MILWAUKEE — Craig Counsell is still Public Enemy No. 1 in Milwaukee.
During introductions before Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Saturday, and again before Game 2 on Monday night, fans at American Family Field showered the 55-year-old Cubs manager with boos.
Among those enjoying the jeering of Counsell, a former Brewers player and their all-time winningest manager over nine seasons from 2015 to 2023, was Brewers fan Jay Ryan, who recalled a report from earlier this year that Yankees owner George Steinbrenner had repeatedly offered late Brewers play-by-play announcer Bob Uecker a large sum of money to leave Milwaukee for New York.
“[Uecker] constantly said no,” Ryan said. “As soon as [the Cubs] threw [money] in Counsell’s face, he left.”
Counsell’s departure after the 2023 season hurt Milwaukee fans so much because he wasn’t a bum, according to his successor and longtime friend Pat Murphy.
But perhaps the ice will thaw eventually. Many at the ballpark Monday said they’re focused on this Brewers team, not the past.
“[Counsell] taught us some things,” Brewers fan Chris Coates said. “I like him. I respect him. He paved the way for us, but we’ve moved on. It’s our time. We’ve got our guy. We’ve got our pancakes.”
Coates, wearing a standard Brewers uniform but with bottoms made out of pancakes, was referring to Murphy, who has captured fans’ hearts with his affable personality and sense of humor. In August, he pulled a pancake out of his pocket mid-game during an on-field interview.
Fans on Monday said they feel a special connection with this team, which most didn’t believe would win the National League Central, let alone finish the regular season with the best record in the majors at 97-65.
“We’ve never had this excitement or build-up,” Coates said. “Why wouldn’t we think that this is just a magic carpet ride that we’re gonna go all the way to the end?”
The big-market Cubs were expected to go deep into October after acquiring star hitter Kyle Tucker in the offseason, only for the Brewers — an unheralded group of players who mostly have had winding career paths — to crash the party and energize their faithful.
Not all Cubs fans are as invested. One fan in Milwaukee said he felt more connected to the 1980s Cubs teams with Ryne Sandberg and doesn’t follow this one as closely. Another, Frankie Ranke, ranked the 2025 Cubs as his third- or fourth-favorite Cubs incarnation. His favorite, of course, was the 2016 team that won the World Series.
“You never forget your first,” Ranke said.
He predicted — correctly — that Game 2 would have more Cubs fans in attendance after an overwhelming show of support for the Brewers in Game 1. That included Cubs slugger Pete Crow-Armstrong getting an “overrated” chant.
Counsell may not have received any chants himself yet, but he’s still a target of wrath for some fans.
“We don’t hate Cubs fans, but Counsell could’ve had a statue,” Ryan said.
