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Milwaukee Brewers Were Classy and Correct in Giving Craig Counsell a Tribute Video

The Milwaukee Brewers did the classy thing by giving Craig Counsell a tribute video on Monday, even though the fans didn't like it.
Brady Farkas|
Milwaukee Brewers fans boo Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell before their game against the Milwaukee Brewers Monday, May 27, 2024 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This is his first game in Milwaukee as Cubs manager. He was manager of the Brewers last season.
Milwaukee Brewers fans boo Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell before their game against the Milwaukee Brewers Monday, May 27, 2024 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This is his first game in Milwaukee as Cubs manager. He was manager of the Brewers last season. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers fans don't like it, but the organization did the right thing on Monday night by giving new Chicago Cubs' manager Craig Counsell a tribute video.

It was the first time that Counsell has been back in Milwaukee since spurning the organization in the offseason to sign a five-year, $40 million deal with the Cubs.

Brewers fans are crushed because Counsell is a Wisconsin native - and because he left to go to a division rival. They have a right to be angry, and they have a right to boo, but Counsell still deserved the tribute video.

After all, he left in free agency, which was exactly what he was entitled to do. The team had chances to lock him up long term and couldn't get the deal done. When you allow a manager to reach free agency, they don't owe you anything more at that point.

Counsell managed the Brewers for nine seasons, posting six winning records. He led Milwaukee to the playoffs on five separate occasions and got them to the NLCS in 2018. The Brewers reached another level of relevance under Craig Counsell at that deserved to be recognized.

A former player, Counsell spent parts of 16 years in the big leagues with the Rockies, Marlins, Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Brewers. He won the World Series in 1997 with the Marlins and in 2001 with the D'Backs.

He was a lifetime .255 hitter.

The Brewers fans got the last laugh as they beat the Cubs, 5-1.

The two sides will play again on Tuesday night.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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