Craig Counsell is already running laps around former Cubs manager David Ross

When the Chicago Cubs made Craig Counsell the highest-paid manager in baseball history, they escorted a beloved World Series champion out the door. In the end, winning is the ultimate goal for the Cubs, and they failed to make the postseason with David Ross at the helm despite leading the NL Central late in the season.

It's tough to blame all of that on Ross. Yet, the difference between a decent manager and a great one is already clear on the north side of Chicago. Counsell is comfortable getting uncomfortable, and with Justin Steele's hamstring injury likely costing the Cubs ace all of April, Chicago's skipper has to get creative.

“The most important part about that is you have to be willing to change your mind,” Counsell said, per The Athletic ($). “You can’t get too stuck on ‘it has to be this way.’ If you’re willing to change your mind you’re better to make a decision that makes sense for everybody involved.”

Craig Counsell's brilliance on full display against the Rockies

While the Cubs certainly made Wednesday's win over the Rockies closer than it had to be, Counsell showcased the elite decision-making that earned him this opportunity in the first place. After two solid starts against the Colorado Rockies, the Cubs bullpen was fresh, so Counsell started Luke Little -- a reliever -- to face two lefties in the first inning on Wednesday.

Little notched his three outs, and then turned the ball over to rookie Ben Brown, who threw over four innings of one-run ball and struck out five right-handed hitters. The most impressive part of Counsell's gamesmanship was that Brown only had to face the top of the Rockies lineup once.

“I’m really impressed by everything he (Counsell) does,” Brown said. “He’s an awesome guy. I trust him and believe in him. That makes a world of difference just knowing he’s there for my development and success.”

Mark Leiter Jr. got the Cubs through the seventh before Yency Almonte and Hector Neris made matters a little too interesting in the eighth.

Counsell excels at bullpen management, while Ross often struggled with it. The former Brewers manager has a knack for putting the puzzle pieces together, and he does so better than most skippers.

The Cubs are just glad he's on their side of the equation now.