Craig Counsell left the Milwaukee Brewers to manage the Chicago Cubs, a division rival. His return to American Family Field was always going to be rather hostile. Boos followed him whenever he trotted out to the mound for a pitching change. And, of course, trolling was the order of the day when the Brewers won the series 3-1.
Counsell made it easy for Brewers fans to ridicule him. He even got some Cubs fans to join them. Chicago's bullpen was miserable all week and Counsell's decisions on that front seemed to end in the worst way possible. The bullpen gave up three runs or more in three of the four games. The one game they won was on the back of Ben Brown's seven no-hit innings. The combined no-hit bid didn't last two batters beyond Brown's exit. Cubs fans weren't pleased by that one.
The Brewers made Counsell and the Cubs pay for every misstep. Brewers fans on Twitter didn't let them forget it either.
Best memes and tweets as Brewers fans troll Craig Counsell
Craig Counsell . . . HIT THE ROAD and now enjoy your “challenge”
— BrewersWin (@BrewersWin) May 30, 2024
BREWERS WIN AGAIN !! 🍺
Cubs under .500 #ThisIsMyCrew#FlyTheL pic.twitter.com/Etveq0QYB0
New Counsell meme just dropped 😂 pic.twitter.com/ekbdqeBNiI
— Bryan Hudson Truther 🧀🍺 (@GOATRodgersSZN) May 30, 2024
Brewers win the series
— Ryan (@BrewPack8) May 30, 2024
Fly the L (x3)
Gary Sanchez elite offseason signing
Craig Counsell is still a traitor pic.twitter.com/UMaIPVidvi
In case you're curious, that's Craig Counsell's bullpen pitching to a 12 ERA in over an entire game's worth of innings while losing 3 out of 4 games to their division rival.
— Becky Hammon, Hall of Famer (@kneary22) May 30, 2024
they are easy scapegoats but very, VERY few baseball games are decided by a managerial decision.
— Onabam Fan (@ONABAMfan) May 30, 2024
somehow Craig Counsell’s has done it 3 times in 4 days
Craig Counsell absolutely regrets leaving Milwaukee
— Davey Baseball (@Davey_Baseball) May 30, 2024
The bad blood between Brewers fans and Counsell is understandable. Jumping to a new job in the division couldn't be interpreted as anything but traitorous behavior. His results in Chicago were going to have to justify his choice ... thus far they haven't.
It wasn't just Brewers fans either. Some Cubs fans weren't as interested in trolling, but they were still on social media expressing their anger.
Honest question
— BDubya (@FlytheDubya_) May 30, 2024
I’m not being a jerk here
What , exactly, has Craig Counsell brought to this team?
I need someone to name something.
Horrible pitching change by Craig Counsell yet again takes out a guy getting outs for a cold arm in a high leverage situation and he fails.
— FindAuthentic (@FindAuthentic) May 30, 2024
Craig Counsell the bullpen whisperer!!! #FireJed #Cubs
— Chicago Sports (@ChiTownSportsss) May 30, 2024
Counsell had the Cubs humming earlier in the season, but they've hit a rough patch, losing eight of their last 10 outings. That includes series losses to division rivals the Brewers and Cardinals, who are now ahead of Chicago in the NL Central.
The Brewers are firmly in control of the division despite the surprise exit of their manager. They have a five-game lead over the Cardinals with the White Sox coming to town next.