New Cubs manager Craig Counsell revels in a fresh start and his full-circle journey
First-year Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell sits down with Lou Canellis to discuss the start of spring training with
Craig Counsell isn't unfamiliar with the Cubs by any means. The former Brewers manager is taking over in Chicago, and likes the foundation that's in place. Counsell sat down with FOX 32 Sports Anchor Lou Canellis to discuss his managing style, the Cubs current roster and more as spring training begins.
Craig Counsell remembers how his coaching career began.
It was The Frances Xavier Warde School, the FXW Jaguars, located on South Desplaines Street in Chicago.
"I was playing at the time," Counsell said. "Trained in the mornings and then coached sixth, seventh grade basketball in the afternoons and had a blast doing it."
A nine-year stint leading the Milwaukee Brewers comes full circle now as Counsell, the first-year manager of the Chicago Cubs, prepares for his first spring training with the team.
Counsell is now the highest-paid manager in MLB history. The Cubs moved on from David Ross and quickly gave Counsell a five-year contract worth over $40 million.
That was the offseason. Now, it's time for spring training, and Counsell discussed the upcoming season with FOX 32's Lou Canellis in Arizona Thursday.
Counsell is preparing for a spring training with a Cubs team that went 83–79 last season, made moves this offseason to improve immediately and could still make moves to return key pieces of their core.
Will the Cubs resign Cody Bellinger? If not Bellinger, perhaps a big bat in the middle of the lineup is on its way?
Counsell doesn't think about that right now. He's working with the team that he has.
"No manager's going to answer that question any differently," Counsell said.
Still, Counsell knows that a baseball roster is always something that consistently rotates.
That's why he is solely focused on what's happening in front of him at spring training.
"Jed was asked a question like, the manager's never happy with the roster," Counsell said with a laugh. "That's such a good job not to be happy with it. And I don't think Jed's ever like happy with it. You're always trying to get it better and you're always trying to be like, ‘how do we get it better?’ And you get it better with the players that you got in camp."
NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 05: Manager Craig Counsell of the Chicago Cubs speaks during the Manager Media Availability at the 2023 MLB Winter Meetings at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center on Tuesday, December 5, 2023 in Nashville, Ten
Taking over in Chicago, he'll aim to lead a turnaround for a franchise that has not seen the postseason in four seasons.
The Cubs broke through with a winning record under Ross last season, but didn't hesitate to make a move for Counsell. Not only did the Cubs pay him, they paid him like he's the best manager in the sport.
Counsell doesn't see it that way. He considers himself someone who's just trying to do his job as a baseball manager.
Counsell said that requires navigating a season that comes with waves. His job is to be the person who evens those waves out.
"It's the nature of baseball season and it's the nature of a 162 game schedule that demands we kind of just stay in the fight every single day," Counsell said. "At the end of that 162 is what matters. Like, we've put up a good record and get ourselves to the next place."
That next place is the playoffs, and the World Series after.
Counsell's Brewers were never able to get there. They rose up at the back end of the Cubs' run, won the NL Central three times in the last six years and advanced to the NLCS once in 2018. The Brewers lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Counsell, who won two World Series rings as a player with the Florida Marlins in 1997 and with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001, knows getting there isn't simple.
If there were a secret to doing it, he'd do it.
"I wish it was that easy to answer the question," Counsell said. "I don't think it's a question that gets answered like that."
The Cubs would certainly like to know that secret.
But, a World Series is far off in the distance. Right now, Counsell is excited about undertaking the challenge of making the Cubs a perennial contender.
From living in Chicago as a younger adult, to returning with his family, Counsell sees the excitement of a fresh start and a new challenge ahead of him.
"We're at the start of it and at the start of it, you're excited about it," Counsell said. "You're happy to be here and you got a lot of work ahead of you. But, it's a fun challenge that you're undertaking."
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