In November 2023, the Chicago Cubs hired Craig Counsell as manager. This is after he spent eight seasons managing the Milwaukee Brewers.

Fast forward to 2025, the Cubs and Brewers are duking it out for the NLDS. On Saturday, before the first game at Miller Park, Counsell didn't get a friendly welcome from the fans during the introductions, per Lily Zhao of Fox6 Now.

All season long, the Cubs and Brewers were in a tight battle over the NL Central crown. Ultimately, the crown was bestowed upon the Brewers who finished with a 97-65 record. Meanwhile, Chicago is fresh off winning the NL Wild Card Series over the San Diego Padres and finished at 92-70 in the regular season.

So far, Counsell has accumulated a record of 175-149 as manager in Chicago. His overall record as a manger is 879-773 and has a winning percentage of .532.

For 16 years, Counsell was a veteran infielder. Altogether, he played for five different teams including the Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Brewers. With the Marlins and Diamondbacks, he won two World Series.

In 1997, Counsell scored the winning run in Game 7 against Cleveland. Four years later, he was named the NLCS MVP with Arizona.

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Craig Counsell's tenure with the Brewers

As a player, Counsell made his debut with the Brewers in 1995. In 2004, he made his return to Milwaukee and then again in 2007 before retiring in 2011. Shortly after, he worked in the front office and was an analyst on radio.

In 2015, he became a first time manager with Milwaukee.

During his tenure, Counsell etched his name into Brewers' history with a record 707 regular season wins. Additionally, he had a winning percentage of .531.

At the same time, he took the Brewers to the postseason five times over the course of six seasons. For fans, it was one thing to go elsewhere, it was another to go to Chicago.