Did Craig Counsell take a shot at Brewers fans ahead of much-anticipated reunion?

Craig Counsell's return to Milwaukee is sure to come with plenty of intriguing storylines, namely how the current Cubs manager will be received by Brewers fans, many of whom remain angry that he joined their biggest rival.

This past winter, the Cubs made Counsell the highest-paid manager in MLB, while the Brewers failed to make that necessary commitment. And while Tom Ricketts isn't exactly Steve Cohen, the Cubs do outspend the Brewers on a yearly basis by a wide margin. Milwaukee lets top-tier talents like Josh Hader and Corbin Burnes leave, sometimes by choice.

When polled by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, some Brewers fans echoed those thoughts exactly, blaming the front office for letting Counsell leave in the first place. Others, though, were clear in how they felt about their former skipper, with one Brewers fan even calling him the "Benedict Arnold of Wisconsin."

Craig Counsell takes a veiled shot at Milwaukee Brewers fans

For his part, Counsell thinks he'll receive mixed reviews from fans at American Family Field this week, namely because Cubs fans typically travel well. While not a direct shot at Brewers fans, it's an odd assumption from Counsell, especially in what should be a very hot ticket in Milwaukee.

“It’s probably going to be the same reaction it normally is in that stadium,” Counsell said, per The Athletic ($). “There’s going to be a lot of Cubs fans there. And there’s going to be a lot of Brewers fans there. So there will be some good and some bad.”

The Cubs made Counsell and offer he couldn't refuse, and Matt Arnold couldn't match, especially for a manager. In doing so, Counsell would've taken up a large portion of an already-stretched payroll. Despite his departure, Counsell had nothing but nice things to say about his time with the Brewers.

“Still pretty happy with how things went there and what we accomplished,” Counsell said. “A lot of players did some pretty special things. I think we gave some pretty darn good experiences to our fans. And they’re doing it again. They’re still doing it.”

That one thing, of course, is the World Series, and it's why Counsell was willing to leave his legacy in Milwaukee behind to chase bigger things in Chicago.

Will history remember him fondly for doing so? That remains to be seen. This week, though, Brewers fans hope to be on the right side of it by booing Counsell relentlessly, whether he's ready for it or not.