When the Chicago Cubs hired Craig Counsell, giving him the largest contract for a manager in baseball history, they envisioned championships. Multiple.
Counsell maximized the Brewers’ small-budget roster and made them into a perennial contender. In Chicago, with a much larger payroll, the Cubs had every reason to be optimistic. There has, of course, been ups and downs. But Counsell has shown in Chicago that he is one of the best managers in baseball, especially one of the best managers at maximizing and deploying his bullpen.
And that held especially true in Game 1 of the Wild Card series.
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Craig Counsell deserves credit for his Cubs bullpen masterclass
Counsell pulled starter Matthew Boyd after only 58 pitches, with the left-hander throwing 4.1 innings and allowing only one run on four hits while striking out two Padres hitters. He went to closer Daniel Palencia only a week after the right-hander was activated off the Injured List, and he was masterful across 1.2 hitless innings.
Afterward, Counsell went to Drew Pomeranz, Andrew Kittredge and Brad Keller. Across three innings, they allowed zero hits and zero walks while striking out two hitters. Counsell called the performances “perfect” – statistically, he’s not wrong! – and if this is a sign of things to come after a 3-1 win over the Padres, then the rest of the National League should be on notice.
And goodness, could it set up one heckuva matchup between Counsell and his former team, the Milwaukee Brewers.
Craig Counsell used his Brewers mentality – and it could set up matchup for the ages
Throughout the regular season, the Brewers have proven to be a matchup nightmare. They pitch very well. They put the ball in play. They play tremendous defense. They have Pat Murphy, who is very likely to win National League Manager of the Year once again. Murphy would surely call the Brewers the underdogs in the matchup since he did so earlier in the season, pointing to the Cubs’ payroll and market size.
But if the Cubs were to eliminate the Padres and ultimately beat the Brewers, it would be because of Counsell and his ability to get 27 outs.
I watched him do it for years in Milwaukee when I covered the Brewers. He did it with Josh Hader, Devin Williams and Corey Knebel. He did it with lesser known players who thrived with the Brewers’ pitching development. He did it with Pomeranz in Milwaukee, who was acquired midseason that most fans scoffed at, who ultimately turned out to be a significant addition.
Yes, of course. He doesn’t have the names he once did in Milwaukee. But this season, and the first game in the postseason, underscored that doesn’t matter. Counsell remains an elite manager and he has the tools, both offensively and pitching, to be a thorn in anyone's side. And the Cubs are now only one win away from his former team, the Milwaukee Brewers, to be the next to experience that in the National League Divisional Series.