Remember back to 2015 when the Milwaukee Brewers got off to a horrific start, and they fired Ron Roenicke in mid-April. They did not even put an interim tag on Craig Counsell, instead, they gave him the job with a three-year deal attached. Counsell had a Milwaukee Brewers team in 2017 that was not suppose to be very good, but he found the right combination of guys on a regular basis to help get this team to 86 wins. The Sporting News recognized him for his actions winning National League Manager of the Year. Even though Milwaukee didn’t get to the playoffs, Counsell did a great job with the talent he had available to him.

Hopefully, this quiets down the few who were loud about the way Counsell managed a baseball game. They are not in the mainstream, but if you listen to enough sports talk radio, you know there’s a small section of Brewers fans who think Counsell isn’t very good. I’m not with those people, nor, are the writers who voted him Manager of the Year. He obviously has some shortcomings like bullpen use, too cute with matchups, extending a pitcher, but they do not routinely cost Milwaukee baseball games.

One thing that makes me extremely happy is the fact you haven’t heard Counsell’s name mentioned once in one of the high-profiled jobs around baseball. Washington and Boston are both major managerial positions, yet, no one sniffed Counsell’s name. That’s probably due to his agent or the Brewers manager haven’t zero interest in the job. Counsell is a Milwaukee boy through and through.

Expectations will be heighten next season with a young Brewers team getting a year older and wiser. My guess is Milwaukee’s skipper will be up for the task.

Charlie.