs had 5 losing streaks over the course of 4 weeks, which coincided with Ross telling the team to steal less, (we are hitting a lot of home runs and don’t want to run ourselves into outs) and then the end of the season collapse because Ross refused to play Little, PCA or Canario even though the season was PRIMED for PCA to take over center. Coors and the Snake Pit are two of the most difficult center fields to play while being the easiest places to hit, Candelario was on the IL but Ross refused to go Bellinger first and PCA in center baring in mind also Tauchman was struggling mightily and was an average at best center fielder. Choosing Wisdom over Canario at DH was also stupid, almost as stupid as ever playing Wisdom in the field.
A shocker! I’m glad this happened. To get (IMO) the best manager in baseball warrants letting Rossie go. Craig always did more with less in Milwaukee. Good Steal for the Cubs! Ross will go back to the Booth.
I would love to see Rossy in the booth with Boog. Those two have immense chemistry.
you have got to be joking .
WOW! That’s a huge record setting manager contract! 8 million dollars a year. 16 years after Joe Girardi had the record 7.5 million dollars contract. Counsel is really setting high standards for managers. A half a million dollar increase in 16 years. Imagine how less expensive it could be to attend a MLB game or watch a game on tv if players salaries increased only a half a million dollars in 16 years.
Seems like dirty pool to do that to Ross. Bring in your replacement and fire you about a month after showing support. Now he’s that far behind in trying to fill any coaching or manager vacancies.
Ross did that to himself by not being a good manager. Happens every day in every business.
You fire someone mid season, or right at the end. Not over a month later, after secret squirreling the hiring of his replacement. The way it was done is what is dirty, not what was done.
The cubs will be paying his 2024 salary, so take the year off and go fishing. He’s getting a really nice severance package.
Dumbest off-season move of the year….what’s a managers WAR? Cubs thinking if we do the Renteria screw over again maybe that will work.
It worked last time.
Highest salary ever for a manager in MLB history!!!!
Ross better get a manager job elsewhere. Counsell is superior but by no means did Ross deserve this
What did Ross not deserve? He will still be paid for his contract and is free to pursue other opportunities.
Every manager knows the job is temporary.
He was terrible in game manager. Only the meatball fans bought the grandpa rossy schtick. Fans who analyzed every game realized in 2021 that he was in over his head.
Ross might be the best option in MKE. He’s pretty good when he has a roster that actually produces.
Unless, of course, he’s not.
Brewers should hire Cubs bench coach Andy Green
I wonder if anyone optioned out who might change their mind now?
The Cubs better follow up with a big splash in free agency, or this hire is meaningless. These “under-the-radar” type moves they’ve been pulling since… well, forever, aren’t gonna cut it.
Any Cubs fans hoping for Ohtani need to just stop. The Cubs won’t sign him for the half billion dollar contract he would command because that would pretty much dispel the (false) notion that the Cubs don’t have money to spend the way other big market franchises do. The Cubs are much to conservative to open the (fat) pocket book like that. It would expose them to ridicule on a scale never seen before in Chicago, and rightfully so.
Besides, Ohtani isn’t leaving the West Coast anyway.
Poor guy #MidwestIsBest
Congrats to Counsell getting the big contract. That said, Counsell doesn’t impress me that much. He’s over-rated IMHO. At least he was smart enough to avoid signing with the Mets.
For a team that doesn’t spend money (ever), I’d say he’s exceeded expectations for any manager.
In what way is he overrated?
In two years or maybe four, people will be kicking him out like Gabe Kapler
It seems like managers are on the hot seats these days. They don’t last long. Not long ago, Joe Maddon and Gabe Kapler were the best managers on the block and now they are playing billiards and watching games from the bar.
Highest salary ever for a manager in MLB history! Where’s the supporting record for the highest salary ever for a manager?? He’s had a lot of talent to work with.
MLB managers are not the people who make the decisions, so it does not matter who the manager is.
What Cub fan wants to see Counsell have a disgust expression on his face every time the cameras are on him? I can’t believe that Brewers let him be manager for as long as they did. The highlight reel for Counsell as a manager for the Brewers is him having nothing but an expression of disgust on his face.
Good manager but waste of $. Brewers can’t afford to use 8m a year towards a manager. Minimum wage is the way to go. Obviously pay them a few million if they do well and not rock the boat but 8m is a easy pass.
I remember hearing someone say, “A manager can’t win you any ballgames, but he sure as hell can lose them.”
That’s the thing I think of when I think of David Ross.
I remember Ned Yost, he gave the Cubs the division in 2007, brutal managing, he must have had a great Royals team.
Wasn’t he the coach of the Alexandria, VA TC Williams Titans?
Counsell and Ricketts are the perfect couple and deserve each other. Now hopefully, Mark A. DOESN’T go out and hire the typical retread or status quo manager. Or former recent Brewers like Kapler, Seitzer, Kotsay, etc. Please hire someone from outside the organization!
I agree, but Tim Vogt, would have been ok, despite being a recent Brewer, but I don’t want any reunions, been Yosted enough for a lifetime.
Now they are talking Ricky Weeks for manager, great a guy known for poor fielding and fundamentals. Those Fielder ,Weeks ,Gomez ,Cory Hart , Bettencourt , Ned Yost teams were ugly from a baseball purist perspective.
I love MLBTR but where was the rumor ??
I don’t think anybody saw this coming. People didn’t even know the Cubs had met with him.
That’s gotta sting a bit Brewers fans
Ross’s firing is a big surprise but it had to happen.
I believe the players might have had a little to do with this and Ross not willing to play the Rookies and the handling of the Pen, well I was surprised they kept him after the season.
With Craig brought into the fold, it seems like the Joe Maddon move when they let Rick go and hired Maddon.
With the hiring of Craig, this should tell all of you that Hoyer and company will be playing the kids and wanted a Manager who would play them, and Ross was not that manager.
I would like to see the Cubs bring back Cody to play first base and bring in two arms for the Rotation.
Third base can have Nick M. playing there until that rookie comes up.
Well my wish came true, so now when is Ana De Armas jumping into my bed and out of my dreams!!!
I think the Cubs are in win now mode and this is a good deal for now, but I don’t think it was good they spent a lot on a manager. Manager turnover in this game is crazy. Happened to both Joe Maddon and Gabe Kapler, who were both regarded as the best managers of their times.
“Hey Ross, meet Jimmy Hoffa. You guys will get along great.”
Vogt today. It’s your civic duty……oh , and by the way Cleveland didn’t want an unloyal Counsell
This is dumb, it would make sense to go to the Mets for certain reasons but you go to a team who just missed the playoffs who played well for Ross who is beloved in Chicago and by the team. Players can’t be excited about this. The fan base isn’t either. Not the start I’d be looking for. Plus you stay in division to make sure you’re booed and hated by your former team even more than if you had gone anywhere else.
I know quite a few Cubs fans who are ecstatic with this turn of events. Yes Ross is a likable guy. However he did muck up quite a few games last year. Unless you saw the games, it’s hard to realize.
Early in the year it felt like one a week.
Brewers have to save money so when they move to Nashville they will be able to put a “winner” on the field.
Craig making more he did than a player. Wowsers.
Because he is worth more as a manager than he was as a player.
Plus he played in a different era, so he made less.
Iam not sure about this hiring but he’s a better option than Ross not sure who else was out there but it’s a lot of money could of saved money and got someone else. Lot of people like that green guy we need a manger that knows how to handle a pitching staff not sure if that councils pedigree he did have one of the best pitching staffs in bb. And didn’t do really anything with it imo
Could you guys have chosen a less flattering photo of David Ross to feature?? Gee, looks like he’s been relieved of his duties just in time to assume duties as jolly old St. Nick.
As a Cubs fan I was still shocked today to read this headline and feel bad for Rossy. Hope it all goes well for him aside from when he players Counsell’s Cubs.
Have to also believe this would have influenced your Top 50 free agent destinations list. Seriously, not a single one licked the Cubs for going after Snell, Nola, or Yamamoto??
wow, joe torre earned $8 million in 2007? Counsell is massively below that when you adjust for inflation (>33% less money)
Well, a new day started after CC signed with the Cubs. The sun still came up. My heart is still beating. It’s a cool, brisk day here.
The Brewers will need a manager. My guess is it will be a rookie manager–and that’s ok. CC was a rookie manager too in 2015.
In August, MLB.com ranked the Brewer farm system as #3. That could be interesting for a prospective manager–which speaks for the need to have a manager who can handle a more youthful team.
Hey, I gotta have something to look forward to!
Hey that’s exactly where we were a couple years ago. While you obviously always want to win, it can still be fun to watch the young guys come up through the system.
CC’s obviously a good manager and a move up from Rossy, just like the dude and would like to see him stay in house.
Seriously, $40M is a massive overpay for Craig Counsell or any other manager not named Bruce Bochy. Cubs have handicapped themselves big-time here but it could be worse if they sign Bellinger to a 12 year contract for $275M.
Handicapped themselves by signing a manager that doesn’t count against cbt? The Rickets will make that in the first weekend of beer sales.
I hope the Cubs look at Jordan Montgomery he durable nola is good but will be way more money I go with Montgomery
Big bat, big arm, and preferably a closer.
Maybe Ross as bench coach
Ross managed a flawed team that he got the most from. Hope he gets another job.
He really didn’t. On paper, that was easily a .500 team and with Bellinger and Steele performing well above expectations they should have been 86 win team, with Candelario added to the mix at the trade deadline it should have been even higher.
Alzolay and Fulmer both going down at the same time really hurt but Ross didn’t utilize Little at all. He’d roll out Merriweather after struggling in a high leverage situation the night before, against the same team no less. Also, rolling with Wisdom was epically dumb. He’d hit the occasional meaningless home run and he regularly cost the Cubs runs with his poor defense. Why on earth, when Candelario was out, he didn’t run Bellinger at first and either PCA or Tauchman in center is beyond my comprehension, especially PCA in Coors and Arizona. When Candy came back, he should have been on third with Bellinger still at first. How many at bats did Morel lose to Wisdom? To Tauchman? It wasn’t all on Ross but so much was.
Even early on, Ross cost us several games. One by not using Alzolay as the closer from the get go, playing Mancini in rf (of all freaking places!) having Wisdom bunt when Madrigal was on the bench… telling Nico to dial it back on the bases, telling Suzuki to try to hit more home runs. Geez he should have been fired when the Cubs went through 5 losing streaks in 4 weeks.
Ross is better than Marmol. Ollie shouldn’t have a job managing period after managing the Cardinals to last place.
No no no. The cardinals should extend him for twenty years.
That was apparently a week long trip from Milwaukee to Chicago.
I like counsell. He’s a good manager. 5/40 is literally a contract you can give to a player.
Everyone else bowed out and didn’t come close as that is just an insane amount of money for a manager. If he doesn’t lead the cubs to the promised lands…oh boy.
Cubs need a better team regardless of managers. With that said they probably have the biggest postseason odds on the NL central unless the Cards all of a sudden get talented and play at their usual competitive level
The most Boomer thing I’ve seen on this website is 430-plius comments for a (middle) Manager and not that energy for most free agent signings
Thank you for that valuable insight.
So everything you have no grasp of or interest in makes you pivot towards trying to insult an entire generation of people?
I know you’re 15 now, but you will eventually be 80, if you’re lucky.
“Today we made the difficult decision to dismiss David Ross as our Major League Manager,
It was not difficult, it was underhanded, but not difficult
You won’t hear complaints from Cubs fans who went through this with Ricky Renteria being replaced by Joe Maddon and then winning it all!
Different time, different team
Same ownership and Jed was involved then as well.
Best manager in baseball IMO.
Counsell is a massive overpay for manager even if he’s the best manager which I would argue not.
Yeah the price is kind of ridiculous though. I agree on that part!
Doesn’t count against the tax.
Secondly, and more importantly. It’s a triple edge sword of upgrading your manager, downgrading Milwaukees manager and not allowing the cardinals, pirates, or reds to hire him.
I’ve never heard of a triple edged sword. Is that like having an extra right shoe in case your right shoe falls off?
@More Relievers to HOF!
“Best manager in baseball”??? Wow, you must have a low threshold for what a manager accomplishes. He’s never managed in a World Series! His record as manager is a .531 win percentage in the NL Central. Yes, the NL Central! He wins more than he loses and that’s it. Certainly nowhere near the “best manager in baseball.”
Hmmm. It’s almost as if there is more to managing than wins, and your record just might reflect roster construction more than the skipper of the team. I could be totally wrong and roster construction has nothing to do with your win and lose count however, I think I am not. Joe Maddon won a world series, so he must be a baseball genius right? Overpay or not, there is a reason that teams were willing to give a fat check to Craig Counsell. Is he the best manager in baseball? Who knows, he is in my opinion, and I’m certainly not alone. But you trying to disregard my OPINION based on something as flawed as wins and losses is foolish. Managers have very little sway in a teams number of wins and losses. Maybe 10 games per season at max. For example, even if someone like you managed the Dodgers they would still probably win over 90 games.
My comment and opinion isn’t solely based on his W-L record. They’re also based on watching CC manage over the past nine years and the lack of improvement or repeated failures to get over the hump. Frankly, I’m sick of hearing about how Stearns and Counsell were or are geniuses and “the best” in MLB.
The “best manager in baseball” would have managed a team to the World Series at some point period.
“Joe Maddon won a world series, so he must be a baseball genius right?” Is a strawman argument.
Counsell is overrated and a good manager. A big difference between “good” like 10-15 other managers and being the “best” like another half dozen managers.
We’ll certainly find out how good of a manager he is now that the “small market” excuse can no longer be used by his worshippers.
“the best manager in baseball would have managed a team to the world series at some point period.” You do realize one team out of 30 wins a world series right? Please explain to me how a team with piss poor roster construction is suppose to win a world series and lets pretend they have the best manager that ever existed on this earth. You can throw any manager that has ever lived with the Brewers roster and they still wouldn’t have won anything. It’s not the coaching staffs fault the FO is inept and cheap. Your argument about the best manager would win a world series makes little sense. A manager can’t finesse a title out of thin air. Just because a team wins it all doesn’t mean dick regarding the competency of it’s coaches. I’d take CC over Brian Snitker on the Braves any day. I guess we will agree to disagree on this and that’s fine. I do wish you a good night and happy off-season regardless!
How did he did not know that by signing with the intra-division rival, suddenly persona non grata in Milwaukee. A mercenary is what he is. It was his right, but don’t expect to be loved,
Milwaukee could’ve re-signed him but even their GM left for greener pastures.
@They Live!!!
He’s not worth $8 mil a year! I’d rather see half that or $3 mil of that go towards players.