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The Chicago Cubs manager for the next five seasons will be Craig Counsell.
That would have been an outlandish statement to make at the start of the Chicago Cubs' off-season in October but is the news that kickstarted the Major League Baseball off-season.
in Milwaukee, there are a lot of fans who are waking up and coming to the realization that Counsell is managing their biggest National League Central rival.
The biggest Counsell fan I know is going through it right now. 😬@WiscoGrant pic.twitter.com/2sMfcjWipg
— Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) November 6, 2023
There also likely is some surprise among the players of the Chicago Cubs. The reaction by the Cubs' players can be felt by the sentiments that Sahadev Sharma shared in The Athletic (Subscription required). The takeaway is that while the Cubs players liked Ross and how he defended the team, there was an understanding that his shortcomings as a manager of a team with post-season expectations were the reason for the change.
Formers Cubs' player, Cliff Floyd, also shared the reasoning for why the Cubs made the move for Counsell.
“If you're going to make this type of move, it has to be this type of guy.”@CliffFloyd30 on the Cubs hiring Craig Counsell. pic.twitter.com/kQnpwGaetA
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) November 6, 2023
The Cubs hiring of Counsell should also put to bed the notion that team chairman Tom Ricketts is complacent with not winning another World Series title with the Cubs after the team won in 2016. This is not meant as a defense of Ricketts as there are legitimate criticisms of his approach to the team's finances dating back to 2018 but this is an assurance that the Ricketts family will continue to open their wallet when there is a path toward the Cubs being great.
“I think the Cubs are back to saying … we are all about winning a championship again.”
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) November 6, 2023
Bruce Levine on Cubs 360. pic.twitter.com/3EMyAG6DLJ
The idea of Counsell being the manager of the Cubs would have been unheard of prior to this season. It would have been an idea that would have been laughed at as much as the idea of Ozzie Guillen ever being the Cubs manager.
Regardless, there is no question that with the retirement of Terry Francona with the Cleveland Guardians, an argument can be made that Counsell is now the best manager in Major League Baseball. Regardless of the rivalry that existed between the Cubs and Counsell prior to this week, money talks and the Cubs made the right move.