Craig Counsell, a former professional baseball player, currently serves as the manager for the Chicago Cubs in Major League Baseball. Prior to his role with the Cubs, he managed the Milwaukee Brewers.
Bio/Wiki
Age- 53 years
Height- 6 feet 0 inches
Weight- 82 kg
Full name- Craig John Counsell
Born- 21 August 1970
Birth place- South Bend, Indiana, United States
Spouse- Michelle Counsell
Profession- American former baseball player
Nationality- American
Bats- Left-handed
Batting average-.255
Dates joined: 2007 (Milwaukee Brewers), MORE
Parents
Craig Counsell is the child of John Counsell and Jan Counsell. John, his father, held positions within the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB) as the director of the speakers bureau and director of community relations.
Wife and Children
Counsell is married to Michelle, and they have four children. Their eldest son, Brady, is a college baseball player at the University of Minnesota, while their younger son, Jack, was a part of Whitefish Bay High School’s state championship baseball team in 2023. Jack is set to play college baseball at the University of Michigan in 2024.
Career
The Colorado Rockies selected Counsell in the 11th round of the 1992 MLB Draft. He made his MLB debut with the Rockies on September 17, 1995, playing in just three games that season. Counsell was later traded to the Florida Marlins for Mark Hutton in July 1997. In June 1999, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he was released during the 2000 spring training. He then signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he stayed for four years. During his time with the Diamondbacks, Counsell made significant contributions, such as batting 8-for-21 in the 2001 National League Championship Series (NLCS) and winning the NLCS Most Valuable Player Award. After the 2003 season, he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers as part of a multi-player deal. He played as the team’s shortstop in 2004.
Counsell returned to the Brewers in 2007 as a utility infielder and achieved milestones, including recording his 1,000th career hit in 2008. He gained more playing time in 2009 due to injuries and performed well with a .285 batting average and 8 triples. He was recognized for his intelligence in sports and held a distinctive batting stance throughout his career. Defensively, he excelled as both a 2nd baseman and a 3rd baseman.
After retiring as a player, Counsell took on a front office role with the Brewers and later became a part-time color analyst for Brewers radio broadcasts. On May 4, 2015, he was appointed as the Brewers’ manager. Under his leadership, the team had successful seasons, finishing second in the NL Central in 2017 and winning the division in 2018. Counsell achieved milestones as a manager, including his 500th win in 2021 and surpassing Phil Garner for the most wins as a Brewers manager in 2022. He also secured his 700th managerial win in September 2023. However, his contract with the Brewers expired on November 1, 2023.
Net Worth 2023
The new agreement significantly increased Counsell’s salary, surpassing his previous earnings of $3.5 million and setting a new record for a manager’s average annual salary. The previous record, held by Terry Francona of the Cleveland Guardians, was $4.5 million.
Latest News about Craig Counsell
Cubs Replace David Ross with Craig Counsell as Manager
On Monday, the Chicago Cubs shocked the baseball community by firing manager David Ross and bringing in Craig Counsell as his replacement. Counsell, the former Milwaukee Brewers manager, was enticed to Chicago with a groundbreaking five-year, $40 million contract, as reported by sources familiar with the deal and confirmed by the Cubs in their announcement. This unexpected move surprised many, especially considering the public praise Ross had received from the team’s owner, Tom Ricketts, who had previously expressed Ross as “our guy” on October 2nd.
As Craig Counsell’s contract with the Milwaukee Brewers concluded on October 31, the Chicago Cubs wasted no time in signaling their interest and presented an offer that shattered the prevailing salary standards for managers. Up until then, the highest average annual value for a manager’s salary had been held by Terry Francona with the Cleveland Guardians at $4.5 million.
Counsell, a former leader within the Major League Baseball Players Association during his 16-year playing career, used his free agency to advocate for increased managerial salaries. In response, the Cubs more than doubled his previous salary of $3.5 million, elevating him to a level previously reached only by Joe Torre during his tenure with the New York Yankees.
This move drew parallels to 2014 when the Cubs dismissed manager Rick Renteria midway through his contract and brought in Joe Maddon, who, two years later, guided the team to a World Series championship after a 108-year title drought.
Counsell’s appointment infuses a sense of urgency into a team with postseason aspirations. Over his nine years as the Brewers’ manager, he secured three NL Central titles and led the team to the playoffs in five of the past six seasons, including a division-winning record of 92-70 in the most recent season.
In an official statement, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer expressed, “Today we made the difficult decision to dismiss David Ross as our major league manager. On behalf of the Cubs organization, we express our deep gratitude for David’s contributions to our club, both on and off the field. First as a player and then as a manager, David consistently demonstrated his leadership abilities. David’s legacy will leave a lasting impact in Chicago, akin to the legends who preceded him.”
Craig Counsell will be formally introduced at Wrigley Field next week, as confirmed by Hoyer.
