CRAIG COUNSELL

Age: 53

Managerial Experience: Milwaukee Brewers (2015-2023)

Current Position: Milwaukee Brewers manager

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Profile

Craig Counsell was born in South Bend, Indiana, on August 21, 1970. He would attend college at Notre Dame, where he was an infielder until he was drafted in the 11th round of the 1992 MLB Amateur Draft by the Colorado Rockies. Across his career, he played for 13 seasons and six different MLB teams, including the Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks twice, and the Milwaukee Brewers twice, playing primarily shortstop and second base, but also getting playing time at first base and third base. Counsell retired in 2011 and, in 2012, took a job in the Brewers front office as a special assistant to general manager Doug Melvin. In 2014, he became a part-time color analyst for the Brewers radio broadcasts.

On May 4, 2015, Counsell was hired by the Brewers to become their manager and signed a three-year contract. Throughout his tenure as Brewers manager, he always kept them with a winning record minus 2015 and 2016, which were rebuilding seasons for the Brewers and the COVID-shortened 2020 season when they went 29-31. The Brewers reached the playoffs in every season from 2018-2021, losing in the NLCS in 2018, the NLWC in 2019, the NLWC in 2020, and the NLDS in 2021. In 2022, despite finishing with an 86-76 record, they missed out on the playoffs, and their 2023 season saw the Brewers lose in the NLWC to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

While Counsell was born in Indiana, he grew up in Wisconsin, so his ties to his hometown team, both as a player and as a manager, have been evident, but there is no doubt he knows how to win. His father, John, also worked for the Brewers for many years as the director of the speakers bureau and director of community relations. Counsell has, of course, worked with David Stearns from their time together in Milwaukee from 2015-2023, and has helped many of the players drafted or signed flourish into stars or at the least good everyday MLB players. Numerous players have been quoted as saying he doesn’t over-manage and is easy to communicate with.

Counsell has a distinct managerial style, definitely being a player’s manager, which is helped by his experience as a professional. He also mentioned he gleaned some of his managerial stylings from Jim Leyland and Bob Melvin. He has shown an ability to listen to players, while also not having to be a very vocal leader. His bullpen management with the Brewers has been excellent, with many relievers including Josh Hader, Devin Williams, Jeremy Jeffress , and Corey Knebel. Counsell seems to have a knack for knowing when to remove a starter and which pitcher will be best suited to come in. The 2023 Brewers had the second-best bullpen ERA in the MLB, headlined by Williams, Joel Payamps, Abner Uribe, and Hoby Milner. He has also not been shy about using younger players, with the Brewers routinely playing Brice Turang, Joey Wiemer, Andruw Monasterio, and upon his late-season call-up, top prospect Sal Frelick.

While Counsell isn’t truly a free agent manager – his contract runs until the end of the month, he nor the Brewers have made a definite decision on whether they would have a reunion. As per Matt Arnold, the Brewers GM “We’re in regular conversation with him,” Arnold told reporters in Milwaukee. “I’m excited about having those conversations with him and looking forward to hopefully having some news for you [media] as soon as possible. But either way, we’re going to be prepared to have a manager next year if it’s not Craig.” In addition, Arnold has said about Counsell: “He’s maybe one of the best people I’ve ever worked with,” said Arnold, who has worked with Counsell since the 2016 season. “I really, really enjoy working with him. He challenges us in great ways. We see the world differently. I think it’s healthy. I think he means a lot to this community. He’s done a lot. He’s been a player here. His dad worked here. He’s grown up here.” [New York Post, 2023]

What The Players Say

There’s no doubt that players who Counsell manages tend to like him. Here are what current players have said about Counsell as a manager:

Christian Yelich – “The players have to play the game, but it starts from the top down and players feed off the manager. I don’t think he gets enough credit, I really don’t. It’s almost a crime that he hasn’t won Manager of the Year the last few years. He’s definitely deserved it and he’s a huge reason for all of our success here.” – NYT, 2021

Jackie Bradley Jr. – “He definitely communicates and gets his point across, for sure. He’s pretty straightforward. I think that’s all you can really ask out of a manager — someone who just, you know, will get the point across right away and kind of go on from there. And he’s been able to do that all throughout the year. That’s helpful from a mindset for even all of our players.” – The Athletic, 2021

Corbin Burnes – “There’s multiple times throughout the year — probably once a month or once every other month — I just go in (to his office) and have conversations with him, like, “Hey, I’m feeling good and I’ve talked to the other starters and we’re all feeling good.” Just to ease his mind, ease our minds. That’s part of being a player’s coach. You want to have that ability, that the door is open and come in and chat whenever you want. And he knows the right things to say to get guys going. He’s good at knowing his players and has that relationship with most guys on the team; he knows what each guy needs.” – The Athletic, 2021

Recommendation

Craig Counsell would check many boxes for what the Mets would look for—a manager who is pro-analytics, who will play younger players and help them grow. Counsell has experience as a winning manager and has to work with what he has in terms of players and the budget and ability to get more players. One could only imagine the decisions he would be able to make if he wasn’t concerned his general manager might have to sell off pieces of the team because he couldn’t afford them. Counsell seems to be adept at managing the personalities of the players and has a good sense of bullpen usage, all while not being too far removed from being a professional player. The only concern with most managers and players is how will they handle the New York media cycle on a daily basis criticizing every move they made or failed to make.