Counsell could have gone almost anywhere else –– but there

Well, Cheeseheads, this was definitely shocking and it definitely stung.

I can’t imagine any fan of the Milwaukee Brewers, or the Chicago Cubs, woke up Monday morning having any inkling that later that day Counsell, a managerial free agent as of Oct. 31, would tell the Brewers he’s not coming back and was going to accept the manager’s position with the Cubs. Mind you, that was a position that was not even open when we all woke up Monday.

The possibility that Counsell might not be back in the Brewers’ dugout was growing at season’s end. Counsell kept pushing off any talk of extending his contract and you certainly got the feeling he was at a mid-life crossroads, so to speak, with two sons playing college baseball at the University of Minnesota and University of Michigan and two high-school aged daughters. Brewers fans had to be somewhat preparing for Counsell to step away. This fan, in particular, really envisioned him staying in the organization in some capacity but taking time to spend more time to go watch his kids play.

To not only stay in the managing grind, but to go do it for the Cubs?!?! That brings out some raw emotion for Brewers’ die hards.

Counsell was supposed to be one of us. Born and raised in Whitefish Bay. His dad worked in the Brewers’ community relations department. He was in the stands for the magical season of 1982. As he kid, he knew and idolized the players. He came back to play for the Brewers, twice. Now, since 2015 he’d been managing his hometown team to its most sustained success ever. He’s the team’s all-time winningest manager by far. He made the most of the sometimes sketchy rosters the cheap front office ownership had given him, not that the cheap front office and ownership have the financial resources to tap into what about 28 teams can in their markets.

An overachiever himself as a player, you just felt like Counsell knew what it was like to be a Brewer, whether it’s as a player, a coach, an organizational employee and, of course, a fan. With the rules the way they are in baseball, all of us in the Brewers family know they have to be damn near perfect to be able to compete for championships.

Not that Counsell was perfect. No Major League Baseball manager is, but his ability to create one of his favorite words, connectivity, in Milwaukee’s clubhouse and maneuver his sometimes overmatched rosters to be able to compete against the MLB bullies, was pretty impressive. And he rarely, if ever, used the small market thing as an excuse.

But the Cubs, the thing that is anti-Brewers in pretty much all aspects, except losing? I mean, both organizations are pretty well-versed in that. All I can say is “ouch.”

This one’s going to be hard to forgive for awhile. But I’m not sure where to turn more of my anger in this transaction.

Those who know me know there are two, maybe three, professional sports organizations I absolutely loathe. The Chicago Cubs are in that group and, to be clear, they’re not the maybe. I’ve never, ever, not even from age 10, understood this romanticism that baseball fans are supposed to have about the Cubs. Before I go off the deep end and put something in print that will get me fired, I’ll try to stop there.

Digging deep into my lifelong fan emotion, I thought Counsell was my partner standing up for what’s right. Even though their fans may take over our stadium, he was going to manage like crazy to send them home unhappy and thank them for the additional revenue. And he was going to make sure the Brewers were going to play even better when they visited the dumpster that is Wrigley Field (oops).

That emotion was betrayed Monday. But I also can’t help thinking how low the Cubs stooped to fire a manager in David Ross they had staunchly stood behind at season’s end and given their rival manager a contract offer they knew the Brewers could not match. As of Wednesday, we still haven’t seen

Matt’s

Bleacher Shots

Matt Frey a public comment from Ross. I kinda wonder what kind of chip on his shoulder he’d bring if the Brewers hired him now.

This whole thing is a harsh reminder of what professional sports is. We hear it all the time, it’s strictly a business. You do what it takes to win, no matter who it hurts, and loyalty is only worth so many dollars. Some organizations can do it more ruthlessly than others and some, unlike the Cubs, are better at being ruthless and successful (oops I did it again).

Counsell said Tuesday his decision gives him a chance to stay close to family and gives him a chance to fill what he felt was an increasing desire to take on a new challenge which, actually, you can and should respect. Let’s face it, a record-breaking $40 million contract would be hard for anyone to say no to. It just would’ve been a lot better had it come from the Chicago White Sox.

Replacing Counsell won’t be easy for Brewers’ general manager Matt Arnold and owner Mark Attanasio. Of course, they could make the new manager’s job easier by bringing in players who actually have Major League offensive talent.

Baseball life will go on. The Brewers will continue to only dream of being able to make, much less win, a World Series while continuing to worship the 1982 team at some point every year. The Cubs will likely continue to squander the millions they reap from their gullible worldwide fans while choking in the big ones, when they occasionally get there.

I’m reminded this week of the Jerry Seinfeld bit, which admittedly, hits the sports fandom nail on the head.

“Loyalty to any one sports team is pretty hard to justify, because the players are always changing, the team can move to another city,” Seinfeld’s bit goes. “You’re actually rooting for the clothes, when you get right down to it. You are standing and cheering and yelling for your clothes to beat the clothes from another city. Fans will be so in love with a player, but if he goes to another team, they boo him. This is the same human being in a different shirt. They hate him now. Boo! Different shirt! Boo!”

In that case, go interlocking m’s and b’s that look like gloves!

Matt Frey is the Sports Editor at The Star News.