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If the Chicago Cubs were to be believed, the Brewer way was going to become extinct once the Cubs hired Craig Counsell. In poaching Counsell away from the Brewers, the impression is that the Cubs could simply show up for the season and everything that made Milwaukee the thorn in the side of the North Siders would suddenly become an advantage. Instead, the Cubs' hiring Counsell has only exposed how far they are behind the Brewers when it comes to baseball operations.
As the Cubs and Brewers began a five-game series on Monday, Pat Murphy, the man who replaced Counsell, was asked about what the difference is between the two teams.
"They have all-stars, MVP candidates, veterans, gold glove winners, world champions. What don't they have? They're not the underdogs. Trust me."
No one likes playing up the underdog role more than Pat Murphy who is 8 games clear of the Cubs: "They have all-stars, MVP candidates, veterans, gold glove winners, world champions. What don't they have? They're not the underdogs. Trust me."
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) August 18, 2025
Teams start a 5 gamer today.
Cubs slammed as Brewers manager delivers cold-blooded comments
There's also been a sense of entitlement from Jed Hoyer's front office that they don't deserve. The entitlement that made the Cubs foolishly believe that Michael Soroka is a legitimate option at the MLB trade deadline. The entitlement that made Carter Hawkins feel comfortable enough to reference 2032, despite the circumstances of the 2025 season. Entitlement has led to the baffling handling of Owen Caissie during his first week on the Major League roster.
In a world where the Cubs backed up that entitlement by being among the teams that spend the most each offseason, they would be allowed to act the way they are. However, the Cubs love the small-market mindset, but have no idea how to live in that world. That is why the Brewers have become the definition of success in the National League Central.
Until the Cubs either spend to overcome their organizational shortcomings in comparison to the Brewers or overhaul their baseball operations, there's no reason to believe they can become what the Brewers currently are and will be--the best-run team in Major League Baseball. The Brewers are everything the Cubs want to be, and no one person accounts for that difference. Something the Cubs failed to realize when they hired Counsell.