The Chicago Cubs will face the Arizona Diamondbacks in Spring Training. As Cubs manager Craig Counsell prepares for this battle, he will see a familiar face on the other side, as his son will be taking his first pro at-bat, according to Jesse Rogers.
“Diamondbacks' 10th-round pick Brady Counsell is on today's game roster against the Cubs with his dad in the opposing dugout. Brady even told his mom before dad. (Craig got scooped!). Nervois dad Craig about his son's first pro AB: ‘I'll close my eyes and watch the video later,'” Rogers wrote on X.
As the Cubs gear up for Opening Day, it will be a nice distraction for Counsell, as he gets to see his son's first at-bat in person. The Diamondbacks took Brady with a 10th-round pick, and he is getting a chance to show what he can do in Spring Training. The elder Counsell will get a live look at how his son performs at the big league level.
The last time a father managed a team against his son being a player on the other side was 2017, when John Farrell managed the Boston Red Sox against Luke Farrell, who pitched for the Cincinnati Reds. There was also an instance in 2004 when Moises Alou and the Cubs battled his father, Felipe, and the San Francisco Giants.
There have been a few father-son combinations in baseball history, but very few instances where they faced one another. Many remember Ken Griffey Jr. and Ken Griffey Sr. teaming up, but facing off against one another is a completely different atmosphere. Time will tell how Brady's career goes. As the Cubs look to have a great season, Counsell may likely enjoy this moment before the seriousness of Opening Day takes shape.
