Vandalism strikes Craig Counsell park sign in his hometown, MLB fans respond: "Cubs/Brewers games might be a little toxic next year"

When Brewers fans learned on Monday that their long-time manager Craig Counsell would be inking a deal to manage a divisional foe, fans felt betrayed.

Not only had the 53-year old Counsell managed the Brewers to three NL Central titles since assuming charge in 2015, but he had also played for the team and grew up in Wisconsin while his father worked for the team.

Fans in those parts to do not take to perceived traitors lightly. Mere hours after the news that Counsell would be heading to Chicago, a park named after him in his home town of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, was vandalized.

"The sign at Craig Counsell Park in his hometown just outside Milwaukee was vandalized last night (via @JournalSentinel)" - Talkin' Baseball

Fans immediately took the iconoclastic act as a forewarning of things to come. Bitter divisional rivals, the Milwaukee Brewers already dislike the Cubs, and now have added reason to.

A northern suburb of Milwaukee, Whitefish Bay is home to several Little Leagues, who often used the park.

It's understood that the move to the Chicago Cubs is a strategic one for Craig Counsell. His two young daughters are yet to finish high school in Milwaukee, while his two older sons attend college in the Midwest.

Originally, it was thought that Counsell might decide to sign a deal with the New York Mets. Baseball's richest team is in the midst of hiring both a manager and GM, and Counsell was reported to be in attendance for an interview in Queens.

However, Counsell's five-year, $40 million deal with the Cubs is set to make him baseball's highest-paid manager in 2024. It appears as though the Mets are not the only team who can entice talent with lucrative offers to both managers and players.

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Craig Counsell move could incite whole new rivalry in NL Central

Already one of baseball's most dynamic, young and exciting divisions, Counsell's move from the Brewers to the Cubs has made the NL Central more interesting. Both teams took hits in 2023 and will be keen to come out guns blazing in 2024.

Other clubs, namely the Cincinnati Reds, are knocking on the door of greatness, while nobody can expoect the St. Louis Cardinals to stay dormant for too much longer.

Counsell's move within the division will spark yet another storyline for fans to keep their eyes on, with 2024 creeping closer by the hour.