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Few individuals have deeper ties to the Milwaukee Brewers than Craig Counsell. However, despite being the closest thing to a product of the team itself, it appears the veteran manager may be on the move.
In addition to being the Brewers' manager since 2015, Counsell played for Milwaukee for the final six seasons of his 16-year pro baseball career. As if his Brewers bonafides were not enough, he grew up in Milwaukee while his father worked for the team.
On November 2, MLB analyst Jon Heyman broke news that the 53-year-old would be heading to Queens on Monday for an interview with the New York Mets.
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""Top Mets manager target Craig Counsell heads to New York today for interview, The Post has learned" - Jon Heyman
In his nine seasons as the manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, Craig Counsell has coached the team to three divisional titles, including in 2023. Despite the need to replace outgoing manager Buck Showalter being a top priority for the Mets, fans do not seem as keen on hiring Counsell as the front office seems to be.
Although the Brewers under Counsell have put up some impressive regular season, the lack of playoff success serves as a black stain on the Indiana-born manager's record. After a disastrous 2023 season, New York Mets fans are very wary of potential new coaching candidates.
Many feel as though Counsell is a frontrunner for the job due to his connections. David Stearns, who was hired as the Mets' president of baseball operations on October 1, worked with Counsell during his time as the Brewers' GM.
""Craig Counsell seems to be the #Mets guy, and obviously their #1 priority" - MLB Rumors and News
Whoever replaces Buck Showalter will have a mammoth weight on their shoulders. The team's 75-87 record represented a fourth-place finish in the NL East this season, some 29 games behind the title-winning Atlanta Braves. For baseball's richest team, another result like 2023 simply will not be tenable for their $350 million payroll.
Craig Counsell may be the best option for ailing Mets
While fans bring up valid points about Craig Counsell's regular-season record, 2023 was a failure of their players, not necessarily their coaching. Irrespective of who takes over as the new Mets' manager, the big bats in the lineup will need to perform.
If the Mets obtain a result that is even close to as bad as 2023, it is likely that the blame will fall on the manager, whether that person turns out to be Counsell or not.
