(Audacy) Manager Craig Counsell had a feeling Brewers fans wouldn't be thrilled with his departure from Milwaukee, especially because he joined a division rival in the Cubs.
But now, he readily admits he underestimated just how much the decision would incense his former team's fan base.
Counsell was introduced as the Cubs' new manager Monday after leading the Brewers for nine seasons. Widely regarded as one of the best managers in the game, Counsell repeatedly got Milwaukee to perform well above expectations – though that never resulted in a trip to the World Series.
He takes over now for a Cubs team that's on the rise, and Counsell has supplanted David Ross, who was fired after being given a vote of confidence from team brass just weeks earlier.
The reaction in Milwaukee – where Counsell grew up – was, in a word, emphatic. Fans were irate, with a sign at Craig Counsell Park getting vandalized in the aftermath.
During an appearance on the Bernstein & Holmes Show, Counsell was asked about the backlash.
"I underestimated that reaction for sure," Counsell said Monday. "Miscalculation on my part for sure. And yeah, it doesn't feel good. It does not feel good. And it's why I said it's been an emotional week. Today really helped, today really helped. I understand you've got to live with that and it's real for people and it's what they're experiencing and it's what the fans experience. Being a fan is being emotional, and I'm cool with that man, that's why we're all here.
"I'm confident that what I did, how we performed, the experience we gave our fans in Milwaukee over the last nine years was good. I know that that was good, and I do think that will age well, and so I have to be comfortable that this upsetness, the fact that people are upset will heal a bit over time."
