Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell will become a free agent after October 31. This is just a few days away, but so far it has been known that two teams were granted permission to interview him early. Those teams are the New York Mets and the Cleveland Guardians.
New York and Cleveland are opposites in terms of market size, payroll, and the amount of media that is received. Up until this point Craig Counsell has managed his entire career in Milwaukee with very little attention brought onto himself. Despite this two former Brewers players endorsed that he does have what it takes to manage in New York.
Two former Milwaukee Brewers players endorse Craig Counsell being capable of managing the New York Mets.
Recently Jonathan Lucoy and Keon Broxton provided their thoughts on Craig Counsell being capable of managing in a big city like New York. Both endorsed that he would excel and had different reasons as to why.
Jonathan Lucroy, formerly a catcher with Milwaukee from 2010-2016, talked about the intelligence that Craig Counsell has. He also acknowledged that he shares that information with his players and always has them thinking ahead and through different scenarios.
“(Craig) Counsell was ‘very smart.’ He was book smart. He was analytically smart. Strategically he was intelligent. He was always thinking ahead.”
“He’d always say: ‘Hey, in this situation here, if this happens, you’re going to do this.’ Or: ‘In this situation there, that guy gets on [base] there, he might run. Watch out. He likes to run second pitch.’ He’s always way ahead of everybody else.”
On the other hand Keon Broxton, who was in the big leagues from 2016-2018 with the Brewers, talked about how good Craig Counsell was situationally. He also talked about how he knew how to utilize players to the best of their abilities while also understanding how they were feeling physically.
“He likes to put all players in the best possible position for them for their unique set of tools. He likes to use everyone on the bench, everyone in the bullpen. Whatever your skill set is, he’s going to use that, and he’s going to use it at the right time.”
“He understands our bodies. You make a crazy dive and you get up — if he sees you’re not able to be yourself, he’s going to see that and come and ask you how you feel.”
Both Jonathan Lucroy and Keon Broxton went on to endorse that Craig Counsell would succeed in New York. It will be interesting to see if he chooses to go to the Mets or not.
As a player, you know very well what’s going to happen whenever you show up in a big market like that. … I think Couns’ honestly would welcome that challenge. I really do. I think he’d relish it.” – Jonathan Lucroy
“It’s going to be an adjustment, He knows that. [If it happens] I’m sure he’s fully prepared to take on that mission.” – Keton Broxton
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